Submitted by Graham Squires, published on 29 October 2022. It was presented as a gift from the emperor to the people, and it could be amended only upon imperial initiative. [5] This was effectively the "restoration" (Taisei Hkan) of imperial rule although Yoshinobu still had significant influence and it was not until January3, the following year, with the young Emperor's edict, that the restoration fully occurred. Those men were motivated by growing domestic problems and by the threat of foreign encroachment. 2. The fact that the Meiji Restoration was not accompanied by a great deal of destruction was important because it meant the new Meiji government had a relatively stable foundation from which to launch its reforms. [24] Japan then closed and shut down tens of thousands of traditional old Shinto shrines in the Shrine Consolidation Policy and the Meiji government built the new modern 15 shrines of the Kenmu restoration as a political move to link the Meiji restoration to the Kenmu restoration for their new State Shinto cult. The tozama daimyo were less trusted, and their territories tended to be large but far from the political centre of Japan. The revolutionary changes carried out by restoration leaders, who acted in the name of the emperor, faced increasing opposition by the mid-1870s. . The Meiji Restoration (1868-1912) was a period of modernization and industrialization in which Japan both embraced Western customs and sought to define its own sovereignty in the modern world. The Meiji Restoration saw the rise of modern Japan and all that came with it. Members of the ruling samurai class had become concerned about the shogunates ability to protect the country as more Western countries attempted to open Japan after more than two hundred years of virtual isolation. In 1866, the two han secretly formed an alliance, and Satsuma refused to participate in a second bukufu campaign against Choshu. When did the Meiji Period End? Instead, it supported Choshu by supplying large quantities of weapons. From these experiences, the activists in Satsuma and Choshu realized that 'expelling the barbarians' was impossible. Answer (1 of 2): Samurai from the Satsuma domain were instrumental in helping to bring about the Meiji restoration. Modernization is regarded as the process by which a traditional society turns into a modern one. Ii Naosuke (1815-1860), who was the most powerful bakufu official, tried to suppress this movement in a crackdown known as the Ansei Purge (1860). Japan, fearing the growth of Russian influence in the region since the First Sino-Japanese War of 1895, was wary. Even the Dutch were confined to a trading post in Nagasaki. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout, Merlot II, OER Commons and School Library Journal. Below are the well-known swordsmiths in the main areas. In contrast, in the American Civil War, which took place at a similar time, three million people fought and about 620,000 died. The Tokugawa political system is often described as being feudal, but feudalism in medieval Japan was different from feudalism in Europe in the Middle Ages. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. One of the earliest slogans of the Restoration era was fukoku kyohei (rich country, strong army); in 1872 Japan had begun drafting men into the army; and in 1874, it had sent 3,000 troops to Taiwan, for a short, victorious engagement with aboriginal groups who had killed some 54 shipwrecked Okinawans. The Meiji Restoration transformed Japan into something new: a modern nation-state. Those who had been Tokugawa retainers before the Battle of Sekigahara were called fudai daimyo, while those who had not were called tozama daimyo. 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 reform can be called a revolution in every aspect of Japanese society from 1868 to 1912. The government sent officials such as the samurai to monitor the work that was being done. The majority of Japanese castles were smashed and destroyed in the late 19th century in the Meiji restoration by the Japanese people and government in order to modernize and westernize Japan and break from their past feudal era of the Daimyo and Shoguns. Squires, Graham. In its place, a democratic social and political system was established based on constitutional law over the course of about 20 years, and it led to significant economic reforms and growth. A century and a half after the Meiji Period (1868-1912) began, we wondered what value the period had for Japan, and whether the path the country took as a result had meaning. In Choshu, shore batteries fired on foreign vessels sailing through the Shimonoseki Strait. The peace and stability of the Tokugawa period, and the economic development it fostered, set the stage for the rapid modernization that took place after the Meiji Restoration. Some began to promote the idea that Japan was superior to foreign countries because of the divine origin of the imperial family. To understand the Meiji Restoration, rather than approaching it from a theoretical perspective, it is best to think of it as an event that had both causes and consequences that were unique to Japan. 1868 - 1889. Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) had the emperor appoint him as shogun in 1603, and this gave him the right to establish the bakufu. A process that took Europe centuries. From the middle of the 17th century, Chinese Neo-Confucian ideas began to spread to Japan. In 1858, the bakufu signed the Japan-US Treaty of Amity and Commerce. Another reform was in the area of education. Did you know? In 1868, the Emperor Meiji (the name means "enlightened rule") replaced the Tokugawa Shogun as leader. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 toppled the long-reigning Tokugawa shoguns of the Edo period and propelled Japan into the modern era. Ember and Carol Ember. U.S. Department of State. They were. At the end of the 18th century CE, however, Europe began to experience the Industrial Revolution. All feudal class privileges were abolished as well. The period before the Meiji era was known as the Edo era (1603-1868), when Japan was ruled as a collection of fiefdoms under the Tokugawa shogunate, a military dictatorship that was based in Edo. 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. There were three main reasons for the Meiji Restoration: the bakuhan system introduced by the Tokugawa, foreign threats and demands for opening the country by industrialised nations, and the rise of imperial loyalism. Inclusive in the deification of the Emperor, and the Shinto mythology of the creation of the world, came the logical conclusion that Japanese people were superior to all other races. The first action, taken in 1868 while the country was still unsettled, was to relocate the imperial capital from Kyto to the shogunal capital of Edo, which was renamed Tokyo (Eastern Capital). The end of the Genpei War brought the end of the Heian period and the beginning of the Kamakura period. While the Tokugawa did impose a military dictatorship on Japan, it is better to think of the bakuhan system itself as a kind of federation in which the balance of power favoured the Tokugawa. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In a wider context, however, the Meiji Restoration of 1868 came to be identified with the subsequent era of major political, economic, and social changethe Meiji period (1868-1912)that brought about the modernization and Westernization of the country. "The Making of Modern Japan". The actual political power was transferred from the Tokugawa Bakufu into the hands of a small group of nobles and former samurai. It was in the interests of the Tokugawa, however, to build up the prestige of the imperial family because this, in turn, gave them greater legitimacy. 1868 - 1889 Meiji Restoration/Periods In 1885 a cabinet system was formed, and in 1886 work on the constitution began. The defeat of the armies of the former shgun (led by Enomoto Takeaki and Hijikata Toshiz) marked the final end of the Tokugawa shogunate, with the Emperor's power fully restored. [13] Adopting the slogan Enrich the country, strengthen the army (Fukoku kyhei), they sought to create a nation-state capable of standing equal among Western powers. They also closed off Japanese society to Western influences. 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 early goals of the new government were expressed in the Charter Oath (April 1868), which committed the government to establishing deliberative assemblies and public discussion, to a worldwide search for knowledge, to the abrogation of past customs, and to the pursuit by all Japanese of their individual callings. The Meiji Restoration was a coup dtat that resulted in the dissolution of Japans feudal system of government and the restoration of the imperial system. How did the Meiji Restoration end feudalism in Japan? Heiji rebellion in 1159. . This was just a political fiction, however, as the imperial family had no real power, and it was completely dependent on the bakufu for its survival. Meiji revolution and nationalism 1 of 21 Meiji revolution and nationalism May. In the first half of the 19th century, the anti-Tokugawa movement largely developed in areas controlled by tozama daimyo: Most of these activists came from low-ranking warrior families, although some members of the court nobility also played an important role including Iwakura Tomomi (1825-1888) and Saionji Kinmochi (1849-1940). In the heyday of modernisation theory, Meiji-period Japan was often cited as a good example of this process, and the Meiji Restoration was viewed from this perspective. In January 1868, they took control of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto and issued an edict restoring imperial rule. During the time, sword making was active again. Beginning with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ushered in a new, centralized regime, Japan set out to "gather wisdom from all over the world" and embarked on an ambitious program of military . Despite efforts at fiscal reform, mounting opposition seriously weakened the Tokugawa shogunate from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century, when years of famine led to increased peasant uprisings. Bibliothque nationale de France (Public Domain), Under the Tokugawa, Japan experienced an exceptional period of peace in which the, Oral Statement by the American Navy Admiral. [citation needed], Finally, by 1872, the daimys, past and present, were summoned before the Emperor, where it was declared that all domains were now to be returned to the Emperor. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 would be a turning point in Japanese History, where the country rapidly modernized, and reassessed its role in the world. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. All Rights Reserved. Shishi from Satsuma killed a foreign merchant, and in response the British bombarded Kagoshima. 4 vols. 23 November 2009, Last edited on 23 December 2022, at 15:50, all domains were now to be returned to the Emperor, Foreign government advisors in Meiji Japan, Willem Johan Cornelis, Ridder Huijssen van Kattendijke, Modernization of Japanese Military 18681931, "The Meiji Restoration and Modernization", "Meiji Restoration | Definition, History, & Facts", "The Meiji Restoration and Modernization | Asia for Educators | Columbia University", "A Race Across Japan to See its Last Original Castles", "Nagoya Castle's concrete keep to be demolished and replaced with traditional wooden structure", "Shinbutsu bunri the separation of Shinto and Buddhism", Essay on The Meiji Restoration Era, 18681889, A rare collection of Japanese Photographs of the Meiji Restoration, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Meiji_Restoration&oldid=1129100427. Japanese historians would adopt historical theories and practices imported from Europe, and free their own past from Chinese cultural . "Meiji Restoration." The Meiji period was named for Emperor Meiji, who came to power during this time. In the 18th century, the imperial family began to acquire influence from a different source. Responding to those pressures, the government issued a statement in 1881 promising a constitution by 1890. SQ 4. Japan's economic powers are a major influence on the industrial factor of its country as well. Hunt, Lynn, Thomas R. Martin, Barbara H. Rosenwein, R. Po-chia Hsia et al. Answer and Explanation: Become a Study.com member to unlock this answer! https://www.worldhistory.org/Meiji_Restoration/. There were fewer subsequent samurai uprisings and the distinction became all but a name as the samurai joined the new society. During the Meiji period, powers such as Europe and the United States helped transform Japan and made them realize a change needed to take place. With each samurai being paid fixed stipends, their upkeep presented a tremendous financial burden, which may have prompted the oligarchs to action. This period was marked by great change, as the country rapidly industrialised and moved away from its traditional ways of life. A vibrant urban culture emerged centered in Kyoto, Osaka and Edo (Tokyo), catering to merchants, samurai and townspeople rather than to nobles and daimyo, the traditional patrons. That was followed, after the end of the fighting, by the dismantling of the old feudal regime. The Meiji Restoration saw the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, a new emperor take the throne, and a period of modernization and Westernization begin. The opening up of Japan not only consisted of the ports being opened for trade, but also began the process of merging members of the different societies together. License. The Emperor of Japan has reigned throughout Japanese history, but there have been few times when emperors actually exercised political power. The same was true in the Edo period (1603-1868). Tottering on the brink of civilizational collapse in 1853, by the late 1890s Japan was building her own battleships, and by the early 1930s was embarked upon . Totman, Conrad (1988). When the Meiji Restoration event will trigger either the industrialist or the intellectuals will get favored by the emperor. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. However, after the shogunates brutal repression of a Christian rebellion on the Shimabara Peninsula in 1637-38, Christianity was forced underground. With the Dampatsurei Edict of 1871 issued by Emperor Meiji during the early Meiji Era, men of the samurai classes were forced to cut their hair short, effectively abandoning the chonmage (chonmage) hairstyle. 11401158. Swords made between the Tennmei era ( 1781) and the end of Keio era () are called Shin Shin- to. Warriors rarely give up their power, but the samurai of Japan dwindled away rapidly after the Meiji Restoration and the modernization of the country. He was the first Mongol to rule over China when he conquered the Song Dynasty of southern China in 1279. [citation needed]. "Japan." World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. The full stop or () kuten is the Japanese period. In it, the Tokugawa family, a warrior clan that had ruled Japan for more than 260 years, was overthrown by a group of political activists who proclaimed that their goal was to restore the imperial family to power. The Neo-Confucian theory that dominated Japan during the Tokugawa Period recognized only four social classessamurai warriors, artisans, farmers and merchantsand mobility between the four classes was officially prohibited. December 29, 2017 3 minutes This January marks the 150th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration in Japan. The Meiji Reformers needed to modernize Japan so as to make it competitive in a changing world in order to contend with Western forces. The growth of these sectors is shown below. The American challenge to Japan turned out to be the trigger for the Meiji Restoration, the broad-brush descriptor for Japan's radical remaking in the image of its would-be conquerors. Graham Squires is a senior lecturer in Japanese Studies at the University of Newcastle in Australia. We'll look closely at the causes, the major accomplishments, and the effects of the Meiji Restoration. In 1904, the Russian Empire under Czar Nicholas II, was one of the largest territorial powers in the world. By the end of the Meiji period, attendance of public schools was widespread, increasing the availability of skilled workers and contributing to the industrial growth of Japan. Modernisation theory also has a racial aspect because it equates modern societies with those of Europe and North America. Please see the timeline above. Peasants, distrustful of the new regime and dissatisfied with its agrarian policies, also took part in revolts that reached their peak in the 1880s. World History Encyclopedia. It was the Bakumatsu time. [8] Later, their debts and payments of samurai stipends were either taxed heavily or turned into bonds which resulted in a large loss of wealth among former samurai. Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter! At the beginning of the 19th century, European ships armed with industrial-age weapons began to approach Japan demanding that the country open to foreign trade. The foundation of the Meiji Restoration was the 1866 Satsuma-Chsh Alliance between Saig Takamori and Kido Takayoshi, leaders of the reformist elements in the Satsuma and Chsh Domains at the southwestern end of the Japanese archipelago. Japan may well have the record for World's Speediest Industrialization, but how did they accomplish so much so fast without falling victim to Europe's favori. Economic, political, and social changes that have taken place during the preceding 250 years of peace . Together, these three long-term causes led to the development of a movement that opposed both continued Tokugawa rule and the opening of the country. Answer. The Meiji Restoration was a coup d'tat that resulted in the dissolution of Japan's feudal system of government and the restoration of the imperial system. The Making of the West, Peoples and Cultures. Vol. The emperor then took the reign name "Meiji" meaning "enlightened rule," Hence the title, "Meiji Restoration" of 1868. Some historians refer to the Russo-Japanese War as World War Zero as it set the stage for the coming global wars that would reshape global politics. How did industrialization and urbanization affect British cities? The Russo-Japanese War was also a naval conflict, with ships exchanging fire in the read more, Born to a minor warlord in Okazaki, Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) began his military training with the Imagawa family. Officers are being appointed by us to the conduct of foreign affairs. The Meiji Restoration is almost universally regarded as the dividing line between traditional and modern Japan because it brought a new government that introduced radical policies that fundamentally altered Japanese society. 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The revolutionary changes carried out by Restoration leaders, who acted in the Edo period ( 1603-1868 ) in. Were fewer subsequent samurai uprisings and the distinction became all but a name as the samurai joined the new.... 17Th century, the activists in Satsuma and Choshu realized that 'expelling the barbarians ' was impossible daimyo were trusted... Of a small group of nobles and former samurai actually exercised political power emperors actually exercised power! Has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies Restoration! Shore batteries fired on foreign vessels sailing through the Shimonoseki Strait political, and in response the bombarded! Alliance, and it could be amended only upon imperial initiative but there have been few when. Make it competitive in a second bukufu campaign against Choshu through the Shimonoseki Strait is regarded the! Took control of the divine origin of the Edo period ( 1603-1868.! 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