Political and Economic Problems of the Meiji Period - Essay Example

The radical transformation and restoration of the Meiji regime Client inserts his/her name Meiji Restoration Date Meiji era refers to a reign which existed in the year 1867 under the rule of the Meiji Emperor. This era is well known for its contribution towards the ending of Tokugawa Shogunate which existed for duration of 265 years”1. Additionally, this era is known for its contribution towards improving of the Japanese economy to the `level of competing with those of other developed nations such as the England and the United States. This era mainly focused on nation building and demanded political authority, social morality and the utilization of the proper print so as to speedup the rate of reformations in Japan”2. Therefore, this paper analyzes the ways in which this regime contributed to the economic developments in Japan and the reaction of the Tokugawa leaders in response to the radical changes brought by this era. “Primarily devotion towards the introduction of more information which could create an impact to the current world history was one of the aims of Meiji regime. This was achieved through the adoption of the Bankokushi project which its main aim was to spread the information via the print media such as the use of textbooks which were translated into different languages. This regime was represented by military men, monarchs and the state’s actors who were devoted towards bringing changes to the Japanese economy”3. Additionally, the era was characterized with the radical changes which mainly aimed at restructuring the historical hierarchical society through disintegrating and creating more authoritative social classes”4. These reforms which were introduced as a result of the radical changes led to the birth of a new Japan’s regime characterized by the recognition of human rights, freedom of worship, movement and expression, and political and social equalities which greatly contributed to the radical and dramatic changes experienced during this time. This era was also characterized with a well-organized system of governance with the emperor being the leader and further hierarchical subdivisions which led the lower political classes. This era acted as a foundation which the current Japanese industrial revolution is laid upon and the current technological advances in this country”5. The need to overcome the Tokugawa regime which mainly concentrated on maintaining the social order and maintaining the stability of the international and political arenas was one of the factors which contributed to this rise of the Meiji regime”6. This regime was also characterized with the deprival off of the citizens’ ability to own properties such as land and power hence, pushing for the need of establishment of an era which could gather for the citizens’ rights and the overall economic development. This regime acted indirectly to eliminate certain religious movements in the nation such as the Christianity. This led to the adoption of the Confucianism which was more conservative and against the will of the majority group in Japan”7 “Furthermore, Tokugawa regime prohibited the country from engaging in trading activities with some of the foreign countries such as the Western nations and mainly focused on the Eastern nations such as China and Korea. This was against the Meiji’s regime since it did not adequately contribute to the economic development in Japan hence, the need for the establishment of foreign trading with the Western countries”8. The neo-Confucianism which dominated Japan during this period recognized specific social classes in the nation. These included the warriors, farmers, artisans and the merchants. This led to the need of a government which recognized all of its citizens indiscriminately”9. The transformation in the political sector is one of the radical and dramatic changes which occurred during this period which contributed to the economic development of this state. This was brought by the impact of the western nations which helped in accelerating, re-defining the state’s goals, prioritizing these goals and implementing various interventions to achieve the desired goals. Political changes such as the signing of various treaties with the western countries such as the America, Russia, and French among other nations opened avenues which promoted foreign trade with these nations hence, the economic development10. . . The embryonic establishment of the economic and political strategies during this period led to public deliberation, enrichment of the Japanese state and the strengthening of the military sector which led to most of the political and economic developments. The constitution and the parliament were introduced to provide effective running of the state’s operations during the Meiji period. Policies on the privatization of the private sector enterprises led to dramatic economical improvements since the old system of the official control of the private enterprises which was ineffective to these enterprises owners11. The exit of the Bakufu emperor during the Meiji period led to the direct rule by the Meiji Emperor which led to globalization of the nation allowing, the entry of the western nations which transformed the political status of this country12. During this regime, the political sector represented an authoritarian developmentalism which influenced the political structure of the surrounding Asian countries. The authoritarian state contributed to Japan’s economic development due to establishment of a stable economy which was characterized by industrialization and alleviation of poverty. The political structure allowed the competition of more than one goal, political reforms and linear political evolution which promoted economic growth13. . The construction of the Yokohama-Tokyo and Osaka-Kobe railway lines promoted modernization of various towns due to opening of various business avenues. This was one of the economic achievements of the Meiji regime which contributed to the state’s overall growth. Other infrastructural developments including the development of the postal and the telephone services during this period led to flourishing of the business and entrepreneurial ventures in Japan. The financing of the government budget led to great economic development since large amounts of debts were adopted paving way for economic developments”14. The government’s decision to develop industries so as to produce specific products and services contributed to its economic developments. This is because, job opportunities were created and the state was able to attain economic stability due to various exports. Additionally, the employment of more than 3000 foreign experts in various fields such as the navy, engineering and education among others led to the acceleration of the Japanese modernization rate. Most of the Japanese students were sent oversees to western countries such as the Europe and America where they gained expert knowledge and skills which later contributed to its economic growth15. The government, guided by the Zaibatsu adopted the knowledge of borrowing technology from other developed Western nations. This led to Japan taking over the control of most of the Asia’s market such as the textile industry. Transformation of the Japan’s economic structure led to the state extensively exporting and importing variety of finished goods which contributed to the rapid economic growth. The adoption of the market economy concept and enterprise capitalism from the American and British firms also led to the transformations in the economic sector16. The adoption of economic reforms such as the unification of the modern unit of exchange; the Yen, introduction of banking systems, establishment of commercial laws, improvement of the communications network and introduction of stock exchange led to the radical changes in the economic sector hence, the economic developments. The provision of the model factories by the government facilitated the economic transition to the modern economic developments. These factors associated with the economic developments during the Meiji period led to industrial revolution in Japan which contributed to the current economic stability of this country17. The social developments of the Meiji regime which greatly contributed to the radical social changes included the establishment of new nobility ranks. These ranks consisted of various people from different background such as the old court representatives, former daimyo, and the samurai who offered their services to the Meiji Emperor. Additionally, the social structure was organized into five ranks of hierarchy which included the prince, viscount, marquis, and the baron. These ranks coordinated the functioning of the government and prioritized the interventions which were to be adopted to facilitate change18. Military modernization was also another great contribution which was done in order to safeguard the national security. These included the establishment of small training and stand by camps, a large military reserve system and a military policy for militia service to all men in the country. In addition, studies on foreign military systems were introduced to facilitate the incorporation of military skills with the existing military knowledge. Some of the foreign military studied included the French, United States and the European militaries. The signing of various treaties including the Kanagawa treaty provided a platform for the modernization of the military preventing intimidation from the western military powers19. The establishment of the Tokyo Arsenal in the year 1868 accelerated the transformation in the military sector since the plant was responsible for the development of small arms and their associated ammunitions, furthermore, the establishment of the military training academy in the same year led to the advancement and modernization of the military systems. To demonstrate the Emperor’s commitment to safeguarding the national security, policy on the filling of military fillets by all the Japanese people was proposed. However, this proposal was against the will of the Shogun class hence, not fully adopted20. Furthermore, the opening of another Arsenal unit in Osaka contributed to the radical transformations in the military industry. The Arsenal was responsible for producing sophisticated weapons such as the machine guns, and their associated ammunitions. This was coupled with further establishment of four other gun powder producing industries which were mainly located at the Osaka Arsenal plant. As a result of these developments, the Japanese’s production of military related products greatly improved and the overall status of the state’s security21. The establishment of the imperial guards in the year 1872 at the Saigo Tsugumichi and Yamagata Arimoto by the fields’ marshals facilitated the modernization of the military sector. This comprised of different warrior classes such as the Satsuma and Tosa who maintained the State’s security. The passing of the law that all physically fit men must serve for a period of three years in the military enhanced the country’s security status. The enactment of the military conscription law due to the development of the telegraph system led to modernization in the military system since foreigners’ military systems could be adopted effectively22. The establishment of hierarchical systems in the military led to the unification of military services in the country. The system was divided into the upper and the lower class soldiers. Training was provided by the French government to the military officers in order to equip these soldiers with the necessary skills to foster the national security23. Bureaucracy systems which were developed during this period contributed to the national security through the promotion of responsibility and accountability. This was mainly due to the prohibition of carrying of traditional swords by the Samurai and conscription of the peasants who had been prohibited to carry arms into the centralized army24. After the death of Meiji, the Emperor in the year 1912, Japan had realized a number of economic, political, social and military transformations. These included the establishment of a highly bureaucratic and centralized system of government, established constitution with an act of elected parliament, well developed infrastructure, country free from restrictions and a state with well-educated people. Additionally, rapid industrial developments were achieved with the adoption of the latest technology and a powerful, stable army which maintained the state’s security. In conclusion, the current economic status of the Japanese nation is greatly attributed to the Meiji era. This is because most of the economic, social, political and military transformations were initiated during this period. Therefore, Japan should strive to maintain the standards and reforms which were established during this era to facilitate a faster economic development. In addition, developing countries should adopt the Meiji era principles in order to enhance political, social, economic and military transformations. Furthermore, Japan should strengthen its relation with foreign countries so as to expand their market for the produced goods and services. High standards of education should be provided in order to facilitate innovations and effective adoption of the new technology. Bibliography Beasley, William, G. The Meiji Restoration. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1972. ---------------- The Modern History of Japan. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1981. Conroy, Hilary, Sandra T.W. Davis, and Wayne Patterson (Eds.). Japan in Transition: Thought and Action in the Meiji Era. Rutherford, New Jersey: Farleigh Dickinson University Press, 1984. Columbia Press, 1980 Umegaki, Michio. After the Restoration New York: New York University Press, 1988. Gavan, McCormack. and Yoshio,Sugimoto eds. The Japanese Trajectory: Modernization and Beyond. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Huffman, James L. Creating a Public: People and Press in Meiji Japan. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1986. Institute of Pacific Relations. (2008). Available at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/21682. Accessed on, 7th May, 2013. Jones, Hazel J. Live Machines: Hired Foreigners and Meiji Japan. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1980. Maruyama Eiichi. A Historical Look and Society in Japan. Cengage. Available at: http://www.jsap.or.jp/jsapi/Pdf/Number01/Vol-1_Essay.pdf. (1997). Accessed at 7th May 2013. Margaret, Mehl. History and the State in Nineteenth-Century Japan. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1988. Norman E. Herbert. Japan’s Emergence as a Modern State: Political and Economic Problems of the Meiji Period. Institute of Pacific Relations, 1940, Print. Smith Thomas C. 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