The Meiji Restoration

Paper Summary:

The structure of Japanese society has been forcibly changed on different occasions during its history. Two such instances can be found in the Meiji Restoration at the end of the nineteenth century and in the Post-War Occupation period after World War II. This paper examines the ideals and institutions of the Meiji state, established in the latter part of the nineteenth century. It discusses the social, political and economic systems which characterized the Meiji Restoration and how this structure led Japan into World War II.

From the Paper:

"The Meiji period was the beginning of the development of economic life in Japan at a much more rapid pace. This was also a period of military build-up, and this build-up has been seen as the major contribution to the structure of the technological foundation for the successful industrialization that followed. The new economic order included the acquisition and dissemination of Western technologies and skills, and this same policy created a demand that was needed to assure the survival and growth of struggling private firms in important industrial fields. The rate of growth for Japan after the Meiji period was considerable even before the boom after World War II. "

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• Analytical Essay # 49411 : "Matsuo Taseko and the Meiji Restoration"

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