Why the Mito school scholars think that the restoration of the Emperor as the political authority was essential for defending Japan

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Second, the Mito scholars were aware of the growing military and economic power of the Western nations. They believed that Japan could only resist Western imperialism if it was united under a strong central government led by the Emperor.

Third, the Mito scholars were influenced by the Chinese Confucian concept of the Mandate of Heaven. This doctrine held that the Emperor ruled by divine right and that any rebellion against the Emperor was therefore illegitimate. The Mito scholars believed that the Western powers had no right to interfere with Japanese internal affairs and that Japan should defend itself against any Western aggression.

The Mito scholars' belief in the need to restore the Emperor as the political authority was not unique to them. Many other Japanese people, including samurai, merchants, and farmers, also shared this belief. However, the Mito scholars were particularly influential because of their intellectual prestige and their close ties to the Tokugawa shogunate, the ruling government of Japan at the time.

The Mito scholars' ideas began to gain traction in the mid-19th century as Japan faced increasing pressure from the Western powers. In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry of the United States Navy arrived in Japan with a fleet of warships and demanded that Japan open its borders to trade. This event, known as the Black Ships Incident, shocked the Japanese people and made them aware of their vulnerability to the Western powers.

In response to the Black Ships Incident, the Tokugawa shogunate began to modernize Japan's military and economy. However, many Japanese people believed that the shogunate was not doing enough to defend Japan against the Western threat. They called for the restoration of the Emperor and the establishment of a new government that would be strong enough to resist Western imperialism.

In 1868, a group of samurai from the southern Japanese domain of Satsuma overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate and restored the Emperor to power. This event is known as the Meiji Restoration. The new Meiji government quickly began to modernize Japan and transform it into a powerful nation-state.

The Mito school scholars played a key role in the Meiji Restoration. Their ideas about the importance of the Emperor and the need to defend Japan against Western imperialism helped to galvanize support for the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate.

In addition to their intellectual contributions, the Mito school scholars also made practical contributions to the Meiji Restoration. For example, Mito scholar Yoshida Shōin was a mentor to many of the leading figures of the Meiji Restoration, including Saigō Takamori and Kido Takayoshi. Shōin taught his students about the importance of Western learning and the need to modernize Japan. He also encouraged them to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate and restore the Emperor to power.

After the Meiji Restoration, the Mito scholars continued to play an important role in Japanese society. They helped to draft the Meiji Constitution and to establish the new government's educational system. They also continued to write and teach about the importance of the Emperor and the need to defend Japan against Western imperialism.

The Mito school scholars' ideas had a profound impact on Japanese history. Their belief in the need to restore the Emperor as the political authority and to defend Japan against Western imperialism helped to shape the course of the Meiji Restoration and the subsequent modernization of Japan.

Here are some specific examples of how the Mito school scholars' ideas influenced the Meiji Restoration:

• The Mito school scholar Mitogaku Kinugasa wrote a book called "Seikanron" (On the Defense of Japan), which argued that Japan needed to strengthen its military and economy in order to defend itself against the Western powers. This book was widely read by samurai and other Japanese people, and it helped to build support for the Meiji Restoration.
• The Mito school scholar Yoshida Shōin founded a school called Shoka Sonjuku, where he taught many of the leading figures of the Meiji Restoration about the importance of Western learning and the need to modernize Japan. Shōin also encouraged his students to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate and restore the Emperor to power.
• The Mito school scholar Tokugawa Nariaki, the daimyo (lord) of Mito domain, was a strong supporter of the Meiji Restoration. He used his influence to help the Meiji government modernize Japan's military and economy.
• The Mito school scholars helped to draft the Meiji Constitution, which established the Emperor as the head of state and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

The Mito school scholars' ideas

Sample Answer

The Mito school scholars were a group of Japanese Confucian scholars during the Edo period (1603-1868) who advocated for the restoration of the Emperor as the political authority. They believed that this was essential for defending Japan against the perceived threat of the Western imperial nations.

There were several reasons for this belief. First, the Mito scholars had a strong sense of Japanese nationalism and believed that the Emperor was the symbol of Japanese unity and sovereignty. They feared that the Western powers would try to divide and conquer Japan if the Emperor was not in power.