The start of the Meiji Era and the beginning of Japan’s road to modernization, started when the 16 year old emperor Mutsuhito selected the era name Meiji for his reign. This period commenced with the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate and led to Japan’s transformation from a feudal nation into a modern industrial state. Japan emerged from the Meiji Period with a parliamentary form of government and as a world power through military expansion abroad. The Meiji regime first began as an alliance between Satsuma and Choshu, the two domains responsible for the overthrowing of the Tokugawa Shogunate, with support from Tosa and Hizen domains as well. Satsuma and Choshu faced the daunting task of imposing and maintaining national unity. From January
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This attitude was driven by the humiliating and unequal treaties
Japan was forced to oblige to due to their military inferiority compared to the West. The Meiji government introduced universal conscription and a new army was modeled after the Prussian force and a navy after the British fleet.
In order to transform the economy from an agrarian one to a developed industrial state, Japanese scholars went abroad to study Western science and language, while foreign experts taught in Japan. The government also invested heavily in public works such as railroad transportation and communication networks. It also directly supported the prospering industries, especially the powerful family owned businesses, called zaibatsu. The huge expenditures to industrialize led to a financial crisis in the mid 1880’s that resulted in reforms of the currency and banking system.
Japan during the Meiji period was involved in two victorious wars. Conflicts of interests in Korea between Japan and China, led to the Sino-Japanese War in
This attitude was driven by the humiliating and unequal treaties
Japan was forced to oblige to due to their military inferiority compared to the West. The Meiji government introduced universal conscription and a new army was modeled after the Prussian force and a navy after the British fleet.
In order to transform the economy from an agrarian one to a developed industrial state, Japanese scholars went abroad to study Western science and language, while foreign experts taught in Japan. The government also invested heavily in public works such as railroad transportation and communication networks. It also directly supported the prospering industries, especially the powerful family owned businesses, called zaibatsu. The huge expenditures to industrialize led to a financial crisis in the mid 1880’s that resulted in reforms of the currency and banking system.
Japan during the Meiji period was involved in two victorious wars. Conflicts of interests in Korea between Japan and China, led to the Sino-Japanese War in