Turning Point - Sekigahara: Toyotomi's Global Expansion and its Consequences

Phase 14 - Founding of the Greater Japanese State

In the summer of 1788, the turmoil in the Japanese archipelago passed a significant milestone with the downfall of the Toyotomi Regency by the Mōri Faction that came later.

The famine in the Japanese archipelago had subsided for the time being, and many people hoped for the smooth resumption of central administration and logistics. The various lords who aspired to Japan's supremacy could not ignore the voices of the masses demanding such a restart.

However, it was not yet clear who the next ruler or governor of Japan would be. The destruction that occurred in the two-and-a-half years of warfare affected only the Toyotomi clan and some of the hereditary daimyō families. Most of the powerful daimyō who had become regional powers for about 200 years still remained.

Furthermore, forces other than the samurai did not take over the political leadership. Additionally, the East-West conflict, primarily caused by economic disparities, persisted. In theory, the Mōri clan should have been the most significant antagonistic force to the Eastern Faction, as there was no longer a Toyotomi Faction to contend with. However, the Mōri clan had gained a political advantage by overthrowing the Toyotomi, and they found themselves in a position where they could be considered allies of the Eastern Faction that had been in conflict with the Toyotomi.

As the Eastern Faction entered the capital city of Kyoto and the Mōri clan occupied the burnt-down Osaka Castle, both sides engaged in quiet negotiations. The Mōri clan recognized the Eastern Faction's newfound supremacy but demanded their participation in political matters as a condition. The guarantee of their territorial domains was taken for granted.

On the other hand, within the Eastern Faction, various sides had entered into discussions aimed at forming the next central government of Japan. These discussions included representatives from the Eastern Faction, the Shinetsu Faction, most of Japan's major merchants, along with intellectuals and reformists supported by them, and the court nobles from Kyoto.

The discussions among them concluded that there was no longer a need for a shogun or a regent, as Japan already had the ultimate authority in the form of the Emperor (the imperial family). Under the Emperor's reign, Japan's powerful figures could govern the country, regardless of their social status.

It was evident that Japan's influential figures were no longer limited to the samurai class. The inability of traditional governments and political structures to handle colonial territories and spheres of influence worldwide became apparent. The era where only samurai could manage political affairs was slowly fading away.

As a result, the emerging idea was to establish a form of government under the Emperor, consisting of an assembly composed of representatives from various backgrounds, along with a chief minister and a bureaucracy. The parliament would include representatives from the samurai, nobility, and townspeople (citizens), and the chief minister would be chosen from within the assembly. The decisions made by the assembly, along with those made by the chief minister, would be subject to imperial approval, granting them authority. The creation of a comprehensive set of laws (a modern constitution) to clearly define the direction of the nation's politics was also presented as a future task.

Japanese people arrived at these ideas because Japan had opened its doors to the world and had acquired various information from around the globe.

While not actively engaged in information gathering, they were aware of the emergence of the United States of America, a nation in North America's eastern region, without kings or emperors. The constant warfare in the European world was common knowledge to those who paid attention to foreign affairs. They were aware of Britain's invasion of India and the designs of the major European powers to seize Japan's interests.