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1-1-2013 Tokugawa Bakumatsu Military Reforms [Encyclopedia Entry] Michael Wert Marquette University, [email protected]
Published version. "Tokugawa Bakumatsu Military Reforms," in Japan at War: An Encyclopedia. Publisher Link. Japan at War: An Encyclopedia by Louis G. Perez, Editor. © 2013 by ABC-Clio, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission of ABC-CLIO, LLC, Santa Barbara, CA. Tokugawa Bakumatsu Military Reforms I 435 that tied together key liege vassals, noble cutting, expanding coastal defenses, and families, and daimyo. Moreover, wealthy encouraging military drills and frugality merchants and other commoners who lent among the samurai. Domains carried out money to the shogunate submitted memori these reforms as they saw fit-for example, als regarding, for example, how to reform increasing the number of schools available shOgunal finances. Gradually the shOgunate for samurai learning and martial arts. The allowed input from outer daimyo and court reform did little to change the Tokugawa nobles, thus weakening its position as the military, however, as other domestic con ruling institution in Japan. cerns attracted the shogunate's attention Michael Wert major reform would have to wait until the 1860s. See also: Buke Shohatto; Civil Wars, Sengoku The most expansive institutional military Era; Ii Naosuke; Muromachi Bakufu; Toku gawa Ieyasu; Tokugawa Nariaki. changes occurred as one part of a broad effort called the "Bunkyu Reforms" of Further Reading 1862. These reforms included a shifting of Bolitho, Harold. Treasures among Men: The the political relationship between the sho Fudai Daimyo in Tokugawa Japan. New gunate and the court, whereby the shogunate Haven: Yale University Press, 1974. recognized itself as subordinate to the Totman, Conrad D. Early Modern Japan. emperor, and institutional reforms such as Berkeley: University of California Press, the weakening of the alternate attendance 1993. system (sankin kotai). On the military Totman, Conrad D. Politics in the Tokugawa front, the shogunate increased purchases of Bakufu, 1600-1843. Cambridge, MA: Western weaponry, like the newly invented . Harvard University Press, 1967. Minie rifle, which possessed greater range and accuracy than previously available Tokugawa Bakumatsu Military rifles. The shogunate encouraged domains Reforms to buy warships, and even sent men abroad for training. It also established firing ranges. By the 19th century, leaders within the Other reforms included a complete reorgani shogunate, and daimyo throughout Japan, zation of the military structure, using a bemoaned the backward state conditions of Dutch model of "tactics of three combat their military organization and technology, arms," which employed light infantry and complained about the deteriorating armed with Minie rifles, artillery units, and state of the samurai class as a reliable pool heavy and light cavalry. Taking advantage of skilled warrior-bureaucrats capable of of its close relationship to France, the shO maintaining stability in Japan. The shOgu gunate invited several military advising mis nate's solution was to streamline its military sions to Japan. From the mid-1860s and organization, eliminate inefficiency, provide throughout the early Meiji period, French new sources of military technology from drill and military science continued to influ Western countries, and reinvigorate samurai ence the modern Japanese military. This physical and moral training. The first included a French-led construction of an reforms were brief, occurring in 1854, the arsenal, dockyard, and iron works at Yoko year that treaties were signed with the suka, with plans to build a shipyard that United States. They consisted of cost would buttress the shogunate's navy. 436 I Tokugawa leyasu
However, traditional weaponry, such as samurai resisted the reforms. For example, units of pike-wielding samurai, remained. they did not want to pay the new obligatory The shogunate also redefined its retainers' taxes or train with Western rifles, an activity roles. On the one hand, it no longer required more suitable to low-ranking men or com the lowest-ranking men to support the army moners. Nevertheless, many of these with their labor, but instead asked them to reforms influenced the military development pay a tax on their stipend-an attempt to during the Meiji period, especially the use of accrue more funds for reforms. On the commoners in the army instead of samurai. other hand, fief-holding bannermen were In addition, the Meiji government continued asked to send men from their fiefs to Edo to support the French-constructed Yokosuka and elsewhere for training. naval base, and used French models for Reforms did not happen at once, but were infantry. implemented in piecemeal fashion through Michael Wert out the 1860s. Many of the reforms changed See also: Bakumatsu Fencing Schools and over time-for example, even units consist Nationalism; Navy, Modernized; Rise of the ing of fief-holding bannermen were eventu Modem Army; Sankin kotai (Alternate Atten ally disbanded and their military duties dance); Tokugawa Bakufu Political System; converted into tax obligations. Large Tokugawa Economic Reforms. domains also carried out similar reforms, especially the Satsuma domain, which relied Further Reading on the British for new weapons and war Medzini, Meron. French Policy in Japan ships. Moreover, the shOgunate and domains during the Closing Years of the Tokugawa included more commoners in their militar Regime. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1971. ies. ShOgunate offices throughout the Kanto regions, such as the Iwahana intendent sta Rogers, John M. The Development of the tion in Kozuke Province, ordered local peas Military Profession in Tokugawa Japan. Ph.D. dissertation, Harvard University, ant elites to form militias. These militias, 1998. and their counterparts in domains such as Totman, Conrad D. The Collapse of the Choshu, were burdensome for peasant popu Tokugawa Bakufu, 1862-1868. Honolulu: laces who had to provide their manpower University Press of Hawaii, 1980. and funding. At the same time, the peasant militias allowed young peasants from elite families to build upon their swordsmanship Tokugawa leyasu (1543-1616) training, presenting them with an opportu nity to act out fantasies of being a warrior. Tokugawa Ieyasu was born Matsudaira In at least one domain, a popular fencing Takechiyo on January 31, 1543, near instructor who was a commoner was hired Nagoya; he was the son of the daimyo to teach his "realistic" style to the domain's Matsudaira Hirotada. Seeking to expand his samurai, as part of the daimyo's effort to lands from the mountains onto the plains of remilitarize them. Mikawa, Hirotada made an alliance with For the shogunate, the military reforms the neighboring Imagawa clan and sent his were too little, too late. It lacked the funds six-year-old son to live with the Imagawa to buy the full range of weapons and training as a hostage. There, Ieyasu learned military it needed. Moreover, many high-ranking and administrative skills and even led forces