The proposition that the Meiji Restoration and Japan's modernisation were caused by Western Imperialism does have its merits, though it must be said other factors played a prominent role in the development of Japan in the latter half of the 19th century.

Authors Avatar

The proposition that the Meiji Restoration and Japan’s modernisation were caused by Western Imperialism does have its merits, though it must be said other factors played a prominent role in the development of Japan in the latter half of the 19th century. These factors helped contribute towards the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, while Western Imperialism seemed to help speed up the change that Japan underwent.

        The Tokugawa shogunate had ruled Japan for 800 years, with a decentralised form of government, relying on a rigid hostage system – the sankin kotai. Towards the middle of the 19th century, the Tokugawa shogunate had degenerated into an inefficient, corrupt government, ruled by an upper class which indulged in excesses much of the time, which created internal disunity in Japan. Their system of governance had created discontent in all the other classes of the feudal society of Japan. The daimyo of the ruling clans were discontent with the measure of control the shogunate exercised over them through the sankin kotai system, and weakened their financial status by forcing them to borrow from merchants and leaving them heavily indebted.

        The samurai also had reason discontent, due to their inactivity caused by the long period of peace in Japan. Thus, there was very little need for them, and they were subsequently paid less and had their rice allowances almost halved. This discontent created a small of group of intelligent samurai who laid the foundation for the anti-shogun movement. The internal disunity in Japan was further exacerbated by the oppression of the peasants, who had to tolerate corrupt officials, food shortages and heavy taxation on their lands and produce, which led to revolts and riots. The other class, which suffered under the shogunate, was the emergent middle class – the chonin. The chonin’s influence was growing, though their status in society was still regarded as low, resulting in the abolition of guilds in an effort to curb their influence and prevent the rise of prices. This proved very unpopular, and further increased the resentment of the government, which was also heavily indebted to the chonin, and did not look like paying them back quickly, due to its near bankrupt financial situation.

        With this internal disunity, and the discontent of the vast majority of the Japanese population, it is not surprising that the shogunate was overthrown. The factor which seems to have been the catalyst of the transfer of power to the Emperor was the American attempt to open Japan to the West. When the American ships were sighted, the Tokugawa and its officials realised just how impressive the Western powers were. The shogun feared that the Americans would use force to come ashore and consented to receive their delegation.

Join now!

        The Americans were not aware that they would be dealing with the shogunate, and therefore addressed the letter outlining the American proposals to the Emperor. This act in itself may have aided the overthrow of the shogunate, as it may have influenced the Bakufu’s decision to ask the Imperial Court for advice on how to deal with the Westerners, as well as causing some confusion among the Japanese. The Bakufu’s request to the Imperial Court for advice on how to deal with the Westerner’s undermined their already struggling grip on power, and only served to aid the pro-Imperial factions within ...

This is a preview of the whole essay