Early Meiji Japan1868-1912

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The Tokugawa Shogunate• Tokugawa family ruled Japan from 1603 until

1868 – also known as the Edo period• 1635 – foreign trade limited to China, Korea,

and Netherlands at Nagasaki a few times per year

• Emperor (mikado) ruled in name only– Actual power held by the shogun

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Japanese Feudalism

Shogun

Daimyo

Samurai – lived by Bushido, the “way of the warrior” (chivalric code)

Samurai

Peasants, Merchants, etc.

Ronin – those samurai without

masters

Ninja – a warrior trained to use

unorthodox fighting methods (assassination,

espionage, martial arts)

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Japanese Culture and EconomyReligion

Mixture of native Shintoism (living spirits in all things) and Chinese Confucianism (based on the teachings of Confucius)

Economy Growing internal trade during the Edo period Merchants began to surpass the samurai in wealth

Rigid social stratification But these limits were being tested by the end of

the Tokugawa shogunate

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Social Unrest in Tokugawa Japan

• Emperor was held only as a figurehead leader• Shogun was being attacked to reduce his

power• Daimyo needed money• Samurai had become inactive, intellectuals,

needed money, resented the loss of prestige• Peasants resented heavy taxes• Merchants resented restrictions on trade

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Tokugawa Seclusion Edict1635

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Perry Presents Letter To Emperor

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Treaty of Kanagawa – 1854The first of many unequal treaties that opened Japan and Japanese

ports

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Japanese Reaction

Pros Cons

“Dutch Learning” (Western knowledge) became very popular among many doctors, scholars, and scientists

Western knowledge went against many traditional Japanese beliefs

Japanese entrepreneurs, merchants, and budding industrialists stood to profit from increased trade

Traditional holders of prestige and power (daimyos and samurai) did not tend to profit from increased trade

Resentment•Extraterritorial rights of Americans and Europeans•Anti-foreign uprisings (1863-1864)•Japanese ports in turn bombarded by foreign ships

Solution•“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”•Japanese could benefit from knowledge of what happened to China•Japanese felt that they would be in a better position to renegotiate the trade treaties, and be less likely to be imposed upon, if they adopted Western ways (democracy, imperialism, industrialization, militarization, and modernization) – westernization 10

Meiji Restoration: Lead-up

• Choshu incident 1863–Choshu tries to sink

Western ships–Choshu marches against

Kyoto to capture Emperor but fails

• Tokugawa fails to punish Choshu

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Meiji Restoration: Lead-up

• 1864: Ships from England,

France, Holland and the US all attack the Choshu – Choshu leaders recognize futility

of resistance – for now– Map out new response including

modernization/Westernization

Young Choshu leaders visit London 1860s 12

Meiji Restoration1868

Choshu and Satsuma draw up alliance

Plot revolution

• Young Samurai decide to reform Japan

• March on Kyoto and seize new young Emperor Meiji

Satsuma/Choshu Plotters

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Meiji Restoration1868

• Declare Restoration of the Emperor to his rightful place– Liberate the Emperor from

Tokugawa’s rule– Emperor to rule directly

• Emperor issues decree ending the rule of the Tokugawa ShogunsYoung Emperor Meiji

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Meiji Restoration

• Tokugawa Shogunate counter attacks

• Satsuma/Choshu alliance wins

• Meiji Emperor assumes leadership with Satsuma and Choshu based committee of advisors– New Government made up of young Samurai with a

smattering of nobles

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Meiji Restoration

Why Satsuma and Choshu?• Two richest Han

• Choshu: 100 + years of illegal, secret investment in commercial enterprises – They were secretly running a merchant trade

• Satsuma: Profitable sugar monopoly

• Both: Secretly and illegally traded with Western nations for technology and military equipment

Satsuma

Choshu

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Meiji Leadership

• Collective leadership with the Emperor• 20-30 young leaders– Mostly samurai– Mostly from Satsuma or Choshu– Includes some reformers among the royal

court

• Known as the Meiji Oligarchy

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Imperial Role??

• Note: Emperor Meiji is still the heir to the Yamato clan dynasty– His ancestors had reigned from

@ 300 CE

– Since the beginning of the Kamakura period, Shoguns ruled while the emperor reigned

• Meiji Restoration: Still the Yamato heir is relevant. – Does he rule or reign?

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Meiji Oligarchy:Ruling Platform

To survive Japan must modernize…“Enrich the country; Strengthen the

military” - Fukoku Kyohei• Japan must learn from the West• Japan must Adapt to a Western-dominated world• By learning and adapting, Japan can become modern• By becoming modern they can become rich• By becoming rich they can build a strong army• With a strong army they can become truly independent

Fukoku Kyohei!

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Meiji OligarchyRuling Platform

Iwakura Mission:- Prince Ito Hirobumi• Japan sends diplomatic mission to Western nations• San Francisco across the US• London Continental Europe• Goals: • Build relationships: earn Western respect• Gain knowledge: patterns of business, science, and

government

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Meiji Restoration: Rapid Westernization / modernization

Japan launches wholesale Westernization drive

Wholesale rejection of all things

Japanese

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Why was Japan able to modernize so quickly?1) Cultural and linguistic uniformity2) Adopted and modified outside models to fit Japan3) Studied abroad and brought teachers back4) Hard-working, industrious, skilled people5) Large educated group of people6) Willing to sacrifice for the future and good of Japan7) Loyalty to the emperor8) Modernized at the expense of the government, which

then turned businesses over to wealthy families Zaibatsu

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Meiji Oligarchy:Successful Late Developing State

• Dramatic Economic take-off• Motivated by feelings of insecurity• Driven by need to achieve equality with West

(fear of Western imperialism and loss of sovereignty were the prime motivators)

• Spurred by desire to become powerful and thus independent

Fukoku Kyohei!!23

Meiji Constitution

Meiji Constitution– a gift from the Emperor

• Imperial Sovereignty

• All equal before the law

• Transcendental cabinet– doesn’t answer to parliament

(Diet)

• Independent military– Answers only to the Emperor– Strong position in Cabinet

• Elite Bureaucracy– Well educated– Powerful, professional,

prestigious– Insulated from electoral

pressure

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Bureaucracy in Japan

• Difficult Civil Service Exam• Political appointments minimal• Elite educational requirements– Tokyo National University, Dept. of Law

• Extraordinary policy-making authority– Patterned after Kaiser Wilhelm's Germany– Similar to France – elite education

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Legislature in Meiji Constitution

• Diet– Two Houses

* House of Representatives * House of Peers

– Little power except BUDGET* On budget, if impasse occurs, last year’s budget

automatically rolls over* This power surprisingly became the source of an

expanded legislative role26

Cabinet in Meiji Constitution• Transcendental– Doesn’t answer to Diet– Only to Emperor

• Special Military Ministers• In later periods military ministers had to be active

duty officers• Cabinet was incomplete without military ministers• Gave military extraordinary power to drive

government

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Japanese Imperialism

• Sino-Japanese War (1894-95)

- Treaty of Shimonoseki• Russo-Japanese War

(1904 -05)- Treaty of Portsmouth

• Annexation of Korea (1910)

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Sino-Japanese War 1894-95

Key Events• Japan install puppet

government in Korea• Japan sinks British ship

carrying Chinese soldiers• Japan attacks Korea,

Liaodong Peninsula (Port Arthur), Pescadores Islands, and Taiwan

Results• Treaty of Shimonoseki

- China recognizes Korean independence

- China cedes to Japan 1) Liaodong Peninsula (Port

Arthur) 2) Pescadores Island 3) Taiwan• Russia, Germany & France force

Japan to give back Port Arthur

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Russo-Japanese War1904-05

Key Events• Japanese navy attacks Russian

fleet in Port Arthur and Korea • Battle of Yalu River (Land battle)• Battle of Yellow Sea – 1st major

battle between modern battleships – over Port Arthur

• Battle of Mukden (Manchuria) – land battle

• Battle of Tsushima Strait – major naval battle

• To the Western world’s surprise, Japan wins all of these battles

Results• Treaty of Portsmouth –

negotiated by Pres. Teddy Roosevelt (Nobel Peace Prize)

1) Russia to not obstruct Japan in Korea

2) Japan is given Port Arthur, Liaodong Peninsula, and South Sakhalin Islands

3) Controls part of Manchuria• Japan is recognized as a world

naval power

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Annexation of Korea1910

Key Events• 1905 – With Treaty of

Portsmouth, Korea becomes a protectorate of Japan

• 8/27/1910 – Korean Prime Minister signs the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty

Results• Korea becomes part of

Japan• Japan modernizes Korea to

benefit its industrial and agricultural needs

• Japanese rule Korea harshly giving rise to Korean nationalism

• Japan crushes all nationalistic efforts

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• http://plhb.tripod.com/ - Lead up to Pearl Harbor

• http://history.hanover.edu/texts/1889con.html - Meiji Constitution

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