Meiji_Notes

Barter economy became money economy 1853 american warships (perry) came to open up japan, brought technology with them Institute for investigation of barbarian books Shishi bombed by the westerner ships Yoshi Shoin – rode out to black ships to find secrets of barbarians Ito Hirobumi – Japan’s first prime minister Army of satuma-choshu alliance fought shogun near Kyoto, won 16 year old emperor meiji Meiji beurocrats had to bring order to anarchy and establish solid government from scratch Hard to give every citizen a sense of citizenship 1st objective – Eliminate samuri class and force them to go into business (Many samuri became poor) Saigo went to war with Meiji government in Satsuma Rebellion, fought against government for the samuri class to be kept, lost war, committed seppuku Fukuzawa Yakichi wrote books that helped modernize japan, tought citizens of western customs and ideas. Samuri ordered to turn in their swords and were ordered to cut their hair. Japan’s first ministers known as dancing cabinet Countryside did not modernize like the city, farmers angry, felt like they were being used to finance the government events. Japanese saw education as a root to personal betterness, and a way to increase opportunity People’s constitution discovered in barn, written by a group of farmers, books by famous philosophers such as Locke found as well Ito’s idol is Otto Von Bismark Government tried to modernize completely on their own, eventually ran out of money. Zaibatsu- achievements are national achievements, but any profit they make is private Sweatshops opened, coal mines opened China did not modernize yet Japan decided to become colonialists, wanted to open up Korea. They invaded Korea and started a war with China and easily defeated them. Russia controlled Mancuria and Japan controlled Korea Japan declared war on Russia Japan thought if they lost war to China all of the Meiji restoration advances would be failures. They defeated Russia Portsmouth treaty made Korea a Japanese protectorate Ito replaced Korea’s king with his young son When korea tried to rebel Japan killed 12000 koreans