Japan modernised when and how it did due to a multitude of forces and factors that affected its growth and development as a nation. With forces such as the seeking of new knowledge and the divide on westernization along with social, political and economic factors.
There were many forces from inside the sealed nation of Japan that influenced its modernisation. With the downfall of the Tokugawa shogun and the rise of a new emperor Meiji and the influence of Shimazu Nariakira before that. In 1851 Shimazu Nariakira became a Daimyo. One of the first things he did as Daimyo was to build two western style ships developed by Satsuma engineers based on Western books and illustrations. Along with this, he also began enacting educational changes in Satsuma aimed at bringing in Western science and technology. Nariakira established a school for studying Dutch language and Western culture.
The second internal force that caused Japan to modernize was the fall of the shogun which lead to the reform of the military. Takashima Shahan, governor of Nagasaki, new that if Japan wanted to avoid being taken over by Europeans (as what had happened to China) they would have to reform their military. In 1872 a new conscript army system was established and in 1880 this system fully functioning army. However, in 1887 finding good …show more content…
Japan’s economy had shifted from mainly agricultural to industrial and because of this a very large working class was created. The tax system was restructures and centralized so that tax went to the Meiji government instead of the Daimyo. Along with this, foreign financial experts were brought into Japan to teach the Japanese about how to run a bank properly. In 1873, the first private bank was established and in 1882, the bank of Japan was established and is still used today. These political factors influenced why Japan modernized how it
There were many forces from inside the sealed nation of Japan that influenced its modernisation. With the downfall of the Tokugawa shogun and the rise of a new emperor Meiji and the influence of Shimazu Nariakira before that. In 1851 Shimazu Nariakira became a Daimyo. One of the first things he did as Daimyo was to build two western style ships developed by Satsuma engineers based on Western books and illustrations. Along with this, he also began enacting educational changes in Satsuma aimed at bringing in Western science and technology. Nariakira established a school for studying Dutch language and Western culture.
The second internal force that caused Japan to modernize was the fall of the shogun which lead to the reform of the military. Takashima Shahan, governor of Nagasaki, new that if Japan wanted to avoid being taken over by Europeans (as what had happened to China) they would have to reform their military. In 1872 a new conscript army system was established and in 1880 this system fully functioning army. However, in 1887 finding good …show more content…
Japan’s economy had shifted from mainly agricultural to industrial and because of this a very large working class was created. The tax system was restructures and centralized so that tax went to the Meiji government instead of the Daimyo. Along with this, foreign financial experts were brought into Japan to teach the Japanese about how to run a bank properly. In 1873, the first private bank was established and in 1882, the bank of Japan was established and is still used today. These political factors influenced why Japan modernized how it