Japan and Korea in the 16th–18th centuries

In the 16th–18th centuries Japan had an emperor as nominal ruler, but real power lay with the military ruler, the shogun; provinces were run by daimyo lords with samurai in their service. Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu unified the country; Ieyasu became shogun in 1603 and made Edo (now Tokyo) the seat of his government. The Tokugawa shogunate ruled until 1867. Christianity was banned in 1614, and in the 17th century a regime closed to foreigners was set up: only limited trade at Nagasaki (with Dutch and Chinese merchants) remained. The eighth shogun, Yoshimune (1716–1745), carried out reforms encouraging farming. In Korea the Joseon (Yi) dynasty ruled; in 1592 a Japanese army invaded, and with Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s fleet, popular guerrillas and Chinese help the invaders were repelled, but the country was badly ruined. In 1627 and 1636–1637 the Manchus invaded and made the Korean king their vassal. King Yeongjo (1724–1776) eased taxes and carried out reforms. In culture, kabuki theatre and the poetry of Matsuo Basho (haiku — a three-line poem of 5-7-5 syllables) became famous in Japan.