Through him, they felt that they could more effectively meet the foreign threat. Omissions? With this change came a 3% land tax imposed on the farmers. The reforms enacted during the Meiji emperor's rule brought about the modernization and Westernization of the country and paved the way for Japan to become a major international power. Although the economy still depended on agriculture, industrialization was the primary goal of the government, which directed the development of strategic industries, transportation, and communications. Meiji Restoration: The Meiji Restoration began in 1867 when reform-minded activists led a coup against the Tokugawa Shogunate. rule by the Emperor of Japan. Did it create a more modern, representative and stable governmental struture in Japan?' While modern Japan and the Orthodox have worked together to maintain the country’s traditional and cultural sensitivity, they have cooperated with modernization in order to promote the advancement of their country. Meiji prints enthusiastically portrayed the latest in Western fashions, leaving the impression that everyone embraced suits and dresses. The Meiji era (明治, Meiji, Japanese pronunciation: [meꜜː(d)ʑi]) is an era of Japanese history which extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The transformation was deep, comprehensive and complex, but for simplicity’s sake, here are seven ways in which the Meiji Restoration shaped modern Japan: 1 – Japan’s encounters with the colonial powers, beginning with the appearance of U.S. By the end of the Meiji Era, these situations were less common. The Meiji Restoration completely transformed Japan by modernizing the country. Consequently, Tokugawa shôgun who ruled Japan in the feudal period was deposed and the emperor was restored to the supreme position. The Meiji Restoration was a time for change and life of women was changing. Blending Ancient and Modern to Build Anew. The Meiji Restoration was a political and social revolution in Japan from 1866 to 1869 that ended the power of the Tokugawa shogun and returned the Emperor to a central position in Japanese politics and culture. Discrimination against social classes ended, and the people had the freedom to practise any religion. The country was unified,replacing feudal domains. • A personality cult was formed around the Emperor, who, according to the now official Shinto belief, was the descendent of … The early goals of the new government were expressed in the Charter Oath (April 1868). The Meiji Restoration is sometimes characterized as a coup d'etat or revolution ending the shogunal system for modern Western governmental and military methods. Meiji prints enthusiastically portrayed the latest in Western fashions, leaving the impression that everyone embraced suits and dresses. The reformers sought to bring far-reaching changes to Japanese society. Among other accomplishments, during the Meiji period Japan adopted a constitution and a parliamentary system, instituted universal education, built railroads and installed telegraph lines, and established strong army and navy forces. These developments bore fruit in 1910s when Japan experienced an economic boom. The Meiji Restoration was a coup d’état that resulted in the dissolution of Japan’s feudal system of government and the restoration of the imperial system. The modernization invoked by the Meiji restoration was so considerable that it is reasonable to call the latter a revolution. Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. In a wider context, however, the Meiji Restoration of 1868 came to be identified with the subsequent era of major political, economic, and social change—the Meiji period (1868–1912)—that brought about the modernization and Westernization of the country. The Meiji period that followed the Restoration was an era of major political, economic, and social change in Japan. Japan’s empire grew immensely thanks to the nation’s modernized military. The ideas for the reforms largely came about as a result of trips that Japanese officials took to the United States and Europe. Telegraph lines linked all major cities by 1880. Meeting of Russian and Japanese generals during the Russo-Japanese War (1904–05) to discuss terms of the Russian surrender of Port Arthur (present-day Lüshun, China). During the Iwakura mission, Japan brought back many ideas on how to modernize their country. The three major sources of Western music in Japan were the church, the schools, and the military.…. Prior to the 1868 Restoration, Japan was a militarily weak country with a feudal agricultural society, and was … The formation of a national army. Economic and social changes paralleled the political transformation of the Meiji period. The Meiji period is one of the four periods in modern Japanese history which was symbolized by the most radical changes in all spheres of public life, namely political, social, and economic. Click to see full answer. When the United States sends a naval delegation, led by Commodore Matthew Perry, to "open" Japanese ports in 1853, the Japanese are well aware of the "Unequal Treaties" that have been imposed upon China in the previous ten years (since the Opium War of 1839-42) as a result of the superior military power of the Western nations. The Meiji Restoration played a significant role in the modernisation of Japan. How did Japan change course in the late 1800s? While many upper-class Japanese did occasionally wear Western suits and dresses, most preferred the kimono. ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/what-was-the-meiji-restoration-195562. During early industrialisation, women were worked in factories under poor conditions. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The reforms enacted during the Meiji emperor’s rule brought about the modernization and Westernization of the country and paved the way for Japan to become a major international power. Today, however, Japan remains the third largest economy in the world, and a leader in innovation and technology—thanks in large part to the reforms of the Meiji Restoration. Education, social class, and women’s roles changed drastically when Japan began to modernize. Set out to improve manufacturing in Japan, which had been based on textiles and other such goods, shifting instead to heavy machinery and weapons manufacturing. Private firms were also encouraged by government financial support and aided by the institution of a European-style banking system in 1882. The feudal system and all feudal class privileges were abolished. The Meiji Restoration. … On Nov. 19, 1867, Tokugawa Yoshinobu resigned his post as the fifteenth Tokugawa shogun. The perpetrators announced the ouster of Tokugawa Yoshinobu (the last shogun)—who by late 1867 was no longer effectively in power—and proclaimed the young emperor to be the ruler of the Japan. How did the social systems of Japan change during the Meiji Period? It was because of some of these new laws that helped Japan become the country that it is today. When Meiji (coached by the Satsuma and Choshu lords) issued an imperial decree dissolving the house of Tokugawa, the shogun had no choice but to resort to arms. Politically, the shogun (military general, who was the real leader of Japan) was dissolved and replaced with the current diet (a parliamentary assembly). The Satsuma and Choshu leaders sought to overthrow the Tokugawa shogun and place the Emperor Komei into a position of real power. Commodore Matthew Perry’s arrival at Edo Bay (Tokyo was once named Edo) in 1853 demonstrated to Japan the superior military power of the West. This enlightened thinking encouraged during this period allowed farmers to own the land they worked. Nevertheless, though it was born in conflict, the Meiji Restoration did indeed open up Japan in myriad ways, and the country developed at a furious pace. Japan started investing in social and economic infrastructure during the Meiji Government. His resignation officially transferred power to the young emperor, but the shogun wouldn't give up actual control of Japan so easily. Japan underwent a vast array of changes after the Meiji Restoration. Emperor Meiji was 15 years old when he became Japan's ruler. (2020, August 26). Western instruments and a formal music education were introduced, and as Japan became an imperial power military bands played a role in the shaping of Japanese society. None of these far-reaching reforms were put into place overnight. Overview of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, A Long History of Japanese Women Warriors, The Four-Tiered Class System of Feudal Japan, How the Samurai Ended During the Satsuma Rebellion. The Meiji Era: The Meiji Period would last from 1868 until 1912. It is named for Mutsuhito, the Meiji Emperor, who served as the figurehead for the movement. The Meiji Restoration : Change And Domitarianism In Japan 1119 Words | 5 Pages. Historian Mark Ravina has suggested that the leaders who created the events of 1866–69 did not do so only to emulate Western practices but also to restore and revive older Japanese institutions. The administrative reorganization had been largely accomplished by 1871, when the domains were officially abolished and replaced by a prefecture system that has remained in place to the present day. The death of the emperor Meiji in 1912 marked the end of the period, although several of the important Meiji leaders carried on as elder statesmen (genro) in the new regime (1912–26) of the Taishō emperor. The Meiji Program of Economic Development. Also in 1871 a national army was formed, which was further strengthened two years later by a universal conscription law. Japan seized control of Korea, defeated Qing China in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 to '95, and shocked the world by defeating the Tsar's navy and army in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 to '05. Commander Matthew Perry’s four gunboats in 1853 in Tokyo Bay, spurred the country to develop its military to match those of the U.S., Russia and … The latter concern had its origins in the efforts by Western powers to “open” Japan, beginning in the 1850s after more than two centuries of near isolation, and the fear that Japan could be subjected to the same imperialist pressures that they observed happening in nearby China. The Meiji Restoration : Change And Domitarianism In Japan 1119 Words | 5 Pages. Adopting the slogan “Enrich the country, strengthen the army” (Fukoku kyōhei), they sought to create a nation-state capable of standing equal among Western powers. how did the meiji restoration change japan into a westernized country? On Jan. 27, 1868, Yoshinobu's troops clashed with samurai from the Satsuma/Choshu alliance; the four-day long Battle of Toba-Fushimi ended in a serious defeat for the bakufu and touched off the Boshin War (literally, the "Year of the Dragon War"). Japan underwent many changes after the Meiji Restoration. Those uprisings were repressed only with great difficulty by the newly formed army. What Was the Meiji Restoration? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Get an answer for 'Meijing Restoration How did the Meijing Restoration change politics in Japan? Not only did this change the fundamental aspects of Japanese society, but it also lead to many musical changes. How did the Restoration change Japan? The emperor took the name Meiji ("enlightened rule") as his reign name; this event was known as the Meiji Restoration. A Japanese nation-state was seen as vital as a defense against foreign predation. Itō Hirobumi, principal author of the Meiji Constitution. At the same time, a growing popular rights movement, encouraged by the introduction of liberal Western ideas, called for the creation of a constitutional government and wider participation through deliberative assemblies. Wholesale Westernization was somewhat checked in the 1880s, however, when a renewed appreciation of traditional Japanese values emerged. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-was-the-meiji-restoration-195562. Another reform was the introduction in 1872 of universal education in the country, which initially put emphasis on Western learning. Commodore Matthew Perry’s arrival at Edo Bay (Tokyo was once named Edo) in 1853 demonstrated to Japan the superior military power of the West. The Meiji Restoration was a paramount change in the structure of Japanese society from the top down that allowed Japan to heavily modernize in order to compete with European as well as American forces encroaching in the Pacific. While many upper-class Japanese did occasionally wear Western suits and dresses, most preferred the kimono. These changes took place mainly in the three years from 1866 to 1869, at the beginning of the Meiji period. Peasants, distrustful of the new regime and dissatisfied with its agrarian policies, also took part in revolts that reached their peak in the 1880s. After all, mighty Qing China had been brought to its knees by Britain fourteen years earlier in the First Opium War, and would soon lose the Second Opium War as well. Rather than suffer a similar fate, some of Japan's elites sought to close the doors even tighter against foreign influence, but the more foresighted began to plan a modernization drive. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Meiji-Restoration, Lehigh University - The Meiji Restoration: Roots of Modern Japan, The abolition of the feudal system and all feudal class privileges, The construction of transport and communication systems. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Their exports tripled and this enhanced the Japanese influence over other countries. When Commodore Matthew Perry of the U.S. steamed into Edo Bay (Tokyo Bay) in 1853 and demanded that Tokugawa Japan allow foreign powers access to trade, he unwittingly started a chain of events that led to Japan's rise as a modern imperial power. The leaders of the restoration were mostly young samurai from feudal domains (hans) historically hostile to Tokugawa authority, notably Chōshū, in far western Honshu, and Satsuma, in southern Kyushu. Rather than a clash between modern and traditional methods, or between Western and Japanese practices, says Ravina, it was the result of a struggle to bridge those dichotomies and create new institutions that could evoke both Japanese uniqueness and Western progress. By the end of the Meiji Era, these situations were less common. The Meiji Restoration was a time for change and life of women was changing. First, the capital was moved from Kyoto to Edo, which became known as Tokyo. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. They were constantly exploited and denied any freedom. The restoration event itself consisted of a coup d’état in the ancient imperial capital of Kyōto on January 3, 1868. Plots and Motives in Japan's Meiji Restoration, J.D., University of Washington School of Law, B.A., History, Western Washington University, Established a modern conscript army that used Western-style uniforms, weapons, and tactics in place of the samurai, Ordered universal elementary education for boys and girls. Those men were motivated by growing domestic problems and by the threat of foreign encroachment. Their economy collapsed in the 1920s but began recovering in the early 1930s. It brought momentous social, political and economic changes to Japan, and these changes became the foundation of the Japan we know today. Although the Meiji Restoration caused a lot of trauma and social dislocation in Japan, it also enabled the country to join the ranks of world powers in the early 20th century. Szczepanski, Kallie. Among those were: The abolition of the feudal system and all feudal class privileges. In 1866, the daimyo of two southern Japanese domains—Hisamitsu of Satsuma Domain and Kido Takayoshi of Choshu Domain—formed an alliance against the Tokugawa Shogunate that had ruled from Tokyo in the Emperor's name since 1603. Politically, the shogun (military general, who was the real leader of Japan) was dissolved and replaced with the current diet (a parliamentary assembly). They were allowed to move freely and sell their products anywhere. Also Know, what was the main goal of Japanese modernization? The daimyo and samurai started a revolt to bring the Meiji emperor to power. In addition, the new government carried out policies to unify the monetary and tax systems, with the agricultural tax reform of 1873 providing its primary source of revenue. Meiji Restoration, in Japanese history, the political revolution in 1868 that brought about the final demise of the Tokugawa shogunate (military government) - thus ending the Edo (Tokugawa) period (1603-1867) - and, at least nominally, returned control of the country to direct imperial rule under Mutsuhito (the emperor Meiji). Questions and answers about the Meiji Restoration. Background to the Meiji Restoration The same tendency prevailed in art and literature, where Western styles were first imitated, and then a more-selective blending of Western and Japanese tastes was achieved. 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