The Meiji era: The opening of Japan to the West

Résumé du document

In the Westerners' mind Japan remains a country which sometimes presents an extreme modernism (with the painful consequences which one knows nowadays). On the other hand, Japan tries to preserve the old traditions which make imaginations wander and return us to the novels of Pierre Loti. This modernization has a relatively recent history. In 1868 began the Meiji era, or "Enlightened Rule", which was that of the large building sites and upheavals, as much on the internal level: currency, calendar, land reforms and political ones, than external: annexations and expansion. The Meiji restoration of 1868 initiated many reforms. The feudal system and the samurais were officially abolished and many Western institutions were adopted. New legal systems and of government as well as important economic, social and military reforms transformed Japan into a regional power. These changes gave rise to a strong ambition which was transformed into war against China and Russia (1905), in which Japan gained Korea, Taiwan and other territories. At the end of the Meiji era, in 1912, Japan was a large modern country.

Extraits

[...] ¶From now on, the name of years would be fixed at the beginning of each reign, to become, after the death of the sovereign, the posthumous name of this one. 1873, the Gregorian calendar replaced the luni-solar calendar of Chinese origin. Constrained, under the pressure of the powers, to open Japan to the international trade, the shogunate (the shogun was the military leader de facto while the emperor stayed the ruler de jure, he was somehow the guard of tradition) had had to give up the power. [...]

[...] Japan gathered some western ideas of modernization, but also kept its own traditions and did its improvements according its personal interests. The Meiji era is, as well, the entrance of Japan as a main power in the chorus of nations. Its military victories surprised every western country and began to create a feeling of mistrust towards Japan; while, Japan was at that time in a very self-confident mood. Bibliography - Helka Sources political history of Japan during the Meiji era 1867-1912 Walter Wallace McLaren, New York 1916 -Japanese culture in the Meiji era, Tokyo Obunsha 1958 -The Meiji Restoration W. [...]

[...] Then define deeper the concept of Meiji era. Finally, I will focus on the external policy of Japan during that period to show how the country managed to spread its empire over the archipelago. The Meiji emperor Meiji Tennō (明治天皇), Meij emperor, Sachi no Miya prince, was knew in the Western by his personal name Mutsuhito, (1852-1912) was the 122nd Japanese emperor. According to the Japanese imperial tradition, he was indicated after his death by a posthumous name. He accepted for posthumous name the one of the era Meiji (明治) which began under his reign in 1868 and which ended the day of its death. [...]

[...] The large seigniors did not give up their privileges without regrets. The samurais still did not understand the need for establishing an army of conscripts. The commoners, on their side, did not accept without resistance the military service. ¶Locally, the inhabitants sometimes badly accepted the civil servant by regretting the seigniorial authorities. Riots of peasants or samurais were frequent until 1877, date on which the revolt of the department of Kagoshima was broken by the already modernized imperial army. In 1875 was held the Osaka Conference where the officials of the Meiji restoration agreed on some political changes in the institutions.¶ In 1889 the first imperial Constitution: the Meiji Constitution was promulgated and the following year was convened the first House of Representatives. [...]

[...] The remunerative products of export were silk and tea. Initially, it was necessary to import articles hitherto unknown in Japan, as wool, or matters still produced in too small quantities, like metals, in particular steel. It was quickly necessary to equip the army, the police force, the stations, the railroads . The government avoided the direct investments from abroad, preferring loans, sometimes expensive to them: the purpose of finances and trade promotions was also refunding of the debts. The balance of the public expenditures was extremely difficult to obtain. [...]