In June 1853, an American fleet led by Perry broke into Edo Bay. This gave the shogunate rulers an unprecedented stimulus, who had realized that change was imminent and began intensive reforms at the end of the Edo shogunate in order to maintain their rule.
Warships led by Perry
As a result of the perry fleet's intrusion into Edo Bay, they signed the Japan-U.S. Treaty of Goodwill and the Treaty of Shimoda with the shogunate rulers, which shook the foundation of the Edo shogunate's closed-door system and made it difficult to maintain it without changing the shogunate's rule. As a result, the frail and sickly shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu supported Masahiro Abe, the first of the old nakas, and with the active participation of local lords such as Satsuma, Mito, and Fukui, began the "Security Administration Reform" that included 36 plans. This reform is aimed at the Western guns, focusing on cultivating talents who can master Western military technology, and trying to produce Western-style guns. At the same time, it also set up a book tune to promote the popularization of orchidology and use talents who can communicate with the West. However, under the double blow of the Ansei earthquake and Abe's death, this reform failed after the rise of the "Ansei Prison".
Masahiro Abe during the Ansei Reform
In February 1861, Emperor Xiaoming changed his era name to Bunjo. The new chief chief, Nobumasa Andō, and Hiroshi Nakanaga began the "Bunhisa Reforms" with the main content of adjusting the tripartite relationship between the shogunate clans. In order to strengthen his rule by taking advantage of the prestige of the imperial court, the shogun Tokugawa Iehigetsu married Princess Wakamiya. In terms of foreign relations, the shogunate followed the emperor's request to adjust the treaties with France, the Netherlands, Britain, the United States, Russia, and other countries, and requested that the opening of the port be postponed. In terms of internal relations, the five lords of Satsuma, Choshu, Tosa, Sendai, and Kaga were appointed as the five elders, and Tokugawa Keiki and Matsudaira Keinaga were appointed as the guardian generals of the "Shogun's Post" and the president of government affairs, and the president of the army and navy was established, and the national government was implemented. The situation in which the shogunate was allowed to return to the domain and organize a three-way court meeting in which the shogunate was allowed to return to the domain and organize a three-way court meeting in the shogunate.
The rulers were always reluctant to withdraw themselves from the stage, and the last shogun, Tokugawa Keiki, implemented the last reform at the end of the shogunate during the reign of Emperor Takamitsu. He established the Bureau of Domestic Affairs, the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, the Bureau of the Army, the Bureau of the Navy, and the Bureau of Accountancy, with the Chief of the Board of Directors. All five presidents are appointed as senior middle schools, and the chief senior middle school does not serve as the head of the department, and performs functions similar to that of the prime minister. During this period, Japan was more deeply involved in the world market system, the trade deficit increased significantly, and international financial speculators used spread arbitrage, resulting in a shortage of gold in Japan and soaring prices, which fundamentally disrupted the shogunate's ruling order. After a heated debate, the shogunate announced that on January 1, 1868, Hyogo would open its port and open the markets in Osaka and Edo.
The last shogun of the Edo shogunate, Tokugawa Keiki
These three reforms, which were implemented over a period of 15 years, were adjustments made by the shogunate rulers to adapt to the situation. These reforms have never and could not have jumped out of the pattern of the shogunate, and they also wanted to actively absorb and utilize the advanced achievements of Western modernization, but these absorptions were limited. Because they did not break through the inherent pattern of interests, it was impossible to produce a development model that adapted to modernization, and the shogun was doomed to fail to lead Japan to a new era.