Meiji Restoration [1850-1905]
End of Tokugawa Shogunate
-Economic decline/Social Tensions – early 19th c.
-Agricultural tax revenues declining the government had less revenue, but didn’t stop
spending.
-Loyalty payments – was expensive, had to pay the Samurais to stop fighting
-Powerful daimyos in provinces
-Population growth – strain on food supply, but still wasn’t enough.
Isolation vs. Engagement
Tokugawa banned contact with the outside world in 17th c.
National Studies – were most in favor of this idea
Aspects of the culture that should be emphasized:
Neo Confucian values, Shinto religion, divinity of emperor, hierarchy, order, etc.
Origin of Japanese nationalism
Exceptions to Isolationism
Trade through 1 port [Nagasaki]
Dutch learning after 1720 – only ones allowed in trade, only allowed being useful, or
having some sort of reason.
Japan’s Isolation Ends
Arrival of US Commodore Perry [1853]
Steam powered warships into Edo Bay
Demands free trade and refueling rights [into China]
Presents Japan with an ultimatum – either let us trade, or they’ll bomb Japan.
Gave them a year.
Sparked crisis in Tokugawa’s government
In 1854, when Perry’s troops came back, they capitulated.
Treaty of Kanagawa – unequal treaty gave Americans good privileges, couldn’t be
subject within Japanese law
Other countries soon gained similar rights
Caused a crisis they felt that this was a humiliation of Japan, etc
Others felt as though Japan needed to create an empire on their own,
adopt Western technology
Caused a civil war
-Different groups – the ones that felt as though they wanted the Americans out
and the others who wanted to adopt Western technology, and use it against the
Americans.
-Adopt their technology, and then use it against them.
Meiji Restoration
Outcome of Civil War – Tokugawa Shogunate overthrown
Rebels claimed to restore Japanese emperor to power – therefore, called the “Meiji”
Restoration”
In reality, oligarchy of samurai trying to keep Japan from foreign domination
Goal: rich country with a strong army – through rapid industrialization
Learn from Western ideas, institutions, and technology to modernize Japan
Meiji Reform Policies
Abolition of feudalism
Prefect system to administer provinces
A government district [prefecture] – idea of relying of W. administration
Samurai loyalty payments ended
-Many were reduced to poverty – revolts in late 1870’s, put down brutally.
-Others turned to business and government service – were willing to be
educated, could go into the new standing army, etc
-biggest companies today were founded by samurais
Strong armies
Universal military conscription – there’s a draft
Officer training – Western advisors
Bring back battle tactics/methods of army organizers
America saw it as making allies
Better weapons – adopted W. technology
New navy
Samurai sent abroad to learn
Technical education – lawyers, doctors, engineers
Study economic and political institutions
Adopted western clothing – modeling themselves explicitly on European/American
norms
Parliament created (Diet)
1. Modeled on German Diet because Germany itself was coming up as a new power,
conservative government in place, very effective in transitioning to modernity, and keeping
people loyal while remaining in control (Bismark)
a. oligarchy
2. Limited right to enact legislation
3. High property qualifications to vote
4. Ensured support of nobility and wealthy merchants – conservative regime
Heavy government involvement in industrialization
Creation o banks
Ministry of Industry – coordinates and plan economic development
Railroad construction – integrate Japan’s markets
Scientific agriculture – improves crop yields, make it more efficient
Land reform
But Japan did have thriving private business sectors
Often by ex-samurais
Conglomerates zaibatsu had a lot of political power.
Education
Technical training emphasized – universities
For engineers, economists, etc
Universal primary education
For the first time in Japan
The purpose of it is to teach basic literacy skills, but also to encourage political
loyalty
Japanese Nationalism and Militarism
Was not exclusive to Japan – was located where it was set to dominate
Why?
Poor resource base – didn’t have many of the materials necessary – needed to trade
Worried about dependence on the west – expansionist foreign policy
FEARR! – what had happened to Qing China didn’t want Japan to be
carved up into a sphere of influence.
Desire to maintain identity and culture
Western ideas were being adopted everywhere
What makes us Japanese makes us superior.
Emphasized neo Confucianism
Conservative political system
Although it did share power and political participation with SOME people – vast
majority were left out [upper/middle class]
Needed an outlet for the dissent that may have built up within the lower
class
Nationalism – jingoism
Competition with other world powers – began to see themselves as equal
to the Europeans – deserve the same kind of spoils of expansion as the other
European powers
Outcome
Sino-Japanese War [1894-95] against China, won, had a bit of land
Russo-Japanese War [1905-5] on the eve of WW1
