The Japanese Famine of 1782-1788

Summary

The Tenmei era, spanning from 1781 to 1789, marked one of the most tumultuous periods in early modern Japanese history. Under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate, Japan faced a complex web of challenges that created the perfect storm for one of the country’s most devastating famines. The political leadership at the time struggled to manage internal pressures, while nature unleashed a series of disasters that exposed deep structural weaknesses in Japanese society and governance.

Politically, the Tokugawa regime was already under strain. After more than 150 years of relative stability, cracks had begun to appear in the shogunate’s centralized control. Corruption was increasingly evident among regional officials, and the rigid class system left little room for social mobility or adaptive governance. Daimyōs, or feudal lords, often prioritized local interests over national concerns, making unified responses to crises difficult. These issues weakened the ability of the central government to respond decisively to the hardships that were beginning to unfold.

Economically, Japan in the late 18th century was a fragile system, heavily reliant on rice production. Despite modest attempts at economic reform, the country remained vulnerable to crop failure, inflation, and regional imbalances. Merchant classes were rising in wealth and influence, while peasants bore the brunt of heavy taxation and poor harvests. The disconnect between economic policy and rural reality would prove fatal when disaster struck.