Japan was beaten by Russia in the Russo-Japanese War. It signed treaties with America, Russia, Canada and many countries in Europe. They added coffee to milk as if it were a spice. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com. It was the first time an Asian nation had beaten a Western power, and everybody took note. This was also adopted for police and postal uniforms. Registered office: Creative Tower, Fujairah, PO Box 4422, UAE. One of the main contributing factors to Japans modernization was the emulation of Togukawa society and the Togukawa beliefs (Craig 150). 430 Words; 2 Pages; Open Document. They comprised part of the military, teaching staff, makers of guns and government officials. Meiji is the name of a period in time in the Japanese history that started in 1868 with the Meiji Restoration and lasted until 1912. The Meiji period that followed the Restoration was an era of major political, economic, and social change in Japan. It got rid of the feudal system and created the Meiji Constitution establishing a bureaucratic, centralized government. First, the capital was moved from Kyoto to Edo, which became known as Tokyo. Japan was so powerful that it ended up being transformed from a mere island nation to an imperial power by its own right and might. The whole of Japan became interested in Western culture and began actively adopting it. After this, the Japanese quickly sent "observers" to the West to understand its culture while copying much of the technology they had missed over the previous centuries: the steamboat, the railroad, guns, and artillery. 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 (16031867)and, at least nominally, returned control of the country to direct imperial rule under Mutsuhito (the emperor Meiji). Additionally, the feudal system increasingly weakened, England and other western countries were engaging with China, which also affected Japan, and many in Japan were tired of the class system. Also in 1871 a national army was formed, which was further strengthened two years later by a universal conscription law. Age of Marriage in Japan -Legal and average ages. Since the opening of Japan to the outside world, Japanese customs and practices have been reported from a curious perspective by foreigners who visited Japan. The Meiji Restoration , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Renovation, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. How did the Meiji Restoration change Japan? In 1875, an ordinance was promulgated, requiring all people to use surnames. 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). 205 lessons. Disgruntled samurai participated in several rebellions against the government, the most famous being led by the former restoration hero Saig Takamori of Satsuma. Furthermore, the fiefdoms that had fought against the Tokugawa shogunate centuries before (including the Choshu, Satsuma, and Tosa) at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1603 were now united and ready to overthrow the shogunate and instill the emperor into power. Furthermore, their genuine interest in progress economically also boosted the country in terms of economic development. While teaching materials in the early Meiji years were overwhelmingly translated from western sources, room was nonetheless made for the largely samurai staff to instruct their pupils in the traditional values they themselves had been brought up with. The Meiji Reforms led to an educated and industrial Japan, which expanded into several imperialistic wars in which several foreign countries were defeated. If your specific country is not listed, please select the UK version of the site, as this is best suited to international visitors. As a result, there were 20,000 schools nationwide. Therefore, it called for the former governor or leaders to step down and give way for the new leaders. *You can also browse our support articles here >. The Meiji Restoration completely transformed Japan by modernizing the country. Some even thought that telegrams were delivered through the power lines in the form of letters; thus, they waited at the nearby transmission tower all day for telegrams to arrive, bringing their lunch, laying out a mat, and sitting there. 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. Japan replaced its feudalistic government, led by the Tokugawa Shogunate, with representative government; they copied Western ideas, including those of the nation-state and technology, with amazing successes and unified into a cohesive, educated, and aggressively expanding country. The Meiji government built Western-style buildings and used the media to promote them to the public. The West was then forced to acknowledge the former little island of Asia as a comparative power. The reforms enacted . On the other hand, the samurai still held their heads high since they still remained the most educated of all in the society (More 55). This was followed in 1898 by the adoption of the same surname for married couples under the Civil Code. The feudal system was decaying, and factions were growing. This change included major transition in the military, foreign relations, economy, social structure and internal politics. To provide some clarity as to how the Meiji Era occurred, one must know two things: one, the term Meiji is named after the Meiji Emperor, who lived from 1852 to 1912 C.E., and reigned over the modernization of Japan; and two, Japan had existed for hundreds of years in relative peace with little contact from the outside world thanks to the Tokugawa Shogunate, or the military leadership that had been in charge of Japan since the early 1600s. Gakusei, the First National Plan for Education, formalized the future of education in Japan and focused on modeling Japanese education after Western . Japan also built a strong navy. The effect was to vault Japan into the ranks of the world's great powers. Worried by internal problems and outside pressures and inspired by the rise of nation-states, Japan became modernized and Westernized through its slogans of Fukoku Kyohei and Bunmei Kaika. The new governance was formed after the abolition of feudalism. Finally, in 1889, the Meiji Constitution was officially promulgated. More narrowly, was the character of Meiji institutions determined by the social composition of the anti-Tokugawa movement, or did it derive from a situation that took shape only after the Bakufu was overthrown? For modernization to be effective, the government thought it was necessary to raise the peoples level of education. From then on Shinto faiths and traditions took on Buddhist elements, and later, Confucian ones . Meiji Restoration Dbq Essay. These also had a collective name which was Tsushin-no-kuni. When they heard that messages traveled through the wires, some people thought that the telegrams were delivered physically through the wires. Big family enterprises did develop during Togukawa era. The Shogunate Before From 1603 to 1868 Japan was a feudal society with a hierarchy of lords, samurai, and peasants. Led by Saigo Takamori, Kido Takayoshi, and other great leaders, the Satsuma-Choshu Alliance saw light. By the end of the Meiji Era, these situations were less common. The Meiji era (, Meiji jidai, Japanese pronunciation: [me(d)i]) is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. In 1885 a cabinet system was formed, and in 1886 work on the constitution began. The Meiji Restoration (1868-1890) was named after the emperor, who took the name Meiji, which means 'enlightened rule.' The emperor and a new ruling class decided it was time to remodel Japan on a . Wholesale land reform has costs and inequities that make righting South Africa's central injustice through such a process inappropriate. The rule that existed in the Meijis period wanted a collaboration of views that would integrate both western ways to traditional values. This reduces the incentive to improve one's land (investment), the very thing which creates growth and . Lastly, there were those countries that acted in partnership with Japan in terms of trade. Among those were: The Meiji period that followed the Restoration was an era of major political, economic, and social change in Japan. Introduction. They enforced a lot of new rules for government, education, society, military, and economy. Western-style architecture Brick architecture. They wanted to unite the country under a new, centralized government in order to strengthen their army to defend against foreign influence. The revolutionary changes carried out by restoration leaders, who acted in the name of the emperor, faced increasing opposition by the mid-1870s. The Essay Writing ExpertsUK Essay Experts. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The change occurred in their dressing style which became more western in style. These businesses provided a lot of income that was used in purchasing most intensives used for development. This made the Japanese government look a little bit like a Western-style government. The national army was created in 1871, and universal conscription meant that every Japanese man needed to serve in the military. . Japan had a transition that was nicknamed the enlightened era hence it was very prudent that members of the state act in a more intelligent way to allow modernization. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. In concert with a national identity devoted in service to the emperor, this created an educated working class that could match Western industry in only a few generations. His downfall led to so many positive dramatic changes. The Meiji Era that followed the Meiji Restoration in 1868 marked the formation of a new gender structure in Japan. During this period, Japans first factory, the Tomioka Silk Mill, was built. They believed that the West depended on constitutionalism for national unity, on industrialization for material strength, and on a well-trained military for national security. A nation-state is a country where the population shares a common national and cultural identity. This meant that Japan was controlled by the Genro a part of the Oligarchy. The new emperor eliminated the government and reestablished the imperial throne, but the emperor did not have any political power and was seen as a political symbol. Japan was losing its feudal system, and the emperor would necessarily replace the shogunate; Foreign powers were technologically centuries ahead of Japan (with the shogunate to blame), something that astounded yet annoyed many Japanese; Japan abandoned its caste system while creating the identity of a. Order to abolish swords A law prohibiting the former samurai class from carrying swords was enforced. Boxer Rebellion in China | Causes, Summary & Significance, Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan | History, Culture & Unification. While a much more populated China had fallen into bloody civil wars and confrontations with the West, Japan's rise was markedly peaceful and successful, leading to further imperialistic expansion in the lead up to World War II. There were many causes for the Meiji Restoration, including rice inflation (samurai paid in rice), a decaying bureaucracy, increasing interactions with foreign technology. The first Diet was convened the following year, in 1890. The government enforced local ordinances in various regions but it was not until the end of the Meiji Era, which was nearly 40 years later, that mixed bathing was diminished. Therefore, Japan overstepped many countries in East Asia to top the ranks of the most powerful countries. Japan underwent a vast array of changes after the Meiji Restoration. It is often described as the time when Japan took 'its first step to the modernization through reformation of the fundamental systems of the nation based on interactions with other countries'. By the 20th century, Japan had a modern constitution and national parliament, though it was not truly democratic. 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. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. The most affected government sectors were the social, political, economic oriented institutions. How did the Meiji Restoration change Japan? The arrival of foreigners and the decay of shogunate leadership accelerated their slowly deteriorating power structure. They were collectively known as Tsusho-no-kuni. During the Meiji Period, which ended with the emperor's death in 1912, the country experienced significant social, political and economic change-including the abolition of the feudal system and. After the shogunate's power had been removed, it was handed over to the Meiji Emperor to exact certain changes that the Japanese people were beginning to admire in the West. Two breakaway provinces of Choshu and Satsuma, which had been shunned by the shogunate over the last few centuries, supported the rule over the emperor instead of the shogunate. Therefore, a revolution was started that was geared to more of advancement and revolution. In today's world, social mobility is largely. It is at this time that Japan was controlled by the Samurai and daimyo who had received power transition from Tokugawa era. Drinking milk People started drinking milk. The feudal system was swept away, along with its strict class system. Japan accelerated industrial revolution was as a result of Meijis era. Finally, Japan allied with Britain against Russia, culminating in Japan's attack at Port Arthur and the destruction of an overconfident Russian fleet coming to save the city in the Battle of Tsushima. The collection includes accounts of daily life in Japan, material about missionary activities, and the writings of diplomats and long-term residents of Japan discussing the impact of Westerners on Japanese society, as well as the history of the foreign communities in Japan. 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. The rise of Japan, beginning in the Meiji Restoration, is an amazing story of modernization over a quick half-century. In addition, the Japanese went to an extent of winning a war against Russia a super powerful country. Scientific Revolution Lesson Plans & Resources, Revolutions in Latin America Lesson Plans, Oliver Cromwell, Hero or Villain? Corrections? First, the idea of sonno joi, or "revere the emperor and expel the foreigners," took hold with those that were against the decaying power of the shogunate. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! There were some negatives effects of Meiji Restoration as Japan abolished many traditional things which would be loved by the people in the 21st century. Due to the fact that Western nations were involved in Imperialism prior to and during the same time as the Meiji period, the wealth and power the European nations gained stood out to the Japanese. There were three main causes of the Meiji Restoration: First, internal problems in Japan made ruling the country too difficult. He is certified in South Carolina to teach both. They thought that without modernizing Japan, the country would be colonized. Moreover, it is during this capital transformation that the emperor established for a more strengthened navy. Many merchants gained financial knowledge that would be used during Meijis period. This biasness was cut off by the Meijis rule. It was not going to be pushed around. Japan went as far as being accepted as a member in the Ruling Directorate of International Society. Moreover, Japan started to import raw materials which were manufactured into finished products and then were sold to other countries. The Emperor of Meiji and other high-ranking government officials also had their hair cut short. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. This last group of countries was invited to major Japanese events like celebrations and in big festivals. The new government was very tactical. This issue eventually led to the creation of an opportunity for revolution in the labor force. The enacting of a constitution and formalization of a parliamentary system of government. As the Edo period continued and enter it's later years, the stability of the system was sha. 7 chapters | The adoption of universal education. The war ended in the northern island of Hokkaido after the remaining forces of the shogunate tried to create a breakaway empire and were quashed. Japans first Ministry of Education was established in 1871 to develop a national system of education; it led to the promulgation of the Gakusei, or Education System Order, in 1872 and to the introduction of universal education in the country, which initially put emphasis on Western learning. Western-style clothing The first Japanese to wear clothes were the imperial family and the military personnel. Communism in China Factors & Rise | How Did China Become Communist? This was followed by the promulgation of the school system in 1872. Japan increased the number of steamships from 26 in 1873 to 1,514 in 1913 and 18 miles of train track in 1872 to over 7,000 in 1914. Japan had reverted back to a shogunate. The Meiji government did not intend to eliminate Buddhism itself. There were three main causes of the Meiji Restoration: First, internal problems in Japan made ruling the country too difficult. Create your account. This therefore meant that the Japanese had the most powerful transformation which occurred within a single generation. The Japanese emperors in that time knew well that for them to make it through the wars that were foreseen, they were to be well armed as the imperial superpowers. It got rid of the feudal system and created the Meiji Constitution establishing a bureaucratic, centralized government. Another major contribution to modernization was the agrarian revolution. The purpose of this in vivo study was to evaluate and compare the dentin-pulp complex response following occlusal and cervical restorations in rat molars restored with nano-hydroxyapatite silica glass ionomer cement (nano-HA-SiO2-GIC) and conventional glass ionomer cement (c-GIC). Although Japan also had an emperor hanging around, the emperor had little to no power. Japan was compromised by a feudal system of military warlords that forbade any foreign exposure with the threat of execution.