Filial Piety In Japan

Imperialist ideals, focused on expanding a country’s values and systems in order to reinforce and increase power, have often served to define and sculpt the historical narratives of many nation states across the world. This outsider definition reduces a country’s ability to define itself and often works to present a biased, ignorant perspective in order to further its own agenda. Because of its long-standing separation from Western, primarily white countries, Japan was able to formulate its own values and ideals centered on filial piety, the development of a hierarchical class system, and strict roles for men and women in its early eras. Throughout the Tokugawa era, and due to its rice-based economy, Japan enjoyed relative stability, though
This concept is filial piety, an ideal that was utilized to establish and reinforce a hierarchical system in and out of the Japanese home. Filial piety’s values were translated from the home to the larger system of government by underscoring the necessity for respect and admiration of those in higher classes within the social order. It is of note, however, that unlike in Western countries, the Japanese social order was not race based, but rather contribution based. Samurai traditionally held an important role within the hierarchy as they were seen as the defenders of the country. This afforded many men a stable income and relative power within their communities, while merchants and others who sought to make a profit were the lowest in the hierarchy. Stemming from the idea that countrymen should not make money off one another, merchants were often vilified and criticized. However, the merchants of the Tokugawa era first introduced a semblance of capitalism and products from other
Because of the refusal of Japanese leaders to cede such important political territory to Western powers, especially to the United States, some became proponents of reaffirming Japanese identity. All this, while Japan began recreating its military to fit within a Western mold. Sonno joi served to define Japan’s new way of life as it focused on revering the emperor while simultaneously working to remove the barbarians from the country. However, the implementation of this ideology also reflected a change in acceptance of Western influence. Rather than dismiss Western ideals such as a strong military and a capitalist economy at face value, Japanese citizens now opted to implement these practices in order to become a more formidable opponent. During the late 1800s, the official adoption of a clearly defined racial classification system as a method of emulating Western countries like Great Britain and the United States becomes prominent in Japan. Fukuzawa Yukichi’s visual representation seeks to place Japanese citizens on par with Western, white leaders while also noting the importance of following a “civilized” nation. Of course, Yukichi also criticizes Western powers for their near constant state of war, illustrating the skepticism Japanese people