By: Ji-yeon H., Priyanka G., Calvin S.
JAPANESE REVOLUTION
Analysis of the Meiji
Restoration
Dissatisfaction
Many samurai were
not satisfied with the
way the Shogun
managed national
affairs.
Especially the Choshu
domain (Yamaguchi
Prefecture). They
called for direct action.
Attack
Choshu samurai
attacked foreign
shipping in the
Shimonoseki Strait in
1863.
In 1864, a shogun
expedition forced
Choshu domain to
resubmit to Tokugawa
authority.
Military
Coup
Choshu’s samurai
refused to resubmit. A
military coup in 1864
brought a group of men
who originally led the
anti-foreign movement
into power.
Choshu became a
center for
discontented samurai.
In 1866, Choshu
became allies with the
Satsuma domain.
Analysis of the Meiji
Restoration (continued)
Shogun’s
Last
Attempt
Shogun armies were
sent again to control
the Choshu in 1866,
but were defeated.
Defeat of Shogun
armies led to loss of
power and prestige.
Last
Shogun
In 1866, Shogun
Lemochi died, putting
Yoshinubu into power.
In 1867, Yoshinubu
resigned his powers
instead of risking a fullscale war with Choshu
and Satsuma. He believed
he would be given an
important position.
Meiji
Restoration
Shogunate ended.
However, the
Tokugawa family kept
many of its executive
powers causing
tensions.
Jan. 3, 1868, Emperor
Meiji declared that his
title was restored to its
full power and ended
ties with the Tokugawa
family.
Analysis of Meiji Empire to
Constitutional Monarchy
Retaliation
With the declaration of
his powers being
restored, Emperor
Meiji confiscated
Yoshinubu’s lands.
Jan. 17, 1868,
Yoshinubu demanded
that his lands be given
back. His demand
wasn’t met so he began
to mobilize his forces.
Civil War
(Boshin
War)
Yoshinubu first attacked
just outside Kyoto but his
forces were defeated by
the Imperial forces. With
the win, Yodo and Tsu
domains sided with the
emperor.
A battle erupted in the
ocean. The two naval
forces fought but
Yoshinubu’s samurai
forces won.
During the time of the
battles, hatred toward
foreigners continued
to rise.
Yoshinubu was given a
plan by a French
ambassador. He didn’t
take the plan and foreign
nations signed an
agreement to remain
neutral.
Foreigners
Analysis of Meiji Empire to
Constitutional Monarchy
(continued)
Partial
Surrender
In May, Edo was
surrounded and
Yoshinubu’s Army
Minister Katsu Kaishu
surrendered his troops.
The navy commander
Enomoto Takeaki,
surrendered 4 ships to the
Imperial forces and
headed north with 8 ships
and 2,000 Shogun naval
members.
Inner
Rebellion
Northern domains
continued to side with the
Shogunate. The Imperial
prince, Kitashirakawa
Yoshihisa went north and
was named head of the
northern coalition.
The Shogunate
followers intended to
make Kitashirakawa
Yoshihisa emperor
after their victory.
Imperial
Victory
Imperial forces continued
north. The northern coalition
headed to Hokkaido and set
up a government like the U.S.
called Republic of Ezo.
Takeaki became their
President.
The French were helping
Takeaki but when the
Imperial forces reached
Hokkaido, Takeaki
surrendered on May 18th.
Analysis of Meiji Empire to
Constitutional Monarchy
(continued)
Peace
Japan became united
under Emperor Meiji
(age 16).
The power of daimyo
was terminated and
the Samurai class was
abolished.
Meiji
Empire
Land became broken
up into prefectures and
ruled by governors
appointed by Meiji.
Emperor Meiji
embraced
modernization and
technological advances
brought by foreigners.
Constitutional
Monarchy/
Today’s
Government
The leaders of the Meiji
Empire wrote the Charter of
Oath declaring
independence from the old
feudal system and a
constitution. The
constitution gave the
emperor most power.
The constitution established
the emperor as the head of
the state and had 2
legislative bodies (House of
peers –nobles, and House of
Representatives – elected by
people). Also set up a judicial
system.
Chronology of Meiji Restoration
 1853: US Commodore Matthew Perry arrives at Japan and




demands that Japan open trade with other countries.
1854: Japan signs the Treaty of Amity, which opened ports in
Edo and other cities, as well as allowed for trade with
America.
1858: Townsend Harris negotiates the Harris Treaty, which
secured US and Japanese trade. This act led to a greater
Western influence on Japan’s economy and politics.
1866: Satsuma-Choshu Alliance between Saigo Takamori
(leader of the Satsuma) and Kido Takayoshi (Leader of the
Choshu). The two leaders supported Emperor Komei and
challenged the ruling of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
1867: Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito) ascends the throne after
Emperor Komei’s death.
Chronology Meiji Empire to Constitutional Monarchy
 1868: Boshin War (War of the year of the Dragon)- Satsuma and Choshu

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are able to defeat the ex-shogun’s army. This ended the Tokugawa
Shogunate and allowed for the restoration. On January 3rd, the Emperor
formally declared a restoration of power. The three leaders, Okubo
Toshimichi, Saigo Takamori, and Kido Takayoshi formed a provisional
government.
1869: Boshin War ends in early 1869 with the siege of Hakodate. This
marks the end of the Meiji Restoration.
1869: Yukichi Fukuzawa's "Conditions in the West" launches the wave of
Westernization.
1870: Emperor Meiji ends the feudal system and forbids the lords from
retaining private armies.
1877: The new government was not popular among all Japanese. On Jan
29-September 24, Satsuma ex-samurai launched a revolt against the Meiji
government, led by Saigo. This became known as the Satsuma Rebellion.
This was the last of the serious armed uprisings against the new
government.
1889: Emperor Meiji establishes a parliamentary constitution. However,
only about 460,000 people are entitled to vote out of a population of 50
million in the first parliamentary election. AritomoYamagata wins the
election and becomes the prime minister of Japan.
Important People



Okubo Toshimichi –
Japanese Samurai
leader from
Satsuma Domain.
Emperor Meijiemperor after
restoration.

Saigo Takamori leader of the
Satsuma Domain.

Tokugawa
Yoshinubu - the
shogun who held
power during the
restoration.
Kido Takayoshi leader of the
Choshu Domain.
Important Foreigners
 US Commodore
Matthew Perry persuades Japan
to open up trade
 Townsend Harris -
negotiated Harris
Treaty, which
secured US and
Japan trade
Map of Meiji Restoration
Territory
A World Map Hand-Drawn in
Japan (1850)
Boshin War Map
Satsuma Rebellion
Government Structure Under
Meiji
Methods Revolutionary
Leaders Used to Gain Support
 The opposition to the Shogunate were called the
imperialists. They gained support from the citizens by
educating them on the dangers of the foreigners. They told
the masses that the only way Japan could survive the
advancement of foreigners onto their land was to rally
around the emperor. They persuaded the people that the
Tokugawa Shogunate had lost its imperial mandate to carry
out the imperial will because it had allowed the Westerners
to carry out trade with Japan. The imperialist ideas gained
a lot of support, especially from citizens and intellectuals
that taught at schools or wrote history books. Mainly, the
Japanese public and the Shogun supporters gave in to the
imperialists because they felt like they had lost their
imperial will, and believed something should change in
order to regain it.
PIRATES
Politics –
Intellectual –
• 1868 - The Meiji emperor was restored as head
of Japan and the Tokugawa Shogunate was
overthrown.
•July 1869 - feudal lords were forced to give up
their domains.
•1871 -these domains were abolished and
transformed into prefectures of a unified central
state.
•1872 - a national army based on universal
conscription was created, requiring three years’
military service from all men, samurai and
commoner alike.
•1877 -Satsuma rebellion – when the
government’s newly drafted army, trained in
European infantry techniques and armed with
modern Western guns, defeated the last
resistance of the traditional samurai warriors.
•The emperor did not rule, it was the small group
of men who exercised political control, that
devised and carried out the reform program in
the name of the emperor.
•The government also introduced a national
educational system, and a constitution,
creating an elected parliament called the Diet.
•1872 - the government created a national
education system to educate the population.
PIRATES
(continued)
Religion –
•The Meiji reformers brought the
emperor and Shinto to national
prominence, replacing Buddhism as the
national religion, for political and
ideological reasons.
•Shinto holds that the emperor is
descended from the sun goddess and
the gods who created Japan and
therefore is semi-divine.
Art/Architecture – N/A
Technology –
•1889 - the constitution was created
and given to the people by the emperor
as he proclaimed that only he can
change it.
-a highly centralized bureaucratic
government
-a constitution establishing an elective
parliament
-a well-developed transport and
communication system
-a highly educated population free from
feudal class restrictions
-an established and rapidly growing
industrial sector based on the latest
technology
-a powerful army and navy
PIRATES
(continued)
Economy –
•They built railway and shipping lines,
telegraph and telephone systems, three
shipyards, three mines, five munitions works,
and fifty-three consumer industries (sugar,
glass, textiles, cement, chemicals, and other
important products).
•1880 - the government decided to sell most
of these industries to private investors,
thereafter encouraging such activities
through subsidies and other incentives.
•1860s - large ports were dominated by
western powers
farmers were outraged by higher tariffs and
blood tax – government officials taking their
sons off the lands to serve in the army
•The Meiji oligarchs suspended the Samurai’s
stipends in rice and ultimately compelled
them to go into business for themselves.
Social –
•1876 - the government banned the
wearing of samurai swords
They abolished the feudal system
meaning more people were free to
choose their occupation and move
around freely.
•1862 - abandonment of sankin kotai
system of alternative attendance
•1866 - Tokugawa Yoshinobu becomes
new Shogun – initates major reforms
•1868 - Charter Oath calls for abolition of
“absurd customs” and seeking of foreign
knowledge
Comparison
Before –
After –
•population divided in four distinct classes; samurai,
farmers, craftspeople, and traders. Daimyo –
samurai – farmers – artisans – traders
•taxes on the poor set a fixed amount
•tax revenues collected by samurai landowners
worth less
•bakuhan taisei – feudal political system (military
government) Shogun had military power – more
powerful then emperor
•alternative residence system required daimyo to
reside alternate years between their home and Edo.
•foreign affairs and trade monopolized by shogunate
yielding a huge profit
•1603 onward Japan participated in foreign trade
•after 1635 – seclusion laws, in bound ships were only
allowed from china, Korea and the netherlands
•Christianity saw as a growing threat to stability –
banned the practice of it. – linked to the seclusion
laws.
•emperor restored as imperial power
•actual political power transferred to small group of
nobles and former samurai
•signed unequal treaties with the West that granted
the West one-sided economical and legal advantages
in Japan.
•establishment of human rights – ex. religious
freedom in 1873
•made Japan a democratic state
•samurais lost all their privileges
•daimyo returned all their lands to the emperor
•education reformed to look like the French and then
later the German education system
•principles of Shinto and Confucianism were
emphasized
•army modeled after Prussian’s and navy modeled
after Britain’s
•transportation and communication improved
•textile industry created
•reform in currency system and establishment of
Bank of Japan
•European style constitution established in 1889.
Parliament called the diet
Work Division
 Ji-yeon Hyun – Analysis, Powerpoint
 Priyanka Ghosh – PIRATES, Comparison
 Calvin Su – Chronology
Citation

"Role of the Emperor in Meiji Japan." Study World. Oakwood Publishing Company. Web. 9
Feb.2011.<http://www.studyworld.com/newsite/ReportEssay/History/Asian%5CRole
_of_The_Emperor_in_Meiji_Japan-25.htm>.

Scarruffi, Pierro. "A Timeline of Japan." Piero Scaruffi's Knowledge Base. 1999. Web. 09
Feb. 2011. <http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/japanese.html>.

"The Meiji Restoration." Home | Duke University. Web. 09 Feb. 2011.
<http://www.duke.edu/~spartner/hst143b/Meiji Restoration/meijirestoration.htm>.

"Meiji Restoration Summary." BookRags.com. 2006. Web. 09 Feb. 2011.
<http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/Meiji_Restoration>.

Watkins, Thayer. "Meiji Restoration/Revolution in Japan." San José State University. Web.
09 Feb. 2011. <http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/meiji.htm>.
Lew, Calvin W. "The Meiji Revolution." 28 Sept. 1995. Web. 09 Feb. 2011.
<http://members.cox.net/calvinlew/issuepapers/meijirevolution.htm>.
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