Introduction
Meiji restoration was brought into effect more as a restoration of the imperial rule in Japan. This was also seen as an end to the Shogunate that was ruling the country and brought in the imperial rule across the islands. This paved way for swift industrial growth bringing to an end the Edo period. At the end of the restoration, Japan moved to open its ports for foreign trade and also moved to bringing up its industries, restructuring itself socially and politically.
Political Implication
Meiji restoration abolished the Shogunate that extended through out the islands of Japan. The three arms of the Shogunate, the Shogun, the daimyos and the samurai were all steadily moved out of their power. All the land belonging to the Tokugawa Shogunate was placed under the control of the Emperor. 300 domains under various daimyos were reduced to 75 by merging them suitably and compensation was provided to them. The stipend to samurais was drastically reduced. Moreover, the rule that all men over 21 need to serve the army meant that the power of samurais were headed for a closure. A series of Samurai uprisings against this were noticed during the end of the nineteenth century. But they were put down forcefully by the newly western-trained army of the Japanese. However, the oligarchy has taken over the entire power by the end of the restoration with the emperor being a ruler on the paper. In 1889 the Diet and a constitution of the European style was put in place.
Social and Cultural Impact
‘The shogun rules firmly with justice in Edo. No more shall we live by the sword. I have seen that great profit can be made honorably.’ Mitsui family chronicles. The change in the minds of the people had been slow and consistent with move towards trade and business. This gained further momentum with the increase in the westernization of every sphere of activity. Education system was modeled after the French initially and later on in line with the Germans. After about two decades, the nationalistic feelings brought back the Confucianism and Shintoism. The large changes in the agrarian sector which moved to being an industrial one, brought down the currency. The currency reforms also brought about the creation of the central Bank of Japan and a controlled currency.
Class structure in Japan
The four divisions of the society during the Edo period was abolished during this regime. The Samurai, Farmers, artisans and merchants formed the four divisions. There was also the others, who do not fit into any of these. The structure was abolished with the merger of Samurais with the society and every one doing every other job. This brought about a major change in the structure of the society. This was required because at the time of the Meiji restoration, there were 1.9 million Samurais who were living out of the government stipend. This put a lot of stress on the finances of the country. A surge in the nationalistic traditions of the country also saw their abolition.
Changes due to the wars
The wars brought about a renewed nationalistic fervor among the Japanese. They defeated the Chinese and later the Russians who were considered an European Power. This made the Japanese to realize that they are more powerful than the Europeans and commanded respect among the nations of the world. Japanese could increase their influence in Korea and annexed it completely by 1910 before the death of Emperor Meiji in 1912. These war successes were one of the nationalistic reasons for subsequent rise of Japan as an axis power.
Conclusion
The rise of Japan both as an economic as well as military power can be attributed to the changes that happened during this period. The Meiji restoration brought back the adoration that the Japanese had for their emperor. The wars restored their confidence back in themselves and their capability to defeat even larger nations with ease. During this period, major social changes such as removal of the samurais and the Shogunate happened to strengthen the overall Japanese growth.