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Traders from England, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands began to arrive during the 16th century. The powerful shoguns in Japan were suspicious of a military invasion. They forced all foreigners to leave, and contact with the outside world was ceased except for a few heavily restricted trading contracts with the Chinese and Dutch. This was to last for 200 years until Convention of Kanagawa in 1854 which opened links once again to the West. The effect on Japanese society was enormous and the Shogunate were made to resign. The emperor was restored to power and the feudal system abolished. A constitutional government was implemented and other Western practices adopted. Within the space of a decade, Japan had transformed itself from a feudal state into a world power. Japanese involvement in WWII came to an abrupt end when the Americans dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing over 130,000 people. The country lost its international standing and possessions, and was placed under the control of the Allies. Political reforms were introduced and a new constitution came in to effect in 1947. Following a gradual return of sovereignty, Japan witnessed a huge economic boom and it now has the second largest economy in the world. | |
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