Meiji Restoration: Japan was more or less isolated from other, countries. Japan was the only country . that escaped colonization by Europeans. There was only one Western country that had trade relations with Japan and that was Holland. The US had always Wanted the Japanese ports to open for foreign trade.
In 1853, under Matthew Perry, a powerful navy was sent to Japan by the USA. The aims of the US were getting permission for trade and establishing diplomatic relations with Japan. Japan is on the way to the sea-route to China. Therefore the US saw Japan as a good strategic point and market. They also thought of Japan as a place where their ships could refill their fuel tanks.
Matthew Perry returned to Japan the next year also. The government was forced to open two ports for the US ships and do some trade in a controlled manner. The arrival of Matthew Perry caused big movements 1 in Japanese politics. It resulted in the end of the Shogun rule and the restoration of Emperor Meiji. There was a strong protest against the Shoguns that succumbed to the foreign powers. The protesters wanted the restoration of Meiji rule. With this, the image of the emperor, who was until then a nominal figure, increased.
in 1868 there was an open revolt against the Shoguns. The revolutionaries drove away the Shogun from Edo and brought the emperor there, Edo was renamed Tokyo (Capital of the East) and was declared as the capital of the nation.
The new emperor took the title Meiji or Enlightened and became the official ruler of the country. This revolution of 1868 was known as the Meiji Restoration. The officials and people of Japan were aware of the fact that Europeans were building their colonial empires in India and other places. They also knew about the defeat of China by Britain. They were afraid if Japan also would become a colony of foreign powers.
The scholars and leaders wanted to learn about the ideas of Europeans unlike the Chinese who simply rejected them. One section of the people thought that they should learn the technology of the West but keep them away from the country. There was also an opinion that Japan should slowly open its gates to the external world.
A slogan that summed up the ideals of the Meiji Era was Fukoku Kyohei, meaning Enriching the Country and Strengthening the Army or Rich Country and Strong Army. It became the principle that led to the modernization and transformation of Japan. Japan resized that a strong economy and a strong army were needed to resist the foreigners. They saw how India yielded to the foreigners in the absence of these two things. For realizing these aims there was the need to make the people loyal citizens and build a strong sense of unity based on nationalism.
The administrative system of Japan was reorganized. The new government tried to formulate a system called the Emperor System. It was a system that followed the European model. They sent officials to Europe to study it thoroughly and then only they implemented it.
It was a system that gave the Emperor a divine aura. The emperor was considered a direct descended of the sun-god and therefore he deserved maximum reverence. He was also depicted as the leader bringing in Europeanization. His birthday was declared a national holiday. The emperor wore the military uniform of the Europeans. All edicts and orders to establish new institutions were sent out in his name.
In its education system it followed the European model, in the 1870s, stress was laid on the studies of Japanese history so that students could develop loyalty to their nation. The Educational Ministry strictly controlled the curriculum. If chose the textbooks and gave training to teachers.
Education also stressed developing a moral culture in the students. The children were asked to respect and show loyalty to their nation and become good citizens.
To unify the country, the Meiji administration brought a new administrative system. The old boundaries of villages were changed. Each administrative unit had to run schools and give health facilities to its people. It also worked as an agency for the recruitment of soldiers to the army, Everyone who had passed 20 years of age had to do compulsory military service for a fixed minimum period. Japan organized a strong army. It brought a legal system that controlled the formation of political parties and meetings and did the censorship. The army and bureaucracy were under the direct control of the emperor. All these activities of the government faced stiff opposition from the public.
The new democratic constitution and the modern army were not ideologically compatible. The army started demanding a more aggressive foreign policy to conquer new regions. This led to wars with both Russia and China and in both the wars Japan came out victorious.
The demand of people for greater democracy was against the aggressive policy of the government. Japan developed economically and built an empire, suppressing democracy at home.
