The Rise of Modern Japan

Japan Responds to Foreign Pressure Japan begins to emerge as a modern imperial power at the end of the 19th century They were able to follow examples of Western nations by preserving their Japanese values Japan had an isolationist policy which only allowed Dutch and Chinese merchants at its Nagasaki port - Western nations wanted to change this

Japan Responds to Foreign Pressure The first country to succeed was the United States - Commodore Matthew Perry arrives in Edo Bay (Tokyo Bay) in 1853 - Arrives with an American fleet of warships Perry delivers a note from President Millard Fillmore - asks the Japanese for better treatment of sailors shipwrecked on the Japanese islands. - asked for open foreign relations between the US and Japan

Japan Responds to Foreign Pressure Perry returns six months later for an answer - brings a larger fleet with him Shogunate officials called for concessions, or political compromises, with the U.S. Due to the military pressure they were facing Japan signs the Treaty of Kanagawa - returned shipwrecked American sailors - opened two Japanese ports to Western Traders - established a U.S. consulate in Japan In 1858 a more detailed treaty opened several new ports - Leads Japan to sign similar treaties with other nations

Japan Responds to Foreign Pressure There was resistance to opening foreign relations - especially among the samurai warriors - particular areas were the two southern territories of Satsuma and Choshu. In 1853 the Sat-Cho alliance (Satsuma- Choshu) demanded the shogun end relations with the West - shogun refused - in 1868 the Sat-Cho leaders attacked the shogun’s palace in Kyoto - the shogun’s forces collapsed, which ended the shogunate system of rule - the Meiji Restoration begins

The Meiji Restoration The Sat-Cho quickly realize Japan must change to survive They began reform policies that transformed Japan into a modern industrial country The new Emperor Mutsuhito became the symbol of this new era - He called his reign the Meiji, or “Enlightened Rule.” He was controlled, however; by the Sat- Cho leaders like the shogunate controlled earlier emperors. In recognition of the real source of political power the capital was moved from Kyo to Edo (now Tokyo)

Transformation of Japanese Politics Under the new rule the leaders sought to abolish the old order completely They undercut the power of the daimyo, or local nobles, by stripping them of their lands in 1871 - They were now deemed governors of the territories formerly under their control - These territories were now called prefectures Meiji reformers set out to create a modern political system based on Western models. - they studied Western political systems for 20 years - while doing this two factions appeared: Liberals and Progressives

Transformation of Japanese Politics The Liberals - wanted political reform based on Western liberal democratic models - this model granted supreme authority in a parliament The Progressives - wanted power to be shared between legislative and executive branches - the executive branch would have more control. During the 1870s and 1880s these two groups fought for control - the Progressives won

Transformation of Japanese Politics The Meiji constitution was adopted in 1889 - it was modeled after Imperial Germany - majority of the power was given to the executive branch Under this constitution the emperor would exercise all executive power - in reality he was just a figure head Real executive power went to a prime minister and his cabinet of ministers - the prime minister and the cabinet were chosen by the Meiji leaders

Transformation of Japanese Politics The legislative branch consisted of - the upper house – included royal appointees, and elected nobles - the lower house – included elected people The houses were to have equal legislative powers This political system seemed democratic in form, but turned out to be authoritarian in practice - seemed modern in external appearance - actually traditional- power remained in the hands of oligarchs (Sat- Cho leaders)

Meiji Economics Land reform program was set up by the Meiji leaders - made the lands of the daimyo private property for the peasants - the daimyo were compensated with government bonds Created a new land tax - set an annual rate of 3% of the estimated value of the land - this tax was a huge source of revenue for the government - it was a burden for farmers

Meiji Economics Originally farmers paid a fixed percentage of their harvest to the landowners Now they had to pay the land tax every year regardless of the quality of their harvest - in bad years of harvest many peasants could not pay the tax - they were forced to sell their lands to wealthy neighbors - forced to become tenant farmers who had to pay rent to the new owners - by the end of the 19th century 40% of all farmers were tenants

Meiji Economics The budget needs were met by the land tax - this allowed the government to promote industry in Japan They did so by - granting subsidies, or government payment, to needy industries - providing training and foreign advisors - improving transportation and communication The industrial sector was beginning to grow by 1900 Key industries included: - tea, silk, weapons, and shipbuilding

Meiji Economics The government and private businesses worked very closely with one another The government encouraged new industries by giving businesspeople money and privileges After the business was on its feet, it was turned over entirely to private ownership.

Modern Institutions and Social Structures In 1871 a new imperial army was formed - it was based on compulsory military service Japanese men served for three years - well equipped with modern weapons In 1871 the Meiji leaders realized the need for universal education - They adopted American models of elementary schools, secondary schools, and universities - brought in foreign specialists to teach - Sent Japanese students to study abroad

Modern Institutions and Social Structures Before the reforms in Japan - the peoples lives were determined by their membership in families, villages, and social classes - Their society was very hierarchical - belonging to a certain social class determined their occupation and social relationships - Women were held to the “three obedience's” a. child to father b. wife to husband c. widow to son

Modern Institutions and Social Structures Husbands could get a divorce, while wives could not Marriages were arranged Marital age for females was around 16 Females did not share inheritance rights with males Few women received and education outside the family

Modern Institutions and Social Structures Under the Meiji Restoration - Special privileges for the aristocracy were abolished - Women were allowed to seek an education - New jobs were established through industrialization - New social relationships were established Western fashion and culture became very big in Japan - this new generation imitated Western clothing styles, eating habits, and social practices - Example: Baseball

Modern Institutions and Social Structures The negative aspects of social change - Commoners were exploited in coal mines and textile mills - Workers labored up to 20 hours a day - Some coal miners worked in temperatures reaching 130 degrees Fahrenheit - If they tried to escape they were shot Modernization of China did not detach it completely from its values - loyalty to family and community was taught in schools - traditional Japanese values were seen in the constitution - only men could vote - establishment of the Civil Code of 1898 played down individual rights and placed women in the traditional family role.

Japanese Expansion Japan began to copy Western imperialism fairly quickly They noticed a lot of Western wealth came from their colonies Those colonies provided sources of raw materials, inexpensive labor, and markets for manufactured products Seeing this, Japan decided to expand as well

Japanese Expansion Japan began its territorial expansion in 1874, very close to home They claimed control of the Ryukyu Islands, which at the time belonged to the Chinese Empire Two years later Japan forced Korea to open its ports to Japanese trade - This causes China to grow concerned with Japanese influence there The rivalry of Korea intensifies, and in 1894 Japan and China go to war When China lost they were force to recognize Korea’s independence - also forced to give up Taiwan and the Liaodong Peninsula

Japanese Expansion Not only did Japan experience tension with China over Korea, they also faced tensions with Russia Rivalry began between the two nations over influence in Korea The Russo- Japanese War broke out in 1904 - Japan launched and attack on the Russian naval base at Port Arthur - Russia took this port from China in 1898 - Russia sent its Baltic fleet to East Asia - They were defeated by the new Japanese navy

Japanese Expansion Russia agreed to peace in 1905 - They were forced to surrender the Liadong Peninsula back to Japan as well as the southern part of Sakhalin This victory for Japan forced other nations to recognize it as on of the great powers in the world Japan goes on to establish a sphere of influence within Korea and the U.S. recognized Japan’s role there. - In return Japan recognized American authority in the Philippines In 1910 Japan annexed Korea Japan’s growing power caused fear among some Americans - in 1907 President Theodore Roosevelt developed a “gentlemen’s agreement” - this stopped Japanese immigration to the United States

Culture in an Era of Transition Japanese culture was altered due to Western technology and ideas during the 1850s Japanese authors began imitating Western styles - works imitated realism They presented social conditions and realities of war as objectively as possible Engineers, architects, and artists from Europe and America were also brought in to teach Japanese students - Japan began to copy Western architecture - large buildings made of steel and reinforced concrete were built

Culture in an Era of Transition A national reaction had begun by the end of the 1800s - Japanese artists began to return to older techniques - The Tokyo School of Fine Arts was established in 1889 - It was built to promote traditional Japanese art Japanese arts and crafts, porcelains, textiles, fans, folding screens, and woodblock prints became fashionable in Europe and North America Japanese gardens also became popular in the U.S.