What is the significance of the political, economic and social changes that occurred during the Meiji Period? Jamie Land Upper Sixth
Emperor Meiji
The Meiji period (1868-1912) is one defined by Japan’s rapid modernisation to emulate major western powers through extensive political, economic and social change. Pre-Meiji Japan was characterised by growing domestic complications and fear of intrusion from foreign countries, who were attempting to open Japan following over 200 years of isolationism under the military autocracy of the Tokugawa shogunate. Such extended isolation saw the sword-wielding samurai warriors of Japan, who had become a ruling class of aristocrats after not seeing conflict in centuries, standing in the shadows of colossal US warships; Japan’s immaturity in comparison to the technological giants of the west resulted in unequal treaties becoming imposed on their backward nation. The ascent of emperor Meiji brought an end to the shogunate in an event known as the Meiji Restoration, kickstarting the marathon in catching up to western prowess. This essay will discuss the political, economic and social changes that occurred after the Meiji Restoration, and how significant they were in the modernisation of Japan.
the new imperial government with the administrative centre of Japan and giving the restoration leaders control over trade with the west. This allowed for the new government to modernise and defend Japan from external threats more efficiently. The formation of a strong national army and navy in 1871 also bolstered Japan against these threats, indicating to western powers that Japan was a respectable nation. However, much of Japan’s weakness was connected to the lack of organisation in its political structure. Japan was a country divided by hundreds of domains, each controlled by an influential military figure known as a daimyo. Domains were economically self-sufficient, and each daimyo controlled a military of their own; they existed largely independently of the central government. One of the most significant political changes during the Meiji period was the abolition of this feudal structure; the daimyo gradually surrendered their lands to the emperor, in return being given governing roles until 1871 when their domains were officially replaced with prefectures, a system that remains to this day. As a result, Japan became unified under a central government.
The Meiji period’s political reforms continued with the creation of Japan’s first constitution in 1889 and the formation of the Diet, Japan’s parliamentary system, consisting of a cabinet, where members were directly appointed by the emperor, and a lower house elected by the Japanese people. This system initially seems to follow the patterns of a western government; however, the constitution was far from democratic. The emperor was considered sacrosanct; he had control over the army and navy and had the authority to dissolve the elected house at will. In addition, voting restrictions profoundly narrowed the voting population in Japan; roughly 5 per cent of adult males were eligible for voting, and women did not have access to the vote at all. Despite this, the revised political system undoubtedly produced a more democratic society and greater freedoms for the Japanese people than had existed previously.
One of the most significant political changes during the Meiji period was the abolition of this feudal structure.
The first act of the Meiji reformers in 1868 was to relocate the imperial capital from Kyoto to Edo, the centre of power of the former shogunate, which was renamed to Tokyo. This had the effect of aligning 3
The new Meiji government understood that they had to rapidly industrialise and promote economic growth to catch up to the technologically advanced western powers. The government invested in the development of infrastructure, such as
