Prevent the spread of western ideas in particular Christianity.
As Europeans were exploring Asian countries with the goal of creating trade agreements, many areas were experiencing a push of western culture. To prevent the influence of western culture, the Tokugawa Shogunate refused westerners and made western culture unlawful. Christianity was considered particularly harmful to Japanese culture and hierarchy. The Shogun removed missionaries from the country and made the practice of Christianity illegal. The samurai also resented western influence because it promoted the status of merchants and degraded their own position in society.
