World Record: Japan's Speed Of Modernization

World Record: Japan’s Speed of Modernization
Prior to the modernization of many countries, they all possessed different cultures and lifestyles. Some countries were united while others were more diverse. During and after the Industrial Revolution, all countries did not modernize at the same time. Their modernization rate was dependent on attributes of that country. For example, Britain had characteristics that allowed them to industrialize early on such as the right resources for technology, human resources, and controlled overseas (Ellis and Esler 94-95). Other countries though, such as China lacked characteristics that could have helped them to modernize early on. Several countries modernized over a longer period of time, but one exception

Throughout the Tokugawa Period, a feudal system was in tact. A feudal system is a structure in which all citizens are distinguished by class, and that class correlates with the amount of power that citizen has. For example, the Samurais, who were warriors wielded most of the power even though they made up only about ten percent of the population. On the contrary, the peasants, who made up much of the rest of the population, had limited power and could not even keep the food they grew themselves (Szczepanski). The previous political system was susceptible to tyranny and upset the majority of the population which is why the establishment of a new government was so immensely supported (Hunter 5-6). Emperor Meiji showed up in Japan and started implementing new laws to relieve the old system. He knew that the previous laws were unjust and only beneficial to the upper classes. He adopted western ways for the government such as a constitutional monarchy with a legislative body and conscription, meaning all subjects were susceptible to being enlisted in army. This new constitution did in fact continue to keep the Emperor’s role powerful, “The Emperor exercises the legislative power with the consent of the Imperial Diet” (Meiji). This meant that although the Emperor had the power of creating, reforming, and abolishing laws, the Imperial Diet had to comment and give consent to these changes. This kept

These characteristics include their growing trend of modern clothing, the new universal education system, and more effective methods of transportation. They all demonstrated westernized aspects of daily life. Prior to the Meiji Restoration, their clothing was clearly from the Tokugawa Era. (Appendix I). Every citizen had to wear clothing that distinctly reflected their social class due to the previous Shogun’s law (“Transportation in Japan, Meiji Period”). The beginning of the modernizing began with the Japanese being able to simply where what they wanted. The Emperor started to embrace western clothing (Appendix II) and officiated a mandate in which, during business hours and at official functions, high officials were required to also wear western clothing. This mandate started a trend, and therefore, women started western dresses in public and eventually, western clothing was ordinary in Japan. This change in clothing was quick which furthered the modernization in Japan because by wearing this clothing they were following more lifestyles of western countries and in simpler terms, westernizing more. Not only did clothing facilitate the modernizing of Japan, in addition, the country adopted education policies and system from the west. Emperor Meiji decided to model the education system off of America and France. He started by dividing into 8 university districts, 32 middle school