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 the country. The letter from the Chief Councillor to the feudal aristocracy requested them to “express (their) opinions freely on the matter” - a clear indication that they were somehow deferring authority to the Imperial Court.
After an evaluation of the state of the nation by the Bakufu, it became apparent that Japan would be unable to sustain any sort of war against foreign powers, let alone strengthen their coastal defences in the one year Perry had given them to respond the American’s requests. This Western intrusion into Japan, had made them realise just how ill prepared they were for a confrontation of any sort – not just militarily, but also financially.
The initial Bakufu response, in 1953 was to make “every possible effort to prepare means of defence” for Japan. However, the duration of time in which they sought to act was further shortened by yet another incident involving a Western power. In 1953, Russia sent an expedition to Nagasaki, causing Perry to head back to Japan early for his response. The large number of ships he brought with him and his determination in dealing with the Japanese convinced them that he would use force if necessary. Consequently, trade concessions were granted and Japan opened up Japan.
The results of the opening of Japan on its modernisation were great. By signing a treaty which gave America extraterritorial rights in Japan, the Japanese lowered their status in the eyes of its own people. This infringement of the populace’s sense of Nationalism meant the foundations were set for groups who would exploit the prevailing anti-Western sentiment at the time. Indeed, many of the Western Clans united to form the Sonno Joi movement, which proclaimed to “honour the Emperor and expel the barbarians.” This slogan, was a rallying point for the majority of the population, and severely undermined the grip of the Tokugawa shogunate.
The result of this anti-Western feeling was the Choshu uprising. The Choshu’s clan’s uprising, led to an assault on Kyoto, which eventually led to the defeat of Bakufu forces. Other Western clans, including he prominent Satsuma clan, and merchants, as well as the British government conspired in an alliance to overthrow the shogunate, though it must be said that its role would have been somewhat limited. The shogunate was overthrown by these powerful forces, and the Meiji Emperor’s powers restored. It is possible to see that the long suppression and oppression of the classes of the Japanese people, finally sparked into a revolt by the arrival of the Americans. The contribution the Imperialist policies of the West had to the Meiji Restoration cannot be questioned, but it is possible to argue that the impact of the West would not have been the same (significantly less) had the Shogunate’s government proven more efficient, and more adept at preventing internal discord. Historians such as Minear argue that “The Tokugawa clan, headed by the shogun, had ruled Japan since 1603, and was now blamed for the shame which the unequal treaties had inflicted upon Japan. In the end, the Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown and a new group of leaders emerged at the same time a new emperor ascended the throne.” It is clear that he feels that the unequal treaties, which caused anti-Western sentiment, are mainly to blame for the rise of the Meiji Emperor.
Japan’s rapid modernisation was a result of the tremendous reform it underwent as a result of the Restoration. Historians such as Gavan McCormack argue that “the modern transformation of the Western world was accomplished by what has sometimes been described as the dual revolution: capitalism and democracy.” Indeed, the actions taken by the new Japanese governement seem to support this statement, as they realised that constitutional reform was necessary to promote an efficient centralised form of government. Democracy was a key feature of the Western powers that Japan aspired to emulate. When the call for democracy became too strong, the Japanese government gave in to the requests of the people and agreed to form a sort of representative government. The Bismarckian political system of Germany (Prussia), a rising Imperial Power, was taken as the model of democracy that would be most suitable to the ruling class’s needs in Japan, and would allow them to still exercise a great deal of control over Parliament and the Emperor.
The Japanese government realised that it had to maintain the unity of the nations to prevent it from destabilising as it had in the shogunate’s hands. When public opinion for democracy grew very high, the government realised it had to reform the political system to accommodate the population’s political interests – by creating a democracy. That they chose a Western political system when they chose to reform and modernise their constitution shows the influence of Western Imperialism and the lasting impression it had made on the Japanese. However, the Meiji government did not intend to actually give democracy and a new constitution to the people of Japan, but rather, just the appearance of it. This subversion of democracy was something not unheard of in the West, but the Japanese version of democracy did not grant much power to the Parliaments and assemblies formed, something which was markedly different tot eh West, and which may be evidence that Japan was somewhat independent of Western influence. Another instance which supports this is that the Emperor handed the constitution to the people as a gift, preventing them from criticising or altering it without his approval.
Western influence, however, seemed to be spreading to many parts of Japanese society and culture as it attempted to modernise at a rapid rate. Western Imperialism had shown the Japanese the advantages a technologically developed nation could enjoy, and this inspired them to emulate the industrialisation which had taken place in the West. Once again, it is possible to see that the West’s Imperialist policies, had enabled Japan to modernise, not only by serving as inspiration, but also providing a stimulus to spur on the Japanese so they could achieve their goal of ‘expelling the barbarians’ – a motto which was being said less publicly at the time, as the slogan “Western technology, Japanese Spirit” was becoming more popular. The latter can explain the entire Japanese nation’s attitude towards the West and the reforms which were rapidly altering the country.
The Japanese determination to stand up to the West, meant that its army also had to be remodelled. Once again, the West’s conquering armies, a product of their Imperialism, were what the Japanese chose to model their armies with. As Boyle said in Modern Japan: The American Nexus, they borrowed the best of the West and moulded it to fit Japan's needs. This statement holds true for many aspects of Japanese culture, ranging from their dress and fashion, to their educational systems, and it is possible to see that the West’s Imperial policies helped project its culture around the world, and played a very important part in Japan’s modernisation.
One last aspect of Japan’s modernisation which the West influenced a great deal was the ambitions it took once it felt developed enough. In order to feel completely modernised, Japan also felt it had to model its ambitions on the Western powers as well – by seizing land from other nations. Indeed, its rapid change from an agrarian society meant that the resources and raw materials available from a colony, territory or annexed land would be quite welcome. The West’s help in trying to open up Korea, which lead to the Sino-Japanese War meant that Japan was able to profit greatly by taking the place of China as Asia’s leading power. The Anglo-Japanese alliance also strengthened Japan’s position as a modernised power, and helped it gain valuable resources from which it could further expand its booming industries. The Anglo-British alliance also served as protection for the Japanese from other Western powers, which allowed it to modernise and keep its hold on land it had seized.
In conclusion, it must be said that Western Imperialism did, to a certain extent, help restore the Meiji Emperor to his throne. However, there were also many factors stemming from the discontent of the feudal classes of Japan which led to the fall of the shogun and the Emperor’s subsequent rise. The modernisation of Japan must be said to have been greatly influenced by the West, for while the Japanese did not adopt the morals viewpoint of Western society, Western Imperialism had been able to project its influence sufficiently enough to greatly inspire and spur on the Japanese in their quest for modernisation.