Between 1603 and 1868 Japanese history falls under the so-called Edo or Togukawa period. The social order, based on inherited position rather than meritocracy, was rigid and formal. It was the aim of the government to pacify the country after the long conflict that affected it, and in light of Confucian principles of social order. The Edo period was a time of economic growth, artistic and cultural industriousness and isolationism.

Sakoku was the isolationist foreign policy of the Japanese Bakufu under which, for 214 years, relations and trade between Japan and the rest of the world were barred. The policy was enacted around 1630 and ceased in 1853 when the diplomatic and military mission known as “Perry Expedition” forced the opening of Japan to America. Throughout the Sakoku period, the only Western influence allowed in Japan was that of the Dutch, whose factory at Dejima in Nagasaki allowed locals to keep abreast of the innovations that were taking place in Europe. Far from being uninterested in all things foreign, the Japanese developed a body of knowledge called Rangaku, which focused specifically on technology and medicine, and which was instrumental in introducing some of the most important innovations of the long 19^th century to Japan: clocks, plant seeds, electricity, hot air balloons, to name a few. Originally enforced to limit the influence of the Spanish and Portuguese traders in Japan, the Sakoku also owed to religious contentions centred around Christianity. Only the Dutch were allowed to continue commerce in Japan so long as they did not engage in any missionary activities.

All along the Edo period, rice was the base of the economy with 80% of the people being rice farmers. The population was highly literate compared to the rest of the world. One third of males and a sixth of women could read by 1860. Because of the cultural development of the country, it was possible for people to enjoy their leisure time. This led to the emergence of a new mass culture, which developed into the so called ukiyo or ‘floating world’, that is, an idealised world of aesthetic and material perfection penetrating every aspect of everyday life. Among the professional figures that became particularly popular were female entertainers (geisha), theatre actors (Kabuki), puppeteers (bunraku) and woodblock printers (ukiyo-e). Ukiyo-e, in particular, was a genre of painting and printmaking that first developed in the 17^th century specifically to depict the entertainments taking place at the Edo court and the higher classes, which rose to popularity in Europe at the turn of the 20^th century.

Eating habits changed too. It was no longer unusual even among lower classes to eat out, especially at fast food stalls on the street. Gardening became popular and as such, horticultural techniques improved on many a front. Bonsai, cherry blossoms and morning glories were particularly appreciated. Fashion developed especially through the import of cloths and textiles from India, France and Britain by the Dutch. Luxurious silk kimonos as well as wadded ones were in high demand among high class women whereas the samurai were particularly fond of collecting precious netsuke.

In 1868, the Meiji Restoration, literally meaning “enlightened rule”, took place through the rebellion of reformers who aimed at restoring the Emperor to power. Until 1912, the Meiji Era saw the introduction of a new paradigm into the country, which flourished and changed from being a feudal society to having a market economy. A large loss of wealth affected former samurai and modern ideas coming from the West in order to promote civilization and enlightenment. An oligarchy formed the new government with the Emperor serving solely as the leading spiritual authority. Centralisation also took place through a reform of language, which supported the revision of the national public school system. Industrialisation also rose: a national railway was built, and modern communications were introduced to keep up with the West. 

Once Japanese ports reopened to trade with the West in 1853, a tidal wave of foreign imports flooded European shores. All things Japanese were at the crest of the wave, from woodcuts to fans, kimonos, lacquers, bronzes and silks. Works by the ukiyo-e school infiltrated Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. Parisians saw their first exhibition of Japanese art at the World’s Fair of 1867. Shiploads of Oriental bric-à-brac poured into England and France. In Holland Japanese paper was first used as a wrapping in spice shops. Expressions typical of Kabuki theatre entered the posters and prints by Toulouse Lautrec. Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard relied upon the piquant viewpoints of ukiyo-e prints. Japonisme was …