Economics And Trade In Japan During The Tokugawa Shogunate

Economics and Trades have played a really important role in our human society and make up the history and living of many all around the world. “Musui’s Story The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai” By Teruko Craig is very interesting story that illustrates much about the story Musui’s and what came about his story line. Katsu Kokichi lived in the early 1800s during the height of the Tokugawa period in Japan. He took on the name Musui after he officially retired. Musui lived an adventurous life, full of swordfights, family squabbles, thievery, prostitution, and get-rich-quick schemes. Kokichi went through much throughout his life not just from where he came from but the life style he chooses and Economy he was in. Just like anywhere you live, the society you live in makes a difference in the life you live. Tokugawa Japan was the last feudal Japanese military government, which existed around the 1800s. The Tokugawa shogunate ruled from Edo and the years of the shogunate became known as the Edo period. It all structured Musui’s life because he went through much and never went to the right direction and would always have to end up running away from the problems he would get into because of the way his economy was set up and the stuff that was going on, he started to deal with money problems at a young age. “I did nothing but ride, and with my money all gone, I began stealing from my mother’s pin money and the cash she had set aside for emergencies”.

The author illustrates that he even had to begin stealing from his own mother, the money that was very important for his family. By the way he was growing up in his society, he began to completely live a very dangerous life style. In class, we talked about the importance in economic and how much it can impact lifes and living societies of many people. Just society and economic can make a huge impactful life the world all over. Kokichi has been getting in trouble throughout his life since he was young and it kept getting worse every time. He did what he had to do to live a better life and be able to be wealthy while doing that much. This all effected his interaction with the state and his family because he never cared and grew up getting into more and more worse stuff. He basically pushed his family aside and didn’t care at all for the ones that cared for him. The state never helped with the financial economy he was going through because the state had its own problems. From the start, he pushed his family and just started to become very unaware with the actions that he would take at such an incredible young age, His economy wasn’t the best to say, like it wasn’t for many states all around the world around the1800s. Musui’s always ran away from his hometown and never ended being able to stay. “One evening Itsuki took me aside, I really think you should go back to Edo, he said. I said, I appreciate you worrying about me, but I can never go back. You see, this is the second time I’ve run away”. The author illustrates that Kokichi didn’t even feel safe in his own state and felt like he had to keep escaping and could never come back because of the trouble he kept getting into. The government never gave him protection and was never able to help him at all. As he kept getting older Tokugawa kept going through economy government problems and the way he lived and his actions didn’t help much as well and it wasn’t just him, it was many residents that couldn’t get help and just kept getting into many debts and unemployment. Kokichi’s adult years consist of a series of financial up and downs it went from having nothing to having a lot and then getting into many debts and other adventures he had as well Musui’s Economic was very different since he kept moving around and doing different stuff.

Economic globalization is the increasing economic interdependence of national economies across the world through a rapid increase in movement of goods, service, technology, and capital. Still, the expectations and conflicts Katsu faced were representative of the underlying economic and social tensions of Tokugawa Japan. Musui’s Story offers a money obsessed view to the low-ranking class and what he did for money, its purpose in society that increasingly brought trouble. Katsu broke with the accepted moral code of his class, exemplifying the societal struggle that marked one of Tokugawa Japan’s most distinctive features. The role of the Tokugawa samurai was increasingly out of touch with the social reality of the period. It was a class plagued by insecurity of both income and identity. During the Tokugawa period, they lived on capped government stipends. Samurai were, in name, at the top of Japan, but many found themselves unemployed, heavily indebted, and directionless. Economic globalization made an impact in his account by the class he grew up from and the route he decided to take. In conclusion, economics and trade as a critical component, are very important in human society. “Musui’s Story the Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai” By Teruko Craig truly did illustrate the truth of Kokichi and the challenges he had to face and never felt comfortable with where he came from. His Economy affected the society he lived in and had many go through debts without any help. Kokichi did make impact to the world teaching his readers about the history of himself and Tolugawa Japan, even though he didn’t make the correct decisions in life and wasn’t a good person.