The Meiji Restoration
Officially Starts Here!
• issued, not written, by Emperor
• “defensive posturing”
• audience: domestic & ABROAD
• intentionally vague!
• never outside the country
• “gradual” development & change
Start of Long Journey!
“Victory” in 1910!

“Meiji Era” (1869)
Edo renamed Tokyo
Yen (¥) national currency
Move Emperor to Tokyo
This = “civilized”
This = opportunity
This = renegotiate
Taking steps towards modern Japan . . .

The Meiji Restoration: Who’s
In Charge Here?
“Men of High Purpose” - Shishi
• Choshu, Satsuma, Toza
• Had undertaken independent reforms
• Of lower samurai status
• Do not want Bakufu resurrection
• Nationalism, politicize monarch
• Have slogans, no clear-cut plan of attack
• “Defensive development”
• West has knowledge we need!
1. Samurai 2. Domains 3. Education
4. Politics 5. Industry 6. Military

“Bunmei-Kaika”
“Risshin-Shusse”

What’s The Ishin Plan?
1) Why is it called the Meiji Restoration?
2) The Meiji Period (1868-1912)
3) Who are the Genrō?
PLAN OF ATTACK . . .
• Must modernize; renegotiate treaties
• National goals - not individual ones
• Hierarchy of needs: end internal struggles figure out domestic issues lastly, “go international”
“[A hallmark of the period was] it’s disciplined search for models that would be applicable for a Japan in the process of rebuilding its institutions.”

What Are the Ishin Challenges?
How can we change the Japan’s history?
1. Gain support of powerful domains
2. Work with our relatives = networking
3. Place key supporters in government
4. Work with everyone . . . until strong enough to ignore them!
In a competitive world, educated & united succeed!
Where can we improve ?
- restricted society
- isolation (trade, economics)
- bloated, inefficient bureaucracy
- internal division (domains challenge each other & central authority)

Adios to Old Times: Goodbye, Domains
Technically, domains held in trust
Initially, daimyo heavily consulted
“The lands in which we live are the Emperor’s lands. The people we govern are the Emperor’s
2 nd people . . . We now surrender our registers
Revolution to the throne . . .”
• Peer pressure!
• A large carrot!
- we accept your debts = samurai stipends
- you are now appointed governors
- focus on ability, NOT birth
- you keep 1/10th of taxes

Adios to Old Times: Goodbye, Samurai
“Under the Bakufu the problem had been one of employing as many of the domain samurai as possible; now priorities were those of efficiency & economy.”
• too much bloat & NOT modern!
• not based on “men of talent”
• 1/3 NATIONAL INCOME = stipends
Resistance is futile . . .
• do not foresee the Meiji changes that happen
• not well organized
• lack power and influence

Education Is The Key We Can Be Equals!
“Nothing has more urgency for us than our schools; unless we establish an unshakable national foundation we will not be able to elevate our country’s prestige in a thousand years . . . Our people are no different from the
American and Europeans of today; it is all a matter of education.” Emissary’s Diary
Tokugawa
+200 samurai schools
1,500 private schools
10,000 temple school
Meiji

Education Legislation
- 4 years mandatory
- start at age six
- boys and girls
(1872)
Schooling is compulsory, uniform, purposeful!
Imperial
University
National
University
Special
Schools
Regular
Schools
Ministrycontrolled
(1890)
- primary, secondary, university
- some selective, state and local control
Prefecturecontrolled

Imperial Rescript on Education (1890)
• obedience to Emperor
• follow the constitution (1890)
• offer self to State (in times of trouble)

“Enrich the Country;” Cannot Do It Alone . . .
• oyatoi: “honorable alien employees”
• engineering, education, art
• laws, government, architecture
• temporary, not permanent
• foreigners = tutors/teachers
• British, French, American, German
BUT CAN DO IT!
• (1877) 1 st imperial car
• (1878) 1 st tunnel
• (1890) 1 st constitution

“Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military”
(1886) cannot petition officials
(1887) Peace Preservation Law
“Strength the military”
= self-defense
(from defensive to offensive)
Rescript to Soldiers & Sailors (1882)
- to reinforce Conscription Law
- first duty is loyalty
- if you’re loyal, you’re not political
- reduce gimi, increase gimu
Conscription Law (1873)
- 4 yrs. service; 3 yrs. reserves
- all males (20 yrs.) serve
- exemption for 270 ¥

1. Summarize the Genrō’s initial plans of attack in terms of modernizing Japan.
2. Highlight THREE key areas of change, focusing on: a) the pre-Meiji situation/condition/problem b) the Meiji solution/action/legislation
3. In referring to question #2, what was the greatest challenge to Meiji Japan and why?

“Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military”
“Enrich the Country” = economically conscious efforts after 1880
CONTINUITY begins: government involvement & zaibatsu growth
• national resource survey = by bootstraps!
• only ONE foreign loan (railroad)
• cut spending, sell government property, new taxes

• desires change . . . eliminate slavery, better women’s status, modernize Siam’s bureaucracy
• lacks support of royal princes
• unable to internally promote change, welcomes farang
(foreigner, Westerner) pressures – via unequal treaties!
King Mongkut (Rama IV, 1851-1868)

• Bowring Treaty (1855) justifies what he wants to do
• 1 st Thai king to travel outside nation
• invites Western governess for children . . .
• cedes territory but maintains independence!

King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868-1910)
• 1 st Thai king with Western education
• meets generational resistance . . .

Undertakes dramatic modernizing initiatives . . .
- a cabinet system
- abolishes slavery
- reform law courts
- centralize taxation
- abolishes gambling
- salaried bureaucracy
- salaried police, army - 1st railroad (1896)
- Western calendar
- promote education
- promote agriculture
- banknote currency
- political prisoner amnesty

“Be a Success!” In Politics:
A New Constitution
(1875) First local elections
(1890) First national elections a) Army and Navy answer ONLY to the Emperor = problems?
b) . . . “within the limits of the law”
Constitution of 1890
EMPEROR
Cabinets
Diet
PM
“[Emperor] governs the people, he does not personally administer the state,” Ito
• Emperor appoints all ministers, senior officials
• cabinets (by function) independent of Diet
• Diet controls the budget, has limited powers
• PM signs all laws; coordinates policies
• lower cabinet officers chosen by service exams
• no official Genro positions