Ii Naosuke summary

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Ii Naosuke , (born Nov. 29, 1815, Hikone, Japan—died March 24, 1860, Edo [now Tokyo]), Japanese daimyo and statesman who made the last attempt to reassert the traditional political role of the shogunate (military ruler). In response to Commodore Matthew Perry’s demand that Japan end its centuries-old policy of isolation, Ii favoured developing relations. The Tokugawa shogun signed the Perry Convention (1854), which opened two ports to U.S. ships, exposing the country to Western influence, and began negotiations with Townsend Harris over trade. In an unusual move, the shogunate had sought the emperor’s consent to the treaty; when antitreaty forces blocked approval, Ii, as head of the shogunal governing body, authorized the signing. This outraged many daimyo; when Ii silenced them, he was beheaded by assassins. See also Tokugawa period; Meiji Restoration.

government Summary

Government, the political system by which a country or community is administered and regulated. Most of the key words commonly used to describe governments—words such as monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy—are of Greek or Roman origin. They have been current for more than 2,000 years and have not

Japan Summary

Japan, island country lying off the east coast of Asia. It consists of a great string of islands in a northeast-southwest arc that stretches for approximately 1,500 miles (2,400 km) through the western North Pacific Ocean. Nearly the entire land area is taken up by the country’s four main islands;