Exclusionist Banner and Bible Pages: The Realism of the Young Men Who Gathered at the Hulbecki Residence (Late 1860s to Early 1870s)

Exclusionist Banner and Bible Pages: The Realism of the Young Men Who Gathered at the Hulbecki Residence (Late 1860s to Early 1870s)
In Japan from the end of the Edo period to the beginning of the Meiji era (late 1860s to early 1870s), the Emperor's exclusion of foreigners functioned as the language of political legitimacy. At the same time, as negotiations with Western powers became inevitable, cross-cultural understanding was a condition for the survival of the nation. The fact that Okuma Shigenobu and Soejima Taneomi, both from Saga, had studied Christianity at the private residence of missionary Hulbecki sparked rumors as a contradiction in their advocacy of exclusionism and exposure to evil religions. For them, however, religion was not a belief, but knowledge to understand the ethics and logic of Western society. Okuma later recalled that this understanding became a decisive force in diplomatic negotiations. The dual structure of the Emperor's exclusion of foreigners to maintain domestic order and the understanding of Western thought to get through foreign negotiations embodied the pragmatism charact
eristic of modern Japan, which prioritized national interests over ideals. This stance became the prototype for the Meiji state, which introduced Western institutions while maintaining the emperor system.