Shifting Loyalties in Japan’s Dappan Revolution

Will Japan’s Future Repeat Its History?

The possibility of significant social upheaval in Japan has been increasing year by year, and considering the notion that history often repeats itself, we can broadly predict what kind of movements may emerge during the next major social shift. With this in mind, today we’ll explore potential future social changes by referencing events around the late Edo period, when Japan dramatically transitioned from the old order to a new system. The key term to understand Japan’s transformation is “dappan” (脱藩, leaving one’s domain without permission). By examining its contemporary significance, we can already discern early signs of change currently underway. In about 20 years, these early sprouts may profoundly reshape Japan.

During the Edo period, the Tokugawa family established a shogunate in Edo (modern-day Tokyo). However, this governance structure was hardly a centralized authority; instead, power was distributed among regional domains (han), which supported the shogunate’s rule. As we’ve examined previously in Shitsurae, due to the Japanese adaptation of Neo-Confucianism (Shushigaku), the philosophical foundation of the Edo period, samurai had essentially no choice but to remain loyal and serve their daimyo (feudal lord) throughout their lives.

Throughout the Edo period, leaving one’s domain without official permission, known as dappan, was considered a serious offense punishable by death. However, as the period progressed towards its later stages, young people’s determination to break free from the old system and create a new era grew stronger. These acts of dappan eventually led to the collapse of the shogunate and the Meiji Restoration of 1868. This collapse of the rigid old order and the simultaneous rise of young individuals possessing new ideals became factors that could again influence Japan’s future.