Modernization of Japan: Background, Causes and Consequences

The modernization of Japan (19th century) it was a process lived in the Asian country thanks to the one that left behind its old feudal structures, modernizing in part all national areas. The reforms carried out in politics, society and the economy ended up turning it into one of the powers in the area.

Japan was closed to the world by its own decision for two centuries, but the demands of Americans and British to open new trade routes forced it to change in the second half of the nineteenth century. Until then the emperor had a limited power by the shoguns, a kind of feudal lords who exercised control in each territory.

Promulgation of the new Japanese Constitution by the Emperor of Japan in Tokyo in 1899

The process that ended with this social structure was called Meiji Restoration and up to five wars were necessary for the reforms to be carried out. Only since 1968 is when the whole country begins to change.

The final result led, on the one hand, to Japan becoming a more modern state and, on the other, to the emergence of an expansionist policy that eventually led to World War II in the Pacific.

Background

European colonialism and the advance of Christianity had been the causes that led the Japanese leaders to close their borders. Thus, they became by their own decision an isolated country, for fear of losing their cultural and religious references.

In this way, in 1630 the Tokuwa shogunate-the military chiefs-forbade the dissemination of any message that involved Christian proselytizing. Other measures adopted were the end of commercial exchanges and prohibiting all Japanese people from traveling abroad.

For almost 200 years Japan remained unchanged and without external influences. The society had a structure very similar to that of European feudalism.

The figure of the emperor, legitimized by religion when he said that he descended from the gods, coexisted with the shoguns, more or less equivalent to the feudal lords. In practice, they were the ones with real power.

Causes of modernization

However, already in the nineteenth century the world had changed and new powers such as the United States were launched to seek new trade routes. For the Pacific, the encounter with Japan was inevitable.

The first encounter took place in 1853, when the Americans got under military threat that the Japanese opened some ports for them. Militarily inferiors, not only had to accept the demand of the Americans, but also they were forced to negotiate with Holland, Russia, Great Britain and France.

The situation did not stop there. The death of an Englishman in Japan caused the bombing of the city of Kagashkma by the British. By that time, the Japanese were clear that the great world powers had come to stay.

However, the crisis and inefficiency of their own political and social system did not allow them to defend themselves. For this reason, reforms began in 1866 to modernize society.

The Meiji Restoration

The name that receives that period of Japanese history is Meiji Restoration. He understood from 1866 to 1869 and ended up changing all aspects of the political and social structure. Historians emphasize that it was a strange revolution, since it was the ruling class itself that claimed the changes, even at the cost of losing their privileges.

In general, the samurai lost their special rights, among them being the only ones who could have surnames. Until then, the general population was called by the name of their profession.

Obviously, not everyone agreed with the reforms. Some armed uprisings took place, but finally the Meiji Era began.

Consequences of modernization

Social and economic reforms

The social and economic reforms were the most important of those carried out to modernize the country since, like every feudal state, they were the bases on which all its structure rested. It can be summed up by saying that from the decentralization that the feudal lords supposed, they went to a subordination to the state as a whole.

This reform meant that many of the agricultural partners became owners. In the territorial aspect, the old feudos happened to be a species of provinces. Finally, the nobility lost their privileges and only the nobility title was honorary.

In spite of this, the nobles were mostly those who occupied public positions at the service of the State.

Those who noticed little about the reforms were the peasants. The only difference is that the owner of the land was no longer the shogun, but private owners. Industrialization attracted many of these peasants, creating a working class. The economy quickly drifted towards capitalism.

Political reforms

In order to modernize the state, the Japanese had to undertake some drastic changes in the political terrain. The result was a mixture between the own oriental traditions with more modern institutions of European origin.

The first step that occurred was the establishment of an almost absolute monarchy. That is, the emperor was the only one with decision-making capacity in all public areas.

After this a Senate was created, moving timidly towards another type of system. The Constitution of 1889 tried to follow that path, although it was halfway there.

Part of the article was very similar to the West, as when it indicated the separation of powers, but established that the emperor would still have a wide margin of decision. This is very visible in the military field.

Military reforms

The armed forces were also reformed in depth, mainly because they started from a very archaic way of functioning. Until then, only the samurai could do military service, which changed to make it a general duty.

The army is made up of 250,000 well-trained men. Within this instruction a special emphasis was made on the loyalty and veneration of the emperor, who merged in this aspect with the fatherland.

Another effort was the formation of a navy and a network of shipyards, which it lacked until then. In just 20 years Japan went on to have 22 cruisers and 25 torpedo boats, although it still had only one battleship.

Cultural and educational reforms

The only way for reforms to be implemented and maintained over time was to change the education system as well. Primary school became compulsory and schools began to be established throughout Japan.

At first they had to bring foreign professors to the universities that were opened, but little by little they were forming theirs.

Education was based on the creation of a patriotic pride; this, together with the economic advance, caused the appearance of a very radical nationalism. These sentiments led to a military expansionism that, in the long run, led to World War II.

References

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8. U.S. Library of Congress. Modernization and Industrialization. Retrieved from countrystudies.us