Japan became politically centralised around 1600 and between then and 1850, known as the Edo era, Japan shut out all outside influence. During this era the social system was arranged in a hierarchal system. The rulers were the Tokugawa Shogunate, the emperor only had ritual rites not power. The next level were Daimyo, who were similar to Lords and constituted a aristocracy, they held considerable power over their regional domains and the Shogunate found it hard to control them. The next level was the Samurai class. Their ethos was the most important of the age. They were trained to die for their master and embrace death with tranquillity and courage, they were also highly literate. Below the Samurai were farmers and artisans, below there were the merchants and below these were the untouchables. During this era Buddhism, Shinto Taoism and Confucianism were practiced together often in the same place without distinction.
The next era in Japanese history began in 1868 and was called the Meiji era. The emperor was again given power. This era saw the opening of Japan to the rest of the world. The Japanese were forced to sign unequal treaties with the west, granting them one-sided economical and legal advantages in Japan. Japan recognised that to regain independence it would be necessary to modernize many aspects of Japanese society. The aims were to make Japan a democratic sate with equality for its entire people so the boundaries between the social classes of the last era were broken down. Compulsory education was introduced as well as universal conscription to bring Japan in line with the west’s military prowess. The Japanese saw this more of a learning process, a way of modernising their country and keeping the west from colonising Japan this is speculated because of the development of
In order to transform the agrarian economy of into a developed industrial one, many Japanese scholars were sent abroad to study Western science and languages, while foreign experts taught in Japan. The transportation and communication networks were improved by means of large governmental investments. The government also directly supported the prospering of businesses and industries, especially the large and powerful family businesses called zaibatsu.
The large expenditures led to a financial crisis in the middle of the 1880's which was followed by a reform of the currency system and the establishment of the Bank of Japan. The textile industry grew fastest and remained the largest Japanese industry until . Work conditions in the early factories were very bad, but developing socialist and liberal movements were soon suppressed by the ruling clique.
On the political sector, Japan received its first European style constitution in 1889. A parliament, the was established while the kept sovereignty: he stood at the top of the army, navy, executive and legislative power. The ruling clique, however, kept on holding the actual power, and the able and intelligent emperor Meiji agreed with most of their actions. Political parties did not yet gain real power due to the lack of unity among their members.
Conflicts of interests in Korea between China and Japan led to the Sino-Japanese War in 1894-95. Japan defeated China, received Taiwan, but was forced by Russia, France and Germany to return other territories. The so called Triple Intervention caused the Japanese army and navy to intensify their rearmament.
New conflicts of interests in Korea and Manchuria, this time between Russia and Japan, led to the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-05. The Japanese army also won this war gaining territory and finally some international respect. Japan further increased her influence on Korea and annexed her completely in 1910. In Japan, the war successes caused nationalism to increase even more, and other Asian nations also started to develop national self confidence.
In 1912 emperor Meiji died, and the era of the ruling clique of elder statesmen (genro) was about to end.
