Emperor Meiji
By Vickie Chao
On the news, we often hear a term called "G8 Summit." This
annual meeting is a gathering for the leaders from eight of the
world's leading countries. During the session, they meet and discuss
various topics. Some of them are about labor. Some of them are
about law enforcement. Some of them are about pollution. And some
of them are about health. Of the eight participating nations, five are
from Europe, two from North America, and only one from Asia. That
lone Asian country is Japan.
1
Today, Japan's economy is the second largest in the world.
Thanks to its advanced technology, its products are very popular all
around the globe. To understand why Japan is so successful, we have
to first know the story of Emperor Meiji.
2
Emperor Meiji was born on November 3, 1852. At the time of his birth, Japan was a
poor and isolated country. His father, Emperor Komei, did not have much say about the
state affairs. Most power was in the hands of several generals or shoguns. The dire
situation that Emperor Komei faced was nothing new. Since the 12th century, the
Japanese emperors had been the rulers in name only. For nearly 700 years, they lived
solely on the mercy of different shoguns. In the early 17th century, one family, the
Tokugawa clan, seized power. They were the ones that Emperor Komei had to answer to.
3
The Tokugawa administration (or the Tokugawa shogunate) was distrustful of
foreigners. The government did not like the idea of trading with another country. The
Dutch, the Chinese, and the Koreans were the only exceptions. Even with them, the
activity was quite limited. For a while, the seclusion seemed to do no harm to Japan. But
it later turned out to be a huge mistake.
4
In 1853, Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry of the United States arrived in the Edo
Bay (today's Tokyo Bay) with a fleet of four "black ships." His mission was to present a
letter from President Millard Fillmore to the Japanese emperor. In the letter, President
Millard Fillmore listed out several demands that were directly against Japan's policies at
the time. For example, he told the Japanese emperor that Japan should open up more
ports for trading and that Japan should trade with the Americans.
5
Perry did not receive a warm welcome upon his arrival. The delegates from the
Tokugawa government ordered Perry to leave the Edo Bay. They wanted him to go to a
different port. Perry refused. He threatened to attack. Fearing a defeat, the delegates
relented. They allowed Perry to come ashore to present the letter. He did exactly that.
Before leaving for China, he promised a return visit the following year. True to his
words, Perry came back in February 1854. This time around, he showed up with seven
ships and one thousand six hundred crewmen. The Tokugawa shogunate had no means to
fight off Perry. Because of the seclusion, the Japanese only had outdated weapons at their
disposal. Those crude tools were no match for Perry's modern ones. Seeing no way out,
6
they gave in to all the requests. The two sides signed a treaty on March 31, 1854. This
treaty was a disgrace to Japan. It made the Japanese realize that they could no longer
afford to stay in seclusion. People started to demand changes. For the next decade or so,
they would have many clashes against the Tokugawa government. Their struggle would
finally come to a fruitful result in 1867. That year, Crown Prince Mutsuhito ascended the
throne, taking the title Meiji ("the enlightened ruler"). His era from 1867 to 1912 would
change Japan forever!
Emperor Meiji was only fifteen years old when he took over. Under his leadership,
the imperial forces defeated the Tokugawa shogunate. The victory led to a series of
campaigns aiming to westernize Japan. All of a sudden, traveling abroad was no longer a
crime punishable by death. On the contrary, it was a trendy thing to do. The new
government sent students to study overseas. It also asked foreigners to come and
modernize Japan. In no time, Japan became the most powerful country in Asia.
7
Emperor Meiji's reforms, called the Meiji Restoration, were codified in two
documents. The first was the Charter Oath of 1868. The second was the Meiji
Constitution of 1889. The Charter Oath had five statements. The first called for the
creation of legislative bodies to govern the country. The second urged all Japanese
citizens, regardless of their class, to get involved in state affairs. The third declared that
people should get jobs based on their skills, not their social status. The fourth called off
all the evil customs from the old days. And the fifth and last asked the Japanese to keep
an open mind, adopting sound foreign practices for use in Japan. The five-point Charter
Oath, in a way, was like a collection of mission statements. It laid out the principles that
the citizens of the new Japan needed to follow. Its spirit helped to form the Meiji
Constitution.
8
The Meiji Constitution was the first constitution in Japan. It was also the first
constitution in the whole of Asia. It granted the Japanese freedom of religion, freedom of
speech, and freedom of assembly. It called for the creation of the Imperial Diet. The
Imperial Diet consisted of two houses. The first was the House of Peers or the upper
house. The second was the House of Representatives or the lower house. For the former,
its members were the royal family, the nobles, and anybody the emperor nominated. For
the latter, its members were all publicly elected. The House of Peers and the House of
Representatives made up the legislative branch of the new government. For the executive
branch, the constitution said that all the ministers must answer to the emperor who acted
as the head of the state. For the judicial branch, it set up courts to deal with criminals and
to settle civil disputes.
9
Aside from drawing the design for the new government, the Meiji Constitution also
had several articles concerning the emperor. It declared the emperor sacred. And it
granted him absolute power to manage the nation. This elevation of authority gave
Emperor Meiji a huge boost. But it appeared that he did not use it a lot. For the most part,
he trusted his ministers to do what was right. In terms of succession, the constitution said
that no princess could become the emperor. This specific article would come back to
haunt Japan more than a century later. At the present time, Emperor Akihito has two
sons. Neither of them have male offspring. To make matters worse, Emperor Akihito's
uncle, Prince Mikasa, was the only royal family member with sons. One of his three sons
10
is childless, and the other two have daughters only. If the constitution is not amended, the
imperial family will soon have a huge crisis at hand!
Emperor Meiji's reforms had a big impact on Japan. They made the Japanese proud
of themselves. They made the Japanese proud of their country. As nationalism began to
take root, Japan started to plot a plan for expansion. Their initial targets were China and
Russia. The Sino-Japanese war from 1894 to 1895 was Japan's first face-off with China.
It won the battle easily. Ten years later, Japan took on Russia. The Russo-Japanese war
was a bloody conflict. But Japan was able to defeat Russia. Those two victories must
have given the Japanese plenty of confidence. Later in history, long after Emperor Meiji
passed away, Japan launched a series of attacks. During World War II, it sided with
Germany and Italy. For a brief period, it controlled a big part of Asia. Its brutal rule still
causes fear and anger among the nations it had invaded. Japan paid a big price for its
ruthless behaviors. Following their defeat during World War II, the Japanese were forced
to write a new constitution. In it, most of the emperor's authority was taken away. Today,
the Japanese emperor serves as the nation's leader in name only. The power that Emperor
Meiji was able to reclaim from the Tokugawa shogunate for the imperial family was lost
again.
11
Emperor Meiji, Japan's 122nd emperor, married Masako (Empress Shoken) on
September 2, 1867. The two did not have any children together. That, however, did not
mean the emperor was childless. On the contrary, he fathered fifteen children in all with
five official ladies-in-waiting. Unfortunately, only five lived to adulthood. Emperor Meiji
died of natural causes on July 30, 1912. In history, he would forever be remembered as
one of the best Japanese emperors of all time!
12
Story Starters:
1. Imagine that there were no Meiji Restoration. What would Japan be like today?
2. Thanks to Emperor Meiji's reforms, Japan was able to become a modern country.
Think of one person in history whose acts also helped to improve the country in which he
or she lived. Explain what that person did.
3. Compare and contrast Japan's legislative bodies under the Meiji Constitution with
those of the United States'.
Copyright © 2009 edHelper
Name
_____________________________
Date
___________________
Emperor Meiji
1. How long did Emperor Meiji rule
2. Who controlled Japan before the Meiji
Japan?
60 years
30 years
45 years
15 years
Restoration?
The Tokugawa clan
The Hideyoshi clan
The Yoritomo clan
The Ashikaga clan
3. Which of the following was not part of 4. Which of the following events
the Charter Oath?
happened first?
Declared no princess could become
The Tokugawa clan seized power in
the emperor.
Japan.
Called off all the evil customs from
Japan sided with Germany and Italy
the old days.
during World War II.
Asked the Japanese to adopt useful
Commodore Perry visited Japan.
foreign knowledge.
The Sino-Japanese war broke out.
Called for the creation of legislative
bodies.
5. Who could become members of the
House of Peers?
All Japanese citizens
Any Japanese citizen nominated by
the emperor
Any male Japanese citizen
Any female Japanese citizen
6. Before Commodore Perry's visit, with
whom would the Japanese trade?
The Dutch
The British
The Russians
The Indians
7. Which U.S. President asked the
Japanese emperor to open up ports for
trading?
Thomas Jefferson
Millard Fillmore
John F. Kennedy
Gerald Ford
8. With which country did Japan fight
during Emperor Meiji's era?
Great Britain
Russia
France
The United States of America
9. What does the word "Meiji" mean in
Japanese?
The enlightened ruler
The smartest ruler
The greatest ruler
The first ruler
10. Who is Japan's current emperor?
Emperor Showa
Emperor Meiji
Emperor Akihito
Emperor Komei