japan u5 study guide 1 Flashcards
(10 cards)
Who were the oligarchs? (1868)
Leadership of the new Meiji government
- ‘Meiji Restoration’ tried to restore real power to the emperor
- Samurai seized the imperial palace in Kyoto
Eight middle-lower rank samurai
- Commoners were accustomed to warriors holding power
- Oligarchs provided continuity with the past
- Not elite samurai, showed they were willing to change
- Rivalries between oligarchs
2 common enemies
- Aggressive Westerners
- Shogun
What was the oligarchs’ new slogan/new goal?
New slogan: “Rich Country, Strong Military”
- Charter Oath outlined process for achieving slogan
- similar to Legalist Chinese Gov.
- implementing big reforms to deal with present challenges in a world of change
- Japan’s leadership flexible, open to foreign ideas
How did the oligarchs seek to transform the role of the emperor? (two ways)
1) Restore imperial rule
- worship gods and gov. together (similar to Nara times)
- issued edicts to separate Shinto and Buddhism (similar to Nara times)
2) Create visible Western-style monarch
- symbol of change needed (in contrast to reserved emperor of past)
- wore Western-style uniform, sword at his waist, and short western hairdo
- showed appreciation of Western-style ruling, Japan open to change
What was the last major step they took to centralize power? significances?
National military force
- all army forces adopted French system
- all navy forces adopted British system
- created an Imperial Bodyguard
- made a universal conscription law
- all young men, not just samurai, would receive the same training and be part of the military
What was the purpose of the Iwakura Mission? Significance? (1871, 18 month trip to US+EU)
Purpose
- study western countries’ political, military, and educational systems
- *renegotiate unequal treaties *
- establish friendly relations
Significance
- failed to negotiate, but gained critical ideas that shaped Japan’s modernization specifically,
- in order to negotiate, needed big reforms
- emphasized fundamental change, what reforms
- divided oligarchs on how to make changes
- Japan is more progressive than Chinese
- oligarchs brought 5 young girls abroad
-recalls Asuka-period mission and continuation of events
- helped oligarchs to identify which countries were good at what to get assistance
How did the Japanese seek guidance from the West?
- sent thousands of students, most samurai families, to go study abroad
- made three thousand foreigners to advise gov. and teachers
What was the oligarch’s new policy? What did it mean in effect? Significance?
Adopted Western-style industries
New Policy: “Increase Production, Encourage Enterprise”
Effect
- step up as entrepreneur, manager, and financier of western-style manufacturing enterprises
a. ran telegraph lines, laid railroad tracks, built light houses
b. established four silk-reeling plants
c. encouraged production of raw silk to export to pay for investment. Why? b/c two opium wars and big rebellions took tole on China silk production and distribution systems. top export commodity and exchange earner
d. gov. participated and held big expositions to bring competition and markets abroad and home
Significance
- stimulated consumption in EU+US for Japanese stuff ‘Japonisme’
- stimulated export businesses, gaining income for Japanese
- helped gain advocates for appreciation of culture
- helped Jap keep up with West advancement
What did the Japanese get from China and Korea? Result?
China
- annexed Ryukyuan islands, incorporated them into empire as Okinawa prefecture
- went to mainland and obtained rights similar to Western countries rights Treaty of Friendship
- now, China = Japan
Korea
- although Korea rejected Western-style diplomatic relations, signed Treaty of Friendship
- opened Korea like how America opened them
Result
- gained critical new resources
- gained strategic land approaches to home lands
- highlighted oligarch tension over whether or not to chastise Korea
What was new in the Education Order of 1872? Significance?
Followed American system
- schools open to all, regardless of sex or social status
- modern subjects taught like practical arts and sciences
Significance
- shows Japan was open and flexible to new knowledge from abroad
What did the C+E movement seek to do? Significance?
Saught Western ways of life, values, and thinking into Japanese society
- adopted Gregorian calendar, declaring national holidays
- banned public nudity, mixed public bathing, and urination in streets
- new intelligentsia, carried traditional Confucian education and training in Dutch studies or experience in studying in West
- Fukuzawa Yukichi
- intelligentsia critical of Japanese culture
- Mori wanted to terminate Japanese writing system and use English alphabet
- didn’t mean a lot to average Japanese person
Significance
- indiscriminate borrowing and wholesale imitation characterized decade
