Sakoku (Japan's isolation policy)

Sakoku was Japan’s policy from the early 17th to mid-19th century, intentionally limiting foreign contact and trade. The government sought to control external influence, especially Christianity and colonialism, by restricting interactions mainly to Dutch and Chinese traders through the port of Nagasaki. Japan closed its borders to most international visitors and forbade Japanese citizens from leaving, aiming to preserve social order and prevent foreign domination. This isolation lasted over two centuries until external pressures, notably American diplomatic efforts, forced Japan to reopen in the mid-1800s.