Three years after the beginning of the Meiji Empire in Japan back in the year of 1868, the Meiji restoration process is looking stronger than ever. Japan has completely ended the old order and has reformed political, economical and social aspects of Japan. All of this reformation is for the best and is helping Japan not only rise up to the standards of the West, but also to rise over them.

Japan has taken a giant leap in it's politics and government. Japan has forever left the feudal system, which didn't allow Japan to centralize and become a unified country. Japan now holds the working house of a strong government, which consists of executive government branches and a legislative assembly. All of this is interwoven within the framework of imperial rule, which helps keep Japans values in the government. (1) Honecki Kanecko articulates, "Not only does this new form of government let Japan grow in size and strength, but it also keeps Japan rooted to its magnificent tradition. Some people are worried that we have copied the Western system and therefore we will lose Japan's tradition and become evil. That is not true. What we have done is study how the Western government works and then greatly improved their system in order to suit Japan. As would be said in Haiku, "We see their system. Japan improve ways greatly. Japan rise above" Japan will not become the monsters of the west nor will we stand to have our nation ravaged like China." (2)

Japan has also greatly industrialized causing much more money to flow around Japan and into the government. This allows for Japan to build up it's military, government and industry. This modern industry is a result to an end of the awful feudal system allowing the farming people of Japan to enter the great industrial era and help make Japan the great nation that it is forging. Yoshi Orimo, once a farmer and now an industrial worker states, "Industry in Japan is far better than the shakiness of being a farmer tilling the soil. Industry has allowed our people to be able to cloth and also always feed our families as well as buy goods for a much affordable price. The workers of Japan are the horses to the plow that enable Japan to strengthen and grow."

Finally, the social structure of Japan is being reformed. Before the Meiji Restoration, the Daimyo lords had almost all control over Japan and subordinate to them were the samurais. During the Meiji restoration the Daimyo had to give up their land and in return were given government positions. This allowed for Japan to become unified and create a strong central based government. The Samurais also played a big part of the old system and were known as the nobility class who represented the feudal system and were a big reason why Japan didn't unify sooner. During this rstoration and as we speak, the samurai class is being done away with. It was just mandated that the Samurai's are not allowed to wear their swords or show their status in public. (3) Samurai Maiyoto Melee blatantly states, "What has been done to us is an outrage. We are the warrior class of Japan. Slaves who are now set freebecause of the Meiji restoration sleep and eat better than us. The Samurai have been shunned." (4) The fact that the samurai have lost their status is in reality a good thing. The samurai represent the old ineffective ways of Japan. Ridding of their class allows for a stronger state and a country richer in ways, people and money. The samurai are too arrogant to realize that they hindered Japan much more than they helped Japan.

The Meiji restoration has allowed and continues to allow Japan to strengthen and grow. Japan will not be subject to domination by the west, but will in fact one day be the most powerful country in the nation. It will soon not matter what other countries think of Japan, it will only matter what Japan thinks of them.

Book Sources:

(1) Patricia D. Netzley, Japan, (San Diego: Lucent Books, Inc. 2000, 34 -35.

(2) Jackson J. Spielvogel, World History: The Human Odyssey, (Pennsylvania: West, 1998), 787-788.

(3) "Meiji Restoration: Samurai" [http://www.ox.compsoc.net/~gemini/simons/historyweb?meiji-resto.html], January 2002.

(4) Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1993 ed., s.v. "Meiji period,"

Images:

(1) Meiji Train [http://www.ox.compsoc.net/~gemini/simons/historyweb?meiji-resto.html] Feburary 1, 2002

(2) Samurai [http://woolgathering.cx/ultimate/artofWar.shtml] Febuary 1, 2002

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