How long was japan isolated from the western world?

Answer 1

Japan's isolation in modern times didn't really begin until Iemitsu Tokugawa's rule in the first half of the 1600s, when he outlawed Christianity, abolished foreign influence, and restricted Western trade with Japan to a Dutch trading company's outpost on a small island of Nagasaki harbor. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, which lasted until the late 1800s, nothing in Japan changed much: it remained a feudal system with its own unique culture. Then, in 1853, the U.S.'s Admiral Perry barged into Japan with his formidable battle ships and nicely told the Japanese that if they didn't open their country up to other countries, they would have the lovely experience of a U.S. attack (with those scary ships). Japan was also forced into Unequal Treaties. At this point, Japan's rulers decided that this situation could not last, and by the turn of the century, they had racked up a modern army and navy, completely revolutionized their economy, and gotten up to date on the latest technologies like railroads and steam engines (think The Last Samurai).

Answer 2

Japan was isolated from the West for roughly 250 years.

Sakoku, Japan's policy of isolation from the West, began in 1633. Laws were passed prohibiting foreigners from entering the country and banning Japanese citizens from leaving. Trade was restricted to a few ports, notably Dejima in the Nagasaki region, and religious artifacts, such as Bibles, were strictly prohibited.

In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry and his Black Ships demanded the opening of trade with Japan. Japan feared it would be overpowered and agreed, though Japanese citizens couldn't leave the country until 1868.

Before this, Japan's first contact with the West was in 1542, when Portuguese ships blew off course from China and arrived in Japan, spawning several decades of trade. Before that, there was almost no awareness of European culture in Japan.

Answer 3

The Sakoku Edict closed off Japan (minus a small contingent of Dutch and Chinese traders) in 1635. This strict isolation lasted until the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854.

Answer 4

From 1641 to 1853

Answer 5

27 years