The Meiji

Restoration:
1868
 Feudal Japan

• Definition: A social and political system

in Japan from the 12th to the 19th century.

• Key Features:

• Hierarchical Structure: Society

organized into classes.

• Land Ownership: Land was held by lords

(daimyō) and worked by peasants.

• Samurai Warriors: Loyal to their lords,

samurai followed a code of honor
(Bushido).
Tokugawa Shogunate

• The Tokugawa Shogunate

ruled Japan from 1603 to
1867.
• The shoguns were military
leaders who held real
power while the emperor
was a figurehead.
• Isolationist policies were
enforced during the
Tokugawa period.

Tokugawa Ieyasu
 What was the Meiji Restoration?

A period of major political and social change in Japan that began in 1868.
The Meiji Restoration transformed Japan politically, socially, and
economically, marking the end of feudalism and the beginning of
modernization
• In 1868 the Tokugawa shōgun
("great general"), who ruled Japan
in the feudal period, lost his
power and the emperor was
restored to the supreme position.
The emperor took the name Meiji
("enlightened rule") as his reign
name; this event was known as
the Meiji Restoration.
 Western Influence

Key points:
• Commodore Matthew
Perry forced Japan to
open its borders to
the West in 1853.
• This led to increased
contact with Western
countries and their
technology.
• The Japanese realized
they needed to
modernize to
compete with
Western powers.
Dissatisfaction with the Shogunate

• Many Japanese were dissatisfied

with the Tokugawa Shogunate's
isolationist policies.

• They believed that the shogunate

was weak and unable to protect
Japan from foreign threats.

• A group of samurai known as the

Satsuma and Chōshū clans led the
rebellion against the shogunate.
 The Meiji Restoration

• The Meiji Restoration was a

bloodless coup d'état that
overthrew the Tokugawa
Shogunate.
• The emperor was restored
to power, marking the
beginning of the Meiji
period.
• The Meiji government was
determined to modernize
Japan and catch up with
Western nations.
The Reign of the Meiji Emperor
When the Meiji emperor was restored as head of Japan in 1868, the nation was a militarily weak country,
was primarily agricultural, and had little technological development. It was controlled by hundreds of
semi-independent feudal lords.

The Western powers — Europe and the United States — had forced Japan to sign treaties that limited its
control over its own foreign trade and required that crimes concerning foreigners in Japan be tried not in
Japanese but in Western courts. When the Meiji period ended, with the death of the emperor in 1912,
Japan had

•a highly centralized, bureaucratic government;

•a constitution establishing an elected parliament;

•a well-developed transport and communication system;

•a highly educated population free of feudal class restrictions;

•an established and rapidly growing industrial sector based on the latest technology; and

•a powerful army and navy.

 Social and Economic Changes
The abolition of feudalism made possible tremendous social and political changes. Millions of people were
suddenly free to choose their occupation and move about without restrictions. By providing a new
environment of political and financial security, the government made possible investment in new
industries and technologies.

The 1889 constitution was "given" to the people by the emperor, and only he (or his advisers) could change it. A
parliament was elected beginning in 1890, but only the wealthiest one percent of the population could vote in
elections. In 1925 this was changed to allow all men (but not yet women) to vote.

To win the recognition of the Western powers and convince them to change the unequal treaties the Japanese
had been forced to sign in the 1850s, Japan changed its entire legal system, adopting a new criminal and civil
code modeled after those of France and Germany.

The Western nations finally agreed to revise the treaties in 1894, acknowledging Japan as an equal in principle,
although not in international power.
 Economic Development
Key points:
• The Meiji government encouraged economic
development.
• They promoted industrialization and trade.
• Japan's economy grew rapidly during the Meiji
period.
The government led the way in this, building railway and shipping lines, telegraph and telephone systems,
three shipyards, ten mines, five munitions works, and fifty-three consumer industries (making sugar, glass,
textiles, cement, chemicals, and other important products).

This was very expensive, however, and strained government finances, so in 1880 the government decided to
sell most of these industries to private investors, thereafter encouraging such activity through subsidies and
other incentives.

Some of the samurai and merchants who built these industries established major corporate conglomerates
called zaibatsu, which controlled much of Japan's modern industrial sector.
 Social Changes

• Key points:
• The Meiji Restoration
brought about
significant social
changes.
• The feudal system
was abolished and a
new social hierarchy
was established.
• Women's rights were
expanded, and
education was made
compulsory.
The government also introduced a national educational system and a constitution, creating an elected
parliament called the Diet. They did this to provide a good environment for national growth, win the
respect of the Westerners, and build support for the modern state.

In the Tokugawa period, popular education had spread rapidly, and in 1872 the government established a
national system to educate the entire population.

By the end of the Meiji period, almost everyone attended the free public schools for at least six years. The
government closely controlled the schools, making sure that in addition to skills like mathematics and
reading, all students studied "moral training," which stressed the importance of their duty to the emperor,
the country and their families.
 Military Modernization

• The Meiji government modernized the

Japanese military.
• They created a powerful army and navy.
• This allowed Japan to expand its influence
and become a major power in Asia.
 Imperialism

• Key points:
• The Meiji government
adopted an
expansionist foreign
policy.
• Japan fought wars
with China and
Russia to expand its
territory.
• Japan became an
imperial power in
Asia.
The International Climate: Colonialism and Expansion

In 1894 Japan fought a war against China over its interest in Korea, which China claimed as a vassal state. The
Korean peninsula is the closest part of Asia to Japan, less than 100 miles by sea, and the Japanese were worried
that the Russians might gain control of that weak nation. Japan won the war and gained control over Korea and
gained Taiwan as a colony. Japan's sudden, decisive victory over China surprised the world and worried some
European powers.
At this time the European nations were beginning to claim special rights in China — the French, with their colony
in Indochina (today's Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia), were involved in South China; the British also claimed
special rights in South China, near Hong Kong, and later the whole Yangtze valley; and the Russians, who were
building a railway through Siberia and Manchuria, were interested in North China. After Japan's victory over
China, Japan signed a treaty with China which gave Japan special rights on China's Liaotung peninsula, in addition
to the control of Taiwan. But Japan's victory was short lived. Within a week, France, Russia, and Germany
combined to pressure Japan to give up rights on the Liaotung peninsula. Each of these nations then began to
force China to give it ports, naval bases, and special economic rights, with Russia taking the same Liaotung
peninsula that Japan had been forced to return.
The Japanese government was angered by this incident and drew the lesson that for Japan to maintain its
independence and receive equal treatment in international affairs, it was necessary to strengthen its military
even further. By 1904, when the Russians were again threatening to establish control over Korea, Japan was
much stronger. It declared war on Russia and, using all its strength, won victory in 1905 (beginning with a
surprise naval attack on Port Arthur, which gained for Japan the control of the China Sea). Japan thus achieved
dominance over Korea and established itself a colonial power in East Asia.
 Impact of the Meiji
Restoration

• Becoming a World
Power: Japan emerges as a
strong nation by the early
20th century.

• Imperial Expansion:
Acquisition of territories like
Taiwan and Korea.

• Legacy: Set the stage for

Japan’s future as a modern
state.
• Discussion Questions

• What were the main reasons behind the Meiji

Restoration, and how did they reflect the needs
of Japanese society at that time?

• In what ways did the Meiji Restoration change

Japan's political and social structure?

• How did Japan balance modernization with

traditional culture during the Meiji era?

• What lessons can modern countries learn from

Japan's rapid transformation during the Meiji
Restoration?
 Meiji Restoration Role Playing
1. The Council of Clans
• Objective: Students represent different Japanese clans (e.g.,
Satsuma, Choshu, Tokugawa) debating their stance on the
modernization of Japan.
• Activity:
• Divide into groups, each representing a clan.
• Provide background information on each clan's beliefs and goals.
• Facilitate a mock council meeting where clans discuss whether to
support or oppose the Meiji Restoration.
2. Traveling Through Time
• Objective: Students act as time travelers visiting different key events
during the Meiji Restoration.
• Activity:
• Create stations representing significant events (e.g., the arrival of
Commodore Perry, the first national army, educational reforms).
• Students rotate through the stations, role-playing characters from
that time (e.g., a samurai reacting to the new army, a student
experiencing modern education).
• After each station, they can reflect on how these changes impacted
Japan.