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With the change of government in Japan, economic change soon followed. Banks were founded to invest in capital, railways and steam boats were developed, restrictions on trade such as tariffs and guilds were removed, and land was re-distributed. These reforms helped spur the Industrial

The Meiji Era, also known as the Meiji Restoration, lasted from 1868-1912. It was an era for great change and this was also the period in which Japan became more modern. During this era, Japan witnessed changes politically, socially, and economically as it worked to become more modern. Japan expressed a desire to catch up to and adopt the policies of its Western counterparts. This gradual Westernization led to Japan becoming a more modern state and eventually a global power on par with Britain and the United States. However, these changes and the stable transition from the Tokugawa Shogunate to the Meiji Restoration would not have been possible without Emperor Meiji and other government leaders.

Political, social, and economic aspects influenced the rise of the Empire of Japan, and their effects created the ways in which Japan interacted with its people and the world around it. Politically, the Meiji Restoration of the mid-1800s to the early 1900s set the stage for the growth that took place to make Japan an Empire, including the transformation of the views on the emperor. These views on the emperor helped to create a social change: the anger of the Japanese government and people about the lack of representation for Japan in world treaties and in the League of Nations. This caused extreme patriotism. Japan was economically changed by the advancements into China after Japan’s Great Depression. This military advancement opened the door for much more and was based on the Japanese’s intense nationalistic views.

Both the Japanese and Russian government passed legislation that would assure the abolition of feudalism and free serfs from their lords. In the mid-nineteenth century the Japanese went through a period commonly known as The Meiji Restoration. During this period major changes occurred, one of them being the shift from a shogunate to an emperor.

The government than also led in the way of building railways and shipping lines, telegraphs and telephone systems, three shipyards, ten mines, fifty-three consumer industries. The Meiji Government opened their borders, allowing japan to improve their basic infrastructure, improving communication and to be able to travel from city to city easier. The markets were often based on main roads/path ways, rivers and special temples so that the local sellers are able to easily bring their items to the markets, according to (The Program for Teaching East Asia 2008). In doing this Japan was able to become more richer and Emperor Meiji was able to turn Japan into a modern world power as we see it

In Peter Duus’ Japanese Discovery of America, the author shows the learning experience that Japan went through in order to become one of the strongest countries in the early 20th century. From 1797 when the first American ship arrived in Japan, to 1879 when President Grant visited the Meiji emperor, Japan, not one of the strongest countries economically and militarily at the time, had interactions with multiple countries that included Russia, England and Portugal. However, Japan’s Confucianism belief and the development of the Tokaido Road served as roots for their quick rise to modernization. Even though multiple countries were cooperating with Japan, the relations with the United States proved to be the most

Ultranationalism in Japan began once the global markets collapsed in 1930. Difficult times and a growing need for national glory led to increased militarism. In 1937, Japan invaded China and expanded its empire from the Korean peninsula to Indonesia. However, Japan’s

Sent many Japanese abroad to be educated in the ways of the west and adopted many western reforms in political and military organization

After centuries of living in seclusion to the outside world, the government knew that they needed the technological advancements that the West offered. The Industrial Revolution and growing urbanisation in Japan had intended to and succeeded in mimicking Western growth. Moreover, the Japanese were well-known for their diligence, discipline, perseverance, and hard work – this resulted in substantial economic development including increased shipping of commodities and a significant expansion of trade and handicraft industries. However, the political elite pocketed most of the profits through influence and corruption. Workers and farmers found it unfair that their patriotic and back-breaking labour only received a little wage in comparison, but with a state-controlled media and education system, they couldn’t make their voices heard. So overall, this collective and nationalistic open-mindedness for communal prosperity was beneficial for Japan as a whole, but the common people were disadvantaged with no access to basic human rights and a fair

The Meiji Restoration played a significant role in the modernisation of Japan. The Meiji period was a time of political and social revolution. It brought momentous social, political and economic changes to Japan, and these changes became the foundation of the Japan we know today. Prior to the 1868 Restoration, Japan was a militarily weak country with a feudal agricultural society, and was controlled by feudal lords. When the Meiji period ended with the Emperor's death in 1912, Japan was a well-developed nation with a constitutional monarchy, an elected government, a strong economy, a powerful military and a well educated population.

Industrialization is also another factor that can be considered a break from the past, but was not a straight line development. The industries in Japan were intoxicated with western thought as Story puts it 'the entire apparatus of Western material civilization seemed to find some reproduction, some kind of echo, in Japan' free from the Tokugawa beliefs. The Meiji government adopted a policy that stated she will develop Industries herself. It developed modern communications, constructed railways, established telegraphs, shipbuilding yards, gun-powder and munition factories, and artillery works and even created a

Between 1968 and 1912, Japan was going through a reformation called Meiji Restoration in order make the country strong as western countries. It had caused changes in many parts of Japan such as society, government, military, etc. Some of these changes still can be seen in the Japanese society today such as emperors are honored by Japanese citizens and seen as a special figure. Since this reformation had a great impact on development of Japan, it can be consider as a very important part of Japanese history.This study will seek to answer the question: To what extent did the Meiji Restoration succeeded to reform and strengthen Japan? In order to answer the question, the investigation will analyze military reform and economic reform caused by

Japan is an unique oriental country in many aspects, especially in politics and economy, both western practices and traditional nationalism are coexisted in this country. The period 1890-1940 was just followed the Meiji restoration, and was typical in the history of Japan, at that time, Japan was on the way from a feudal country to a capitalistic country, called modernization. Many western practices were being more and more adopted, however, at the same time, traditional rules still had strong influences in Japan. Under this background, this report will discuss the Japanese cultural factors during 1890-1940 that influenced the disclosure

An exhibition of “Japanese Propaganda Kimonos” consists of more than 30 Japanese kimonos with printed images celebrating Japanese military power. Kimonos are a long, loose robe with wide sleeves and tied with a sash, originally worn as a formal garment in Japan. These were mostly from 1930s and early 1940s when Japan invaded Manchuria, waging war against China. These kimonos reflects styles of Art Deco and Depression Modern. Some of the patchwork display fighter planes, battleships, antiaircraft artillery, and more. An example is a women’s kimono which shows red-and-yellow airplanes decorated with cherry blossoms with a background of horizontal red-and-white stripes. Through these kimonos it illustrates war isn’t a negative impact.

Equal rights were not granted to women until the Occupation Era following World War II. The modifications that were made to the existing Meiji Constitution gave women the same rights as men for the first time in the country’s history. Prior to that they were seen as servants, dominated by their husbands, in what can only be described as a master / slave relationship. The new Japanese Constitution of 1947 empowered the Japanese women for the first time in the countries history. Minorities were persecute throughout Japan’s past. Native Anglo’s were hunted down and slaughtered. The surviving numbers were driven north onto the smaller surrounding islands. The closed era of Tokogawa Shogunate tried to remove all of the diversity within society. Any thought other than the Shinto/Buddhist/Confucianism that dominated was society was expelled. The violent massacre of Christians during this period only supported conformity to the ideals of the ruling class. The stance they took on foreign thought and technology insured that no outside influences would affect Japanese culture. This view lasted over 200 years until the country was opened to foreigners again. The long period the Japanese spent with no diversity combined with the loyalty and honor themes of Bushido, made it impossible for them to accept diversity after the country was opened again.