Confused about Japanese history?

Question:

I'm reading on the period between the decline between the Tokugawa period and the rise of the Meiji Restoration, and I'm a bit confused. I know that the Meiji Restoration started around 1868-ish, which signaled the start of the open-mindedness of Japanese towards Westerners. What I don't get, though, is that I've been reading some stuff on the Internet that even during the Late Tokugawa Period, when the Sakoku policy was still adopted, Western learning was still highly encouraged (the Tokugawa shogunate, according to what I've read, even sent some Japanese to learn abroad). Please explain!!

Answer:

Even during the 240-year Sakoku period, Japan kept trading business with Netherlands on the ground that they would not bring Christianity into Japan. (Spanish and Portuguese were expelled from Japan because they were still trying to convert the Japanese to Christians in vain). Through the Dutch East India Company in Nagasaki, Tokugawa bakufu was constantly getting information about Europe and Southeast Asia (Indonesia was Dutch colony back then). Believe or not, Tokugawa bakufu was aware of British, French, German and Spanish imperialism all over the world. They were getting information about western culture and civilization even during the long period of isolation.

As you may know, Japan (the Tokugawa bakufu to be exact) and the United States concluded the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 1858, eleven years prior to the Meiji Restoration. Japan concluded similar treaties with UK, France, Russia and Netherlands at the same time. In order to make the treaty effective diplomatically, it must be ratified by both countries. In response to strong pressure by President James Buchanan, the Tokugawa bakufu "unwillingly" sent a diplomatic mission to the US for the ratification of the treaty in 1860. The treaty was formally ratified in the US; however, there was a strong opposition to the treaty back in Japan. The opposition force tried to topple the Tokugawa bakufu. As a result, a bloody internal war broke out (at the same time of US Civil War, coincidentally), which eventually led Japan to the Meiji Restoration.