THEMATIC
TIMELINE #4
MEIJI RESTORATION
By:
Noga Baruch
Srishti Mishra
CHRONOLOGY 1868-1912
1858- Matthew C. Perry comes to Japan trying to convince it to open their borders; mainly to
convince the
shogunate to allow trade.
1859-1868- Civil war; Shogun was blamed for allowing an American to set on Japanese soil.
They
impeached the shogun and put Emperor Meiji in power. A class of advisors gain the real
Power
1867- imported foreign/modern guns
Emperor Meiji
1868- introduction of Western methods into mining. fired samurai class from military power
and began
establishing an all male draft system.
1869- government invests in building a railroad; lighthouse was built
1870s- government built factories and businesses to help Japan. Japan hires mainly British
engineers and
other European experts to educate Japan
1870 - laying telegraph line. Also, invented jinrikisha, man-drawn carriage on bicycle
jinrikisha
Wheels. Finally, they hired French miners to teach them mining techniques.
1871 - Royal Mint in Osaka
1872 - Railroad between Tokyo and Yokohama, silk mill at Tomioka. Hired a french engineer
to lead creating reeling factories which was powered by a steam engine.
1873 - Ministry of Public Works, Imperial College of Engineering
1875- first modern iron manufacturing Japan. They hired an engineer from Britain to teach
locals about British technology.
1876 - Beer brewery in Sapporo
1878 - Port design
Meiji period gun
1879 - Woollen mill at Senju
1880 - Royal Printing Office; new furnaces that are steam-powered blowers started
being manufactured. Also, Government import and spinning machinery to
compete with British and Indian
1881 - Cotton Mill in Aichi
1894- started manufacturing small arms and cannons , other weapons as well which
they used to win the Chino-Japanese war
Meiji Empress and Steam Ship, 1881
1882 - Crucible steelmaking and powder making at the navy plant
1888- Tokyo Electric Co. opens
1889- Kyoto uses hydroelectricity
1890- Japanese army was modeled after Germany, and its navy after Britain’s. Also,
the first iron gunboat was completed. 7 major cities were now electrically lit.
1891- Japan’s first hydroelectric station and first electrolytic refinery were built. The
hydroelectricity powered the ores, while refinery pured the copper
1899- Japan produces standard western electric telephones in Nippon Electric Co.
Japanese national railway
1900- the National Railway was complete; It spread from Tokyo to Kobe. Ships are
now larger and built of steel. Also, guns were longer and as a result had better
range.
1901- Yawata Iron Works opens; Coal tar distillation(Tokyo Gas Co.)
1902- Japan designs a marine tubular boiler for every warship.
1903 Calcium Carbide(Fujiyama & Noguchi)
1904- Russo- Japanese war. Locomotive tyre (Sumitomo steel)
Telephone Torigata
1906 -Steam turbine(Mitsubishi Shipbuilding)
1907- Power loom(Toyoda-shiki)
1909 -Cast steel anker(Kobe steel). Oil engine(Ikegai & Sanyo). Calcium cyanamide(Nihon Chisso).
Chlorate electrolysis(Nihon Chemical)
1911- Microscope(Terada - the forerunner of Oympus Co.). Celluloid(Sakai & Nihon Celluloid
Rayon). Vitamin B(Sankyo)
1912- wireless telephone Torigata &c. Ministry of Communication
Map of Japan
First microscope
Matthew C. Perry
Mining is a major economic income
COMPARISON
The Meiji restoration began with
an overthrow of the Shogunate
because of the fear that Japan will
immerse itself with the west; same
plan for Tokugawa Shogunate in
the first place.
 Both Meiji’s and Shogunate’s uses
of technology were directed at
mining gold, copper, and silver
 Both used textile manufacturing as
main source of income
 Both were not very centralized
because of individual economic
power

Tokugawa Shogunate
ANALYSIS OF COMPARISON
o
o
o
o
The schools of thought were similar as far as the
legitimacy of reforming
Though the time periods varied, both the Meiji
Restoration and the Feudal Period relied heavily
on the natural resources especially metals
Textile Manufacturing = primary source of
income
Economic centralization was an issue because
both the Meiji Restoration as well as the Feudal
Period focused mainly on individualized power
CONTRAST
In feudal Japan, merchants were the lowest class though
in Meiji period they were higher status.
 Meiji period immersed itself with the outside world
while feudal Japan segregated itself
 Feudal japan had no banking or stock-market systems
though Meiji did
 Feudalism’s only source of transportation was walking,
though Meiji’s was railroads and the jinrikisha
 Feudal Japan had no navy though Meiji’s did
 Meiji were much more advanced technologically since
they were no longer isolated.
 Meiji was capitalistic while tokugawa shogunate was
feudalistic

ANALYSIS OF CONTRAST
o
o
o
o
The social hierarchy changed from being based
on the military/financial status to the importance
of one’s career to the government
Meiji Japan engrossed themselves with Western
ideology while Feudal Japan preferred being
isolated to avoid adopting Western ideology
Meiji Japan was able to take advantage of Pacific
Ocean because of the use of a navy as well as the
technological advancement of steamships
Meiji had more of a capitalistic economy, while
Feudal Japan
P
I
•After treaties
with foreign
nations were
signed and
ports were
opened to
their ships,
Bakufu
directly
introduced
military
technologies
from them
•Becomes an
oligarchy
•Promoted a
strong
military:
armyGermany,
navy- Britain.
•Based
government
on
imperialistic
Germany
•Heavily
influenced by
Dutch books
that were
translated
•The learning
of Western
science and
medicine
•Invented the
microscope
for scientific
research
•They
adopted
knowledge
from other
cultures to
expand theirs
•Highest
literacy rate
in Asia
•New
educational
system;
mainly
engineering
schools
R
•Few were
converted to
Christianity
•Many were
Buddhist
A
T
E
S
•Naval
architects
were a part of
the
bureaucracy
since they
had such a
demanding
job
• built
fortresses
with Westernstyle guns in
1839
•Built four
universities
•Furnaces
were built to
melt and cast
iron guns
•Invented
wireless
telephone
•Built
railroads
across Japan
•Imported
and built
weapons
(cannons,
arms, ships)
•Were able to
use electricity
and
hydroelectrici
ty
•Lay
telegraph
lines
•Worked
mainly on
producing
cloth more
efficiently
•Hired
foreign
engineers
•Imported
machines in
governmentowned
businesses
•Changed
into tax in
money/land
rather than
rice
•Japan
mutated into
a capitalist
nation
•A new
banking and
stocking
systems
immerged
•Japan’s main
exports: silk
and cotton,
were now
mass
produced
because of
technological
innovations
•introduced
western social
system
including:
Parliament,
banking,
Insurance,
joint stock,
company civil
and
commercial
code, army
and navy
•Population
doubled
•Zaibatsu, a
business
class, rose
•Textile
factories
employed
mainly
women. They
worked
tirelessly 2
shifts
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS OF
THE FEUDAL PERIOD

Technology advanced in the following areas:
Pottery
Architecture
Weaponry
Ceramic Jars
Swords
“Pulled” their
tools to cut
wood rather
than to “push”
Yariganna- cut and
scratch on the surface of
pillar and floor that the
carpenters substituted
plane for large knife
tougher steel
inside of harder
blade
Dyeing
Embroidery
Figured fabrics
Textiles
ROLE IN TODAY’S WORLD
Due to the extraordinary event of
industrialization, Japan as well as other East
Asian countries such as China and Thailand are
ahead in the rest of the world as far as
technology goes
 The rising exchange rate of yen during the ‘80s
caused Japan to make labor intensive products
abroad because it was more of an expert-oriented
industry
 Japan is able to transfer vast amounts
technology to countries such as America as wells
as Europe, which in return has created a
foundation for their swift industrialization

“SNAPSHOTS” OF THE THREE TIME
PERIODS
Tokugawa Shogunate
Meiji Restoration
Technology in Modern-day
Japan
ASSIGNMENTS
Noga Baruch:
- Chronology (Slides 1-3)
- Pictures/Maps
-Comparison and Contrast (Slides 5 and 7)
-P. I. R. A. T. E. S. (Slide 9)
- “Snapshots” (Slide 12)
 Srishti Mishra:
- P.I.R.A.T.E.S (Slide 9)
-Technological Advancements Chart (10)
-Role in Today’s World (Slide 11)
-Analyses of both Comparison and Contrast
(Slides 6 and 8)
- “Snapshots” (Slide 12)

WORK CITED
http://www.ied.co.jp/isan/sangyo-isan/JS7history.htm#_Toc442163083
 http://www.ied.co.jp/isan/sangyo-isan/JS7history.htm#_Toc442163102
 http://unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu01se/uu01se0s.htm
