Group3p5

The Meiji Restoration in Japan 1868-1912 media type="file" key="sound.mp3"

__What happened during the Meiji Restoration?__  Before the Meiji Restoration there was the Tokugawa Shogunate which had been there for about 265 years (1603-1868). After it collapsed the Meiji leaders had to destroy the feudal classes that had been present in the Tokugawa Shogunate. They forced the non-productive //Samurai// class to make their own work and go into the business world. Now that the //Samurai// class was gone the Meiji leaders decided to borrow many things from the Western culture. They adapted many things from this culture such as European hairstyles, trains, cars, and the widespread use of electricity. The farmers were the back bone of the Meiji Restoration because now they owned their own land and were bringing in profit for the country. Education was also an important part of the Meiji era.

__How did this historical period affect other events that came later?__

The Meiji era influenced the modernization of South Korea. When Park Chung Hee made a system that was supposed to modernize Japan he called it //Chaebol// and it was modeled after the Japanese system because Chung Hee was with the Japanese and he admired the way that they modeled their country. It also allowed the Japanese to be able to make their own constitution and they were able to quote their constitution when they were defending their rights. They also had a very strong military and were able to win wars against their neighbor China and surprisingly also against Russia.

__During the Meiji Restoration...__ **1904-** Japan attacks Russia in Manchuria, destroying the Russian fleet at Port Arthur, and invades Korea **1910-** Japan annexes Korea and thereby terminates the Choson dynasty
 * 1853-** US Commodore Perry arrives in Uraga with four warships. Demands opening of Japan for supplying foreign ships
 * 1854-** Perry returns with seven warships. Japan is forced to sign Treaty of Amity. Similar treaties immediately demanded by Russia and England. Japan opens ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to foreign ships.
 * 1859-** Trade begins in Kanagawa (Yokohama), Nagasaki, Hakodate. Shogunal chief minister Ii Naosuke begins purge of critics
 * 1866 -** The Satsuma- Choshu Alliance between Saigo takamori, the leader of the Satsuma domain, and Kido Takayoshi, the leader of the Choshu domain, [[image:http://www.2point6billion.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/rick.jpg width="269" height="166" align="right" caption="The rickshaw was created during the Meiji Restoration."]]built the foundation of the Meiji restoration.
 * 1867-** Emperor Meiji ascended the throne after Emperor Kōmei's death on January 30, 1867. Japan ceased to be a feudal country and became a capitalist economy.
 * 1873-** A mandate that every male would serve in the armed forces upon turning 21 for four years; followed by three more years in the reserves.
 * (1894–95)-** The first Sino- Japanese war over Korea marked the emergence of Japan as a world power and demonstrated the weakness of China.
 * 1937-1945-** The Russo- Japanese War where the Japanese defeated the strong miltary of Russia to everyone's suprise.

__Why we chose the Meiji Restoration__ We chose the Meiji Restoration because it is a very interesting time in East asia. it was a time of change and the people who led this revolution and industrialization were very brave and determined for going against the ancient traditions. They were the first people who decided to make Japan more like the modernized West and the rest of the world. I think that it is a very good thing that they did because if they had not done what they did then we might be living in a different world today because the japanese export many goods that we would find hard to live without because we have gotten so used to the technolgy. I think that this is a crucial time in our world's history because it has been a very short time since the Meiji Restoration and the country of Japan has increased very much and made our world a better place.

media type="googlemap" key="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=japan&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.8712,78.75&ie=UTF8&ll=38.169114,138.911133&spn=16.561235,28.125&z=5&output=embed" height="480" width="640"

__Bibliography__ Christensen, Maria. "The meiji Era and the Modernization of Japan." __Http://www.samurai-archives.com/tme.html//__. Suite101.com.

Reidlsperger, Max. "The Meiji Restoration." //__Http:__//cla.calpoly.edu. Mar. 2005. Cal Poly Plan (CPP. [].