Published on April 18, 2019.
This piece questions the historical view taught in left-leaning educational environments that Japan closed the country because it was weak, and instead presents the perspective that Japan was able to enforce national seclusion precisely because it was militarily strong.
Referring to the colonization of Southeast Asian kingdoms and Hideyoshi’s posture toward foreign powers, it reexamines the distortions of Japanese history education.

2019-04-18
I grew up in Koganei City, which is famous, even within Tokyo, for its deeply red education, where Nikkyoso and Zenkyo, affiliated with the Japanese Communist Party, are strong.
As for national seclusion, I was taught that Japan closed the country because it was weak.
I am reposting the chapter I published on 2018-11-24 under the title.
“I grew up in Koganei City, which is famous, even within Tokyo, for its deeply red education, where Nikkyoso and Zenkyo, affiliated with the Japanese Communist Party, are strong.”
The following is from the book below.
It is a book that as many Japanese citizens as possible who can read print should go out and buy at the nearest bookstore.
Japan Was Able to Close the Country Precisely Because It Was Strong.
Wada.
In the teaching of Japanese history, even the policy of national seclusion is not taught correctly.
I grew up in Koganei City, which is famous, even within Tokyo, for its deeply red education, where Nikkyoso and Zenkyo, affiliated with the Japanese Communist Party, are strong.
As for national seclusion, I was taught that Japan closed the country because it was weak.
That it did so in order to shut itself in.
But if a country is weak, it cannot carry out national seclusion.
When the kingdoms of Southeast Asia said to the Europeans, “Please stop your missionary work.
Please go home now,” they were conquered and turned into colonies.
In Japan’s case, this was the period of the Warring States battles.
Japan possessed the largest number of firearms in the world and was constantly engaged in war.
It was also extremely strong militarily.
That is why, when launching the expedition to Korea, Hideyoshi even sent a letter of surrender demand to the Spanish commander in Manila in the Philippines, and that Spanish commander, thinking that he could not win if Japan attacked, sent a letter to his home country asking that reinforcements be dispatched.
It was probably because missionaries and merchants in Japan had conveyed, “Even if you attack Japan, you will not win.
On the contrary, you will be defeated.”