Imperialism, Great War, Rus.Rev.
Pacific Century: Japan
World Hist. II
Mr. Aiello
The Pacific Century: Meiji – Asia’s Response to the West
Answer the following questions while watching the video. These are your notes, so make sure
they make sense to you but demonstrate that you “get” the ideas.
1. What was the Tokugawa Shogunate?
2. Why was the strict social class system (merchants, artisans, farmers, and samurai) crumbling?
3. Explain the two philosophies of Yoshida Shoin: “To drive the barbarians from our shores, we
must learn to use their guns,” and “Japanese spirit, Western technology.”
4. What does “meiji” mean?
5. Why is Fuzukawa Yukichi so honored and revered in Japan? What ideas did he give to Japan?
6. Why did Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi model the Japanese constitution after Prussia’s? How
did this constitution reflect the system and goals of the Japanese government?
7. What was the ziabatsu??
Conclusion: What were the costs of Japan modernizing and China not modernizing?