Japan modernized after Matthew Perry demanded it open trade. This led to unrest and the Meiji Restoration, which established a modern government and industrialized economy. Japan then used its new military and economic strength to defeat China and Russia, gaining control over Korea and territory in Manchuria.

1. 25.1 Japan Modernizes

2. LEQ: How did Japan become a modern
industrial power, and what did it do
with its new strength?

3. • The Tokugawas
For more than imposed centralized
200 years, Japan feudalism.
was closed to
foreigners and • Discontent grew as
remained the daimyo and lesser
isolated. samurai suffered
financial hardship.
• Corruption became
common.

4. •Matthew Perry – the U.S. Navy commodore who
led a fleet of ships into Tokyo Bay in 1853 and
demanded that Japan open its ports
The shoguns In 1853, a The shogun
heard of the U.S. fleet opened two
British victory commanded ports, granting
in the Opium by Matthew trading rights
War and knew Perry arrived to the United
that the West in Tokyo Bay. States and
would soon Europe.
reach Japan.

5. •Tokyo – the new “eastern capital” named in 1867, when
Emperor Mutsuhito was restored to power and took the name
Meiji
•Meiji Restoration – the reign of Emperor Meiji, which lasted from
1868 to 1912, during which Japan learned about the West and
modernized
Social and economic unrest deepened in Japan,
and in 1867 the shogun was unseated in a revolt.
The 15-year-old Emperor Mutsuhito was restored
to power and took the name Meiji.
The emperor moved the capital from
Kyoto to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo.
His long reign was called the Meiji Restoration.
It lasted from 1868 until 1912.

6. The goal of the Meiji Restoration was summarized
by the motto “A rich country, a strong military.”
• To reach this goal, leaders
under Emperor Meiji decided
to study Western ways.
Emperor
Meiji
• Members of the Japanese
government traveled
overseas in 1871 to learn
about Western economies
and technologies.

7. •Diet – a legislature
The Meiji Transformation
Meiji reformers wanted to end the feudal order
of old Japan and create an industrial economy.
They formed a Diet, or legislature, to supervise
finance, education, and the military.
They made the economy a priority, building
factories and then selling them to wealthy
business families called zaibatsu.

8. •homogeneous society – a society in which all
people share a common culture and language
• These changes were very
effective. By the 1890s,
industry had grown rapidly
in Japan.
• One reason Japan
modernized so quickly was
that it had a strong sense
of national identity and a
homogenous society.

9. • The government set up
Society schools and the constitution
changed ended legal distinctions
due to these between the classes.
reforms.
• However, class distinctions
did survive, and women
continued to have a
secondary role in society.

10. •First Sino-Japanese War – a war between Japan
and China that broke out in 1894 due to competition
between the two powers in Korea
As Japan became stronger economically,
its leaders began to desire an empire.
• Because Japan is a small island nation, it needed
resources.
• It looked to Korea first and forced the peninsula
to open its ports to Japan in 1876.
• Competition between China and Japan for control
of Korea resulted in the First Sino-Japanese War,
which Japan won easily.

11. •Russo-Japanese War – a war between Russia and
Japan which began in 1904 and in which Japan
gained control of Korea and rights in parts of
Manchuria
• Next, Japan challenged Russia, its other rival in
the region. The Russo-Japanese War ended in
1905 with a Japanese victory.
• Japan made Korea a protectorate, then annexed
it and modernized the territory.
• Japanese repression of Korean culture and
language bred nationalist resentment.

12. LEQ: How did Japan become a modern
industrial power, and what did it do with its
new strength?
After domestic discontent and
weakness in the face of foreign powers,
the Japanese overthrew their shogun
and restored the emperor to power.
Reformers modernized and westernized
the government, economy, and society.
Japan used its power to protect itself
and to start its own empire.