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Page 305 = Chapter 14 - Edo Japan: A Closed Society = =**Locking out the World** = In the early 1500's, Japan welcomed Portugese traders as well as their Fashions and Firearms. By the time Ranald Macdonald entered Japan in the mid 1800's, Japan's attitude toward outsiders had changed, Foreign ships were fired at and driven away by the Japanese. =Threats from the West = In the late 1500's and the early 1600's The shogun under control considered foreigners as a threat to his Military Control. The Shogun believed that if the Daimyo acquired European weapons, they would challenge the Shoguns authority.

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The Shogun felt loyalty to the Christian God and Church as threats to his authority. In 1614 the Shogun responded to the rumors of takeover plots by the foreigners by ordering all of the Christian missionaries to leave Japan. Their Churches were destroyed, and everyone who refused to give up the new faith were executed. The persecution lasted until around 1640, by that time it was estimated that many thousands of Japanese Christians and about 70 missionaries were executed (put to death). When the Shogun ordered Christian daimyos to give up their new faith and they usually followed these orders, however, coverted ronin and peasents were more defiant. =Cutting off Contact = Missionaries continued to come to Japan, disguised as traders. As a result, the Shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu (Ee-ay-meet-see), passed exclusion laws. The Penalty for breaking these laws was death.

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Terms of the Exclusion Laws ===== The Shogunate tightened controls on the movement within Japan. Citizens needed special documents to travel between domains and a curfew was set to keep people from moveing around at night, as well as wheeled transportation was banned. In 1639, the shogun banned portuguese ships in Japan and banned foreigners except, all Dutch, Korean, and Chinese traders. Dutch traders were only allowed on a small island in the harbour of the city of Nagasaki. In the Shoguns point of view, and isolation policy was nessecary to maintain national security. This was the only way to eliminate any possible threats and to maintain power and protect Japanese culture.
 * All Christian Missionaries and foreign traders were forced to leave the country and Newcomers were not allowed to enter.
 * Japanese were not allowed to go abroad.
 * Ships that could make large voyages couldn't be built, and the existing ones were destroyed.
 * Japanese who were outside of the country could not return.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Foreign objects were forbidden. Any forreign books containing a Christian message were banned, as well as scientific books.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Pages 310-311 = =