The Meiji regime was supposed to live up to its name (when translated it means ‘enlightened rule’) and bring reforms to Japan. The ruling elite during this period consisted of a few individuals hitherto known as the Meiji oligarchs. By the time the Meiji took control over Japan, the country had already given in to Westernization. Nevertheless, “as deeply humiliating as the western show of force had been, many realized that until Japan caught up with the west technologically, the unequal treaties and their own perceived inferior status would remain intact” (Jansen and Rozman 18).
This inequality was the major quagmire for the Meiji rulers because they could not continue to support Japanese cultural supremacy while it was apparent that they were inferior to the West in all other aspects of life. Therefore, out of necessity, the ruling elite set out modernization agendas, which were aimed at getting Japan in the same league with its main competitors in the West.
However, the Meiji sought to avert further Western influence and a possible invasion by fostering a sense of unity and nationalism within their country. The Meiji countered Western influence by transforming the emperor into a symbol of unity. Thereafter, every reform that the Meiji sought to carry out invoked the name of the emperor whether the change involved education, the military, industrialization, and civil obedience.
Using this newly found national unity, the rulers were able to implement reforms quite easily. The first significant reforms to be carried out in Meiji Japan involved ending the tradition of the samurai and inducting these warriors into the bureaucratic society. This reformation was a big break from the samurai tradition that had been the mainstay of Japan for hundreds of years. On the other hand, peasants were able to join the military elite and this move voided the feudal system in the country.
The ruling elite also moved with urgency to found schools, communication, and transport systems. Soon, the country had been transformed into one of the leading producers of silk in the world. In less than two decades, Japan was able to have its merchant ships sailing in the international waters. The reform agenda was mainly successful because the Meiji Restoration had been able to use the West’s adaptability and flexibility to its utmost advantage.
The Japanese population did not welcome the reforms at first, because the changes brought constraints and uncertainties into their lives. First, the farmers were forced to pay higher taxes so that the new development agendas could be financed. Furthermore, most farmers had a general mistrust towards the new technologies. Exploitation was also widespread because the Meiji needed cheap labor to build the telegraph lines and the railroads. Finally, the Meiji Constitution was commissioned mostly to address the complaints of citizens. Nevertheless, the constitution was unable to meet the expectations of both the populous and the ruling elite.
Works Cited
Jansen, Marius, and Gilbert Rozman. Japan in Transition: From Tokugawa to Meiji. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2014. Print.