儒 means 'Confucius'

This collection shows that the government had massive control issues during the Edo era (1603–1867)! Commoners couldn't wear silk and could have surnames and swords only if granted permission. The authorities kept borders closed, greatly delaying access to vaccines. The government also banned Christianity and oppressed Christians. To justify extreme levels of control over citizens, the shogunate adopted Confucianism. Its teachings include dedication to one's master, a philosophy supporting the shogun's absolute power. But a rival doctrine emerged, and its criticism of Confucianism as repressive contributed to the collapse of the shogunate, ending the Edo era.

True revolutions require a sea change in a culture's thinking. As this bundle shows, that occurred in many realms during the Meiji era (1868–1912). For instance, writer Yukichi Fukuzawa and entrepreneur Zenjiro Yasuda strongly promoted frugality. So did the Meiji government, which popularized such slogans as "Extravagance Is Our Enemy." The idea was that having the masses save would help Japan develop economically. In addition, old Confucian ideals began to conflict with the population's new hankering for freedom and individualism, tearing families asunder. Finally, the Japanese started to reject plagiarism and embraced concepts such as copyrights.