Imperial Japan

Imperial Japan

Introduction

Japan has a vast history of revolutions and changes attached to it. These historical events and reign of many has led it to the point where it is today. The following paper identifies the significant events that are responsible for the creation of the Modern Japan.

Discussion

The Meiji Period

The Meiji Restoration which is also referred as the Revolution or Meiji Ishim was a series of events which restored back the imperial rule in Japan. This happened under the rule of Emperor Meiji in the year 1868. The goals and the purposes of the new restored government were very clearly expressed by the newly elected ruler in the Charter Oath (www.afe.easia.columbia.edu). The Meiji Restoration caused to bring about very enormous and significant changes in the social and political structure of Japan, and it had spanned across to periods, the ending of the Edo period which is also sometimes referred as the Late Tokugawa, and also the start of the Meiji period. This time period spanned across from the year 1868 to the year 1912. This revolution was also responsible for the actual emergence and materialization of Japan as a restructured as well as a modernized country in the early years of the twentieth century (www.aboutjapan.japansociety.org).

The new leaders of Japan used to study the economic, political as well as the social institutions and matters of the Western powers and then after much consideration and evaluation they used to adopt and select those which according to them used to suit best for their purpose. In the year 1889, a new constitution was propagated which helped and assisted in forming a parliamentary government (Anonymous, 2011). This parliament was left accountable and responsible to the emperor instead of making the people accountable. The administrative power was wholly centralized within the national bureaucracy that also used to rule at that time in the name of the ruler or emperor. All the classes were announced as an equal to each other, as a result of which the samurai as well as their lords were left with no other option but to give up on their feudal privileges (www.aboutjapan.japansociety.org). On the other hand, the role and the position of merchants started to gain respect since formerly they used to be considered as profit hungry people.

The enthusiastic and eager adoption of the contemporary technologies of West became the reason of a major explosion and outburst of diversification and also of industrial productivity (Frank, 2001). A nationalized military as well as universal conscription was formed and established. Public education was introduced and was also deemed as compulsory in order to teach the youth the required skills that are needed to build up a new nation. The purpose to inculcate the values of disciplined citizenship in all the Japanese people.

The success and victory of the Meiji Restoration in the year 1868 would have been useless if the Japanese nation would have fallen under the effect, influence or hold of the western powers which used to seem like a menace to the ...