Paths to Modernisation: Japan Class 11 History Notes

Japan is a string of islands the four largest being Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Hokkaido. The Okinawan chain is the southernmost, about the same latitude as the Bahamas.

More than 50 percent of the land area of the main islands is mountainous and Japan is situated in a very active earthquake zone. Japan succeeded in remaining free of colonial control and achieved fairly rapid economic and industrial progress throughout the twentieth century. 

In this article, You will get to know about The Political System in Japan, the Meiji Restoration, the Meiji Reforms, the Remerging of Japan as a Global Economic Power, and much more about the Path to Modernisation of Japan.

Paths to Modernisation: Japan Class 11 History Notes

The Political System

• Japan became a modern country from the days of petty daimyo of Japan.

• In the twelfth century, the imperial court lost power to shoguns, who in theory ruled in the name of the emperor with the help of samurais (the warrior class) and daimyo with their capital in Edo (modern Tokyo).

• In the sixteenth century, Samurai ensured peace and order.

• In the late sixteenth century, three changes laid the pattern for future development.

1. One, the peasantry was disarmed and only the samurai could carry swords. This ensured peace and order, ending the frequent wars of the previous century.
2. Two, the daimyo were ordered to live in the capitals of their domains, each with a large degree of autonomy.
3. Third, land surveys identified owners and taxpayers and graded land productivity to ensure a stable revenue base.

• Japan was divided into more than 250 domains under the rule of lords called daimyo.

• By the mid-seventeenth century, Japan had the most populated city in the world – Edo – but also had two other large cities – Osaka and Kyoto.

• The growth of a commercial economy and a vibrant culture blossomed in the towns, where the fast-growing class of merchants patronised theatre and the arts.

• Increased use of money and the creation of a stock market led the economy in new ways.

• Social and intellectual changes that took place – such as the study of ancient Japanese literature – led people to question the degree of Chinese influence and the study of ancient Japanese literature.

Paths to Modernisation: Japan

Timeline	Event
1603	Tokugawa leyasu establishes the Edo Shogunate
1630	Japan closes the country to Western powers except for restricted trade with the Dutch
1854	Japan and the USA conclude the treaty of peace, ending Japan’s seclusion
1868	Restoration of Meiji
1872	Compulsory education system first railway line between Tokyo and Yokohama
1889	Meiji Constitution enacted
1894-95	War between Japan and China
1904-05	War between Japan and Russia
1910	Korea annexed, colony till 1945
1914-18	First World War
1925	Universal male suffrage
1931	Japan’s Invasion of China
1941-45	The Pacific War
1945	Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
1946-52	US-led occupation of Japan Reforms to democratise and demilitarise Japan
1956	Japan becomes a member of the United Nations
1964	Olympic Games in Tokoyo for the first time in Asia

The Meiji Restoration

• The Meiji restoration is termed as one of the most momentous events in Japanese history.

• There were demands for trade and diplomatic relations. In 1853, the USA demanded Japan that the government sign a treaty that would permit trade and open diplomatic relations.

• Japan lay on the route to China which the USA saw as a major market. At that time, there was only one Western country that traded with Japan, Holland.

• In 1868, a movement removed the Shogun and brought the Emperor to Edo. This was made the capital and renamed Tokyo which means ‘eastern capital’.

• British dominance in Asia alerted Japan, and scholars there wanted to learn European modern ideas.

• Many scholars and leaders wanted to learn from the new ideas in Europe; others sought to exclude the Europeans even while being ready to adopt the new technologies they offered. Some argued for a gradual and limited ‘opening’ to the outer world.

• To develop their economy and build a strong army, the government with the slogan slogan ‘fukoku kyohei’ (rich country, strong army), created a sense of nationhood among the people and transformed subjects into citizens.

• The government also built the ’emperor system’ – a system, where the emperor along with the bureaucracy and the military, exercised power. 

• The Emperor was treated with reverence as he was considered a direct descendant of the Sun Goddess but he was also shown as the leader of westernisation. His birthday became a national holiday, he wore Western-style military uniforms.

Meiji Reforms

• Administrative Reforms: The Meiji government imposed a new administrative structure by altering old village and domain boundaries to integrate the nation. In 1871, feudalism was abolished under the Meiji rule.

• Economic Reforms: The modernising of the economy. Japan’s first railway line, between Tokyo and the port of Yokohama, was built in 1870-72. In 1872 modern banking institutions were launched. Zaibatsu (business families) dominated the economy.

• Industrial Reforms: Textile machinery was imported from Europe and foreign technicians were employed to train workers as well as to teach in universities and schools and Japanese students were sent abroad. 

• The number of people in manufacturing increased. Over half of those employed in modern factories were women. The size of factories also began to increase.

• Agricultural Reforms: Funds were raised by levying an agricultural tax.

• Constitutional Reforms: In 1889, Japan adopted the new constitution. The Meiji Constitution created a Diet and declared the emperor as the commander of the forces it was based on a restricted franchise.

• Educational Reforms: A new school system began to be built in the 1870s. Schooling was compulsory for boys and girls and by 1910 almost universal. Tuition fees were minimal. Tokyo University was established in 1877.

• Military Reforms: All young men over twenty had to do a period of military service. A modern military force was developed. The military and the bureaucracy were put under the direct command of the emperor.

Modernising the Economy

During the Meiji reforms, Japan focused on modernizing its economy through various initiatives. These included levying an agricultural tax to raise funds, constructing the country’s first railway line between Tokyo and Yokohama, importing textile machinery from Europe, and employing foreign technicians to train workers. Additionally, modern banking institutions were established in 1872, and companies like Mitsubishi and Sumitomo received subsidies and tax benefits to become major shipbuilders, leading to increased Japanese trade carried in domestic ships. Large business organizations known as Zaibatsu, controlled by individual families, dominated the economy until after World War II.

To address population pressure, the government encouraged migration, initially to Hokkaido, Hawaii, Brazil, and Japan’s growing colonial empire. This migration also resulted in a shift towards urban areas as industries developed. By 1925, 21% of the population lived in cities, increasing to 32% by 1935.

Industrial Workers

Between 1870 and 1913, the number of people working in manufacturing in Japan increased significantly from 700,000 to 4 million. Many of these workers were employed in small-scale units with fewer than five employees and no machinery or electric power. Interestingly, over half of the workers in modern factories were women, and they even organized the first modern strike in 1886. Although the number of male workers began to rise after 1900, it wasn’t until the 1930s that they outnumbered women.

During this time, the size of factories also grew, with an increasing number of them employing over a hundred workers. Despite this, there were still many small workshops with less than five employees, reflecting a family-centric approach to work. However, rapid industrial growth led to environmental issues, such as deforestation, prompting protests against industrial pollution. Tanaka Shozo, a member of the first House of Representatives, led one such protest in 1897, urging the government to address these concerns.

Agressive Nationalism

The Meiji constitution introduced a limited franchise and established a Diet with restricted powers, influenced by German legal concepts. The leaders of the imperial restoration retained power and formed political parties. From 1918 to 1931, popularly elected prime ministers led cabinets, but later, power shifted to national unity cabinets cutting across party lines. The emperor held command over the military, with interpretations granting independent control to the army and navy from 1890 onwards. In 1899, only serving generals and admirals were allowed to become ministers, strengthening the military’s influence. This military expansion, along with Japan’s colonial expansion, was driven by the fear of Western domination, used to suppress opposition and justify increased military spending through higher taxes.

Westernisation and Tradition

Successive generations of Japanese intellectuals held varying perspectives on Japan’s relations with other countries. While some viewed the USA and Western Europe as epitomes of civilization, advocating for Japan’s assimilation into the West, others challenged this notion and emphasized national pride based on indigenous values. Philosophers like Miyake Setsurei argued for each nation to cultivate its unique talents for the betterment of global civilization. Additionally, there was a growing interest in Western liberalism among intellectuals, advocating for democracy and constitutional government. Figures like Ueki Emori championed individual freedoms and rights, leading to pressures on the government to introduce constitutional reforms, including potential voting rights for women.

Daily Life

Japan’s transition to modernity also affected everyday life, particularly in family structures. The traditional patriarchal household, where multiple generations lived under the authority of the household head, began to change as more people attained affluence. The emergence of the nuclear family, with the husband as the breadwinner and the wife as the homemaker, became increasingly prevalent. This shift in domestic arrangements led to new demands for household goods, entertainment, and housing options. In the 1920s, construction firms even offered affordable housing options, requiring a small down payment and monthly installments, making homeownership more accessible to the public.

Overcoming Modernity

State-centred nationalism found full expression in the 1930s and 1940s as Japan launched wars to extend its empire in China and other parts of Asia, a war that merged into the Second World War after Japan attacked the USA at Pearl Harbor.

This period saw greater controls on society, the repression and imprisonment of dissidents, as well as the formation of patriotic societies, many of them women’s organisations, to support the war.

An influential symposium on ‘Overcoming Modernity’ in 1943 debated the dilemma facing Japan – of how to combat the West while being modern.

A musician, Moroi Saburo, posed the question of how to rescue music from the art of sensory stimulation and restore it to an art of the spirit.

He was not rejecting Western music but trying to find a way that went beyond merely rewriting or playing Japanese music on Western instruments.

The philosopher Nishitani Keiji defined ‘modern’ as the unity of three streams of Western thought: the Renaissance the Protestant Reformation and the rise of natural sciences.

He argued that Japan’s ‘moral energy’ (a term taken from the German philosopher Ranke) had helped it to escape colonisation and it was its duty to establish a new world order a Greater East Asia. For this a new vision that would integrate science and religion was necessary.

After Defeat: Re-emerging as a Global Economic Power

During the 1930s, Japan exercised imperialist policy and invaded China to extend its colonial empire. Japan’s attempt to carve out a colonial empire ended with its defeat by the Allied forces. However, it was defeated in World War II when the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Japanese philosopher Miyake Setsurei (1860-1945) argued that each nation must develop its special talents in the interest of world civilisation: The rapid rebuilding of the Japanese economy after its shattering defeat was called a post-war ‘miracle’.

• It resulted in the huge destruction of the masses. Under the US-led Occupation (1945-47) Japan was demilitarized and a new constitution was introduced. 

• The new constitution had Article 9 the so-called ‘no war clause’ that renounces the use of war as an instrument of state policy.

• Agrarian reforms, the re-establishment of trade unions and an attempt to dismantle the zaibatsu or large monopoly houses that dominated the Japanese economy were also carried out. The Constitution was democratised.

• Political parties were revived and the first post-war elections were held in 1946.

• Suffrage was given to women in the elections of 1946.

• There was a close relationship between the government, bureaucracy and industry.

• Japan also introduced better goods at cheaper rates in the market with its advanced technologies.

• US support, as well as the demand created by the Korean and the Vietnamese wars also helped the Japanese economy.

• The 1964 Olympics held in Tokyo symbolised the maturity of Japan’s economy.

• The introduction of a network of high-speed Shinkansen or bullet trains, started in 1964 and ran at 200 miles per hour adding to its prosperity.

• In the 1960s several pressure groups protested against industrial pollution. Industrialisation was pushed with utter disregard for the growth of civil society movements due to its harmful effect on health and the environment.

• Government action and new legal regulations helped to improve conditions.

Path to Modernisation: Japan – FAQs

What was the path of modernisation of Japan?

It was the Meji Restoration that finally abolished the strict class system and created a more free democratic system that allowed the Japanese people to unleash their full potential .Under this new democratic system, Japan modernized and developed rapidly.

What was the main goal of modernisation in Japan under the Meiji Restoration?

Economic and social changes paralleled the political transformation of the Meiji period. Although the economy still depended on agriculture, Industrilization, was the primary goal of the government, which directed the development of strategic industries, transportation, and communications.

What led to the Economic development in Japan?

Following the United States World War II occupation of Japan , the country’s democracy was firmly established, and the economy was rebuilt to become a major global economic power by the 1970s. Japan was able to modernise by adopting capitalist principles during a period dominated by Western colonialism.

What are the 3 examples of Japanese modernisation?

The rapid industrialization and modernization of Japan both allowed and required a massive increase in production and infrastructure. Japan built industries such as Shipyard , iron , smelters and spinning mills .

What are the reasons for modernization in Japan?

Japan’s island geography , a centralised government , investment in education and a sense of nationalism were all factors that allowed japan to modernize in under half a century .