Meiji Restoration

1
Meiji Restoration

• Whats been going on with Japan?

2
Tokugawa Shogunate

• Expelled Christian Missionaries, virtually closed
  nations borders to foreigners
• From mid 17th C. until 1853, Japan remained
  isolated
• Only allowed in 1 Dutch ship/ year and very
  restricted Chinese and Korean trade
• Japanese culture flourished
• Kabuki theatre, Bunraku (puppet theatre), Haiku

3
Decline of Tokugawa

• Class tensions
• Samurai elite warrior class, dishonorable to
  open business
• Merchant class grew more and more wealthy

Daimyo to Edo to pay respects
4
Opening of Japan

• 1853-54 Commodore Matthew Perry convinced Japan
  to open to American trade
• The Shogun, afraid of what happened to China in
  the Opium War, allowed the US in
• Soon, Europeans also demanded trade
• Soon Japan had signed treaties with all European
  nations

5
Westernization of Japan

• Western military strength made Japan fearful of
  domination
• Moved to take country from feudalism to modern
  nationhood

6
Samurai Uprising

• 1858 Tokugawa shogun died with no heir
• 1860 Group of disgruntled samurai assassinated
  Shogun Il Naosuke
• Wrote a document expressing wish to revere the
  emperor and expel the barbarians
• Committed seppuku
• Battle between Samurai and national government
• Eventually the Samurai seized the Imperial Palace
  and proclaimed the restoration of the Japanese
  Emperor

7
Overthrow of the Shogun

• Nobles took power from Shogun (highest lord) and
  transferred power to Emperor Mutsuhito (1868)
• Mutsuhito changed his name to Meiji,
  Enlightened he was 16
• Actual power was in hands of a group of young
  former samurai and allies
• Moved Capital to Edo and renamed it Tokyo
  eastern capital
• Modeled government on Bismarcks Germany
• Autocratic, cabinet of military leaders who
  answer only to Meiji

8
Restructuring of Japan

• Military
• British-type navy, Prussian-type army
• Education
• Compulsory public education, became highly
  literate
• Agriculture
• Nobles gave up feudal privileges
• Peasants no longer bound to soil, many owned land
• Industry
• Textiles, steel, machinery, ships
• Fukoku Kyohei Enrich the country, Strengthen the
  army popular phrase of the time
• (replacing the old slogan sonno joi "Revere the
  Emperor, Expel the Barbarians"

9
Japan Turns to Imperialism

• Reasons
• Needed raw materials
• Honor and glory for Japan
• Outlet for surplus population
• Near Asian underdeveloped nations
• (does this sound familiar or what?)

10
Japan Takes Over

• Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895)
• Overwhelms China, acquires Taiwan, sphere of
  influence in Korea (annexes Korea in 1910)
• Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)
• Defeated Russia, acquires Russias sphere of
  influence in Manchuria (This is going to impact
  WWII)
• World War I (1914-1918)
• Did little for Allies, but acquires Germanys
  concessions on Shangtung Peninsula and mandates
  over Germans pacific Islands