What's up with the Japanese and Commodore Perry?

[Erik_Twice]

I mean, I understand why he is historically important but why does he appear so much in popular culture? I don't know, the portrayal is weird. Kind of symphathetic but also naïve. It's weird. And yes, lol japan and such, but I'm curious.

Any comments?

[Sideroller]

Wow, to be honest I never heard of him before you mentioned this post.

I mean I had known America had opened up Japan to trade - but I never knew about the actual man involved. Do you mean how is he viewed in Japan or just in general?

[o.pwuaioc]

Wow, to be honest I never heard of him before you mentioned this post.

I mean I had known America had opened up Japan to trade - but I never knew about the actual man involved. Do you mean how is he viewed in Japan or just in general?

Where is our education system?

[Sideroller]

Well it's not just that -- I've never seen him portrayed in "popular culture". Otherwise I think I would have remembered.

[Gnashvar]

IMO he was just a big bully.

[AznKhmerBoi]

It is historically important because prior to his visit Japan was an isolated country and does not care what goes on with the outside world. The purpose was mainly to keep their culture and heritage from the influence from the outside world.

Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, negotiated tirelessly for several months with Japanese officials to achieve the goal of opening the doors of trade with Japan.

For two centuries, Japanese ports were closed to all but a few Dutch and Chinese traders. The United States hoped Japan would agree to open certain ports so American vessels could begin to trade with the mysterious island kingdom. In addition to interest in the Japanese market, America needed Japanese ports to replenish coal and supplies for the commercial whaling fleet.



As deeply humiliating as the western show of force had been, many realized that until Japan caught up with the west technologically, the unequal treaties and their own perceived inferior status would remain intact

With this sense of national pride in place, the oligarchs were ready to administer sweeping reforms, the first of which ended the status of the samurai. By 1876, samurai were forbidden to carry their traditional swords and the warrior class evolved into bureaucrats. Peasants who had previously been forbidden to carry arms were conscripted into a centralized army. The old class system of Japan was abandoned.

Simply put, they borrowed the best of the West and molded it to fit Japan's needs

Fukuzawa Yukichi, wrote in 1885, "We cannot wait for our neighbor countries to become so civilized that all may combine together to make Asia progress. We must rather break out of formation and behave in the same way as the civilized countries of the West are doing…We would do better to treat China and Korea in the same way as do the Western nations. In this idea lay the roots of Japanese Imperialism

Plain answer from me, i think its because he played such an important role of breaking Japan out of mold to modernise and become a power to reckon with. Eventually leading to the imperialism of almost all of Asia by the Japanese army.




http://www.samurai-archives.com/tme.html

[Erik_Twice]

EDIT: ^nice post

Well it's not just that -- I've never seen him portrayed in "popular culture". Otherwise I think I would have remembered.

Well, I see him far more often in anime than any other historical figure.

He has a six minute song about him in Pop'n music, at least two minutes longer than any other song. Here's the ingame version:


PERY DES!

[o.pwuaioc]

^^ http://www.samurai-archives.com/tme.html

[Sideroller]

OOooookay Japan.

I love how they had to mention Icekureemu and Hambahgas in there since he's American.

[Erik_Twice]

OOooookay Japan.

I love how they had to mention Icekureemu and Hambahgas in there since he's American.

Mention? No, sorry, when you are doing poor at the song he shoots hamburguers at you with a Bazooka. (Skip the beginning, it will show the animation after a while)





Not to mention his hair and eye colour =p

EDIT: Now that I think about it, it's not like Konami doesn't give characters weird hair colours and the like all the time lol.