The Meiji Period 1868-1912
I) The End of the Tokugawa Bakufu
A) Problems in the Tokugawa system
1) Economic
a) the impoverishment of samurai
b) the financial woes of peasants
* eijanaika dancing
c) the rise of the merchants
Problems in the Tokugawa (cont.)
2) Political Problems Arise
A) New world powers
1) Russia, Britain, America
B) Military Challenges from Outside
1) The Opium War(1840-1842)
a) The Treaty of Nanjing and
Extraterritoriality
b) Growth of colonies in East Asia
Problems (cont.)
C) Commodore Matthew Perry comes to Japan
(1853)
1) To negotiate on several issues
2) Naval firepower convinces Tokugawa
leaders to open Japan
a) A treaty is signed
b) Other nations sign treaties with Japan
Problems Within …
D) The reaction of the bakufu is slow and mixed
1) a daimyo council
2) sonno joi (Revere the Emperor, Expel the barbarians
3) Other daimyo begin to act
a) Satsuma and Choshu fight the foreigners
b) Choshu, Hizen, Satsuma, Tosa join
* War begins against Tokugawa
The Meiji Era (1868-1912)
I) Problems with the New Government
A) How do you create a modern nation?
1) Rich Country, Strong Military
* Abolish the treaties
2) Abolishing the old government
3) Creating national symbols
- Fujitani, Gluck
4) Abolishing the samurai
Creating A Nation (cont)
4) Abolishing the samurai
* Saigo Takemori and the Satsuma Rebellion
(1877)
5) Importing modern systems – only the best
* English railroads and navy
* French (later German) army
* German education and government
* American agriculture
Problems Become Possibilities
I) Building Modern Industry
A) Modern Banking Arises
1) Samurai families
B) Government projects
C) The zaibatsu are formed
1) Family owned (Sumitomo, Mitsubishi, Mitsui)
business cartels
a) Special relationship with the government
The Late-Meiji Wars
I) The Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895)
A) World Expectations
B) The Results
1) Boost to the economy
2) Acquisition of colonies
3) World respect
a) end to the unequal treaties
Late-Meiji Wars (cont.)
II) The Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)
A) The Question of Korea
1) Russia and allies force Japan out
2) Japan enters alliance with Britain
B) War Begins
1) World expectations
2) The results
The End of Meiji
I)
Japan In 1912 – A Growing Power, But …
A) A Country of Contrasts
1) The Government
* 1868- Charter Oath
* 1889- Constitution
* 1890- Imperial Rescript on Education
2) Cities vs. Country, Industry vs. Agriculture