The Enlightenment (Toyotomi)

The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement in Europe and, also extending to America.

The Englightenment began in the early 18th century, fueled, in part, by the increasing contact between Europe and Japan, and the concommitant exchange of ideas.

The Enlightenment took different forms in different parts of the world, but they all shared in common a questioning of tradition. Polytheistic and Buddhist viewpoints from Japan influenced Europe, while monotheistic Christian beliefs penetrated into Japan. While Japan remained primarily Buddhist/Xintô, and Europe primarily Christian, Christianity and new monotheistic faiths did begin appearing in Japan, while Buddhism and new (or revived) polytheistic faiths began showing up in Europe.

The Japanese political system became a topic of much interest in Europe, where the conflict between Absolutism and Constitutionalism had been a hot topic. Japan was a nation which embodied the notion of a constitutional monarch (the Mikado, or Emperor), though admittedly it did tend towards hereditary political rulers, though not always strictly by primogeniture.

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