Incidentally
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
antipathy
This may be an inevitable economic distortion caused by Japan's sudden opening to the world、but silver was more valuable in Japan at the time than in the West.
In other words、the value of gold was relatively low.
When Westerners simply replaced silver with gold in Japan、they made huge profits.
Naturally、Western "adventurous" speculators appeared in Japan one after another.
Therefore、the Tokugawa Shogunate hastily reduced the quality of gold coins.
※The speculators were、of course、Westerners、but it seems that there were many cases in which Japanese intervened as intermediaries.
Of course、those gold coins will not circulate at the same value as before.
All prices in Japan rose rapidly.
Naturally - I don't know now if I can say so - the common people in Japan did not know the inner workings of the matter very well.
"Since Westerners started coming to Japan、our lives have become very painful.
Yes、the culprit is the suspension of the isolation policy by the Tokugawa shogunate."
They simply thought so、and began to feel antipathy toward the Tokugawa Shogunate.
(In the first stage、the Tokugawa shogunate's awareness of this matter was clearly insufficient.
Of course、when they realized the importance of this matter、they tried to fix it.)
Soaring prices were proportional to people's sympathy for Choshu.
※I wonder if that's true(lol)?
・・・・・・・・・
'We will build partnerships with the West'
However、the Choshu clan had already secretly changed their policy to the exact opposite.
This change was possible because Takasugi and the others won the battle against the conservatives (feudal supremacy).
※This also includes the meaning of ignoring the national law established by the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Japan opened its doors to the world、but at that time、each feudal lord's contact with foreign countries must have been still considerably limited by national law.※
Above all、the change in the so-called key figures in their group may have greatly influenced this change in policy.
Maybe they thought they should do it all along.
Above all、they have seen plenty of comrades' and their own failures.
※A few years ago、Takasugi and Ito must have set fire to the British Embassy in Shinagawa with their comrades (attempted).
At that time、Takasugi was probably in his early twenties and Ito was in his late teens.※
"They have no principles."
They may seem like that.
Most of all、they were seen as such by their former comrades.
"Traitor”
After this they were heavily criticized and in danger of being assassinated.
In fact、some of them were attacked and seriously injured or killed.
Nevertheless、they did not abandon this policy.
※Choshu clan、including them (assassin？/2023082418:54/japantime)、did not abandon this policy.
By the way、although it contradicts what I wrote yesterday、Takasugi fled from Choshu with his mistress for a while after the coup succeeded.※
