Question

Leaders in China and Japan decided to cut off contact with other countries. They closed their borders and turned inward. Explain their reasons for doing so and name at least two results of their decisions.

Answer 1

The policy referred to as 'isolationism' was implemented as they feared their people would no longer be self-sufficient and would rely on trade with foreigners, that outsiders wanted to change their traditional practices and beliefs and that European nations might someday threaten their rule. For a period of time the Chinese attempted to become self-reliant, but found that in doing so the country could not break even economically, especially when attempting to maintain a communist vision when it came to economics. The culture of Japan developed with limited influence from the outside world and had one of the longest stretches of peace in history. During this period, Japan developed thriving cities and castle towns and increasing commodification of agriculture and domestic trade, wage labor, increasing literacy and concomitant print culture, laying the groundwork for modernization.