History Summarized: The Meiji Restoration
TLDRThe video script provides a comprehensive overview of Japan's rapid industrialization and modernization during the Meiji Restoration, a period that transformed the country from a feudal society into a global power. It discusses the political structure of Japan, the influence of Western technologies, and the societal changes that led to the creation of a centralized nation-state. The script also explores the cultural shifts, including the reformation of the social hierarchy and the development of a national identity. However, it highlights the dark side of this progress, as Japan's newfound strength led to imperialism and ultimately, its involvement in World War II. The video serves as both an inspiration for rapid development and a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked expansion and the allure of imperialism.
Takeaways
- 🌟 The Meiji Restoration marked a significant turning point for Japan, illustrating how a society can rapidly modernize and catch up with the rest of the world.
- 🏰 Japan's political structure underwent a dramatic shift, moving from a feudal system led by the Shogun to a centralized nation-state under Emperor Meiji.
- 🛠️ Industrialization and modernization in Japan were spurred by the need to counteract the technological disparities and threats posed by Western powers.
- 🔄 Land reforms and the establishment of a standardized tax system provided the Japanese government with a stable revenue stream, enabling investment in infrastructure.
- 👥 The social hierarchy was dismantled, and samurai were integrated into a new societal structure, which also promoted a unified national identity.
- 📚 Education was made compulsory and emphasized to foster a new generation of innovators, with a focus on both national culture and practical skills.
- 🎨 The arts and culture in Japan evolved by blending traditional elements with Western techniques, creating unique and distinct forms of expression.
- 🏛️ Architectural styles were influenced by Western designs, while still maintaining a Japanese aesthetic.
- 🤝 Japan's military reformation led to the creation of a conscript army, which played a crucial role in its imperial ambitions and conflicts with neighboring countries.
- ⚖️ Despite adopting many Western practices, Japan's unique identity was preserved through the continued importance of the Emperor and a sense of national pride.
- ⚓️ Japan's rapid modernization and imperial expansion serve as both an inspiration for development and a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked nationalism and imperialism.
Q & A
What is the significance of the M-1 Abrams tank in the context of the Civilization game?
-The M-1 Abrams tank represents the advanced military technology that can be used to overpower less technologically advanced societies, even in historically inaccurate contexts such as a medieval city in a game of Civilization.
How did the rapid industrialization during mass-Industrialization periods affect societies?
-Rapid industrialization allowed societies to progress from horse-drawn carriages to steam trains and machine-made goods within a single lifetime, creating significant power disparities and enabling militaries to develop frightening power advantages.
What was the political structure of Japan like before the Meiji Restoration?
-Japan was ruled by an emperor as a figurehead, with real power held by a military leader known as the Shogun. The country was not centralized, with local Daimyo governing their own territories and controlling the samurai.
Why was Japan's isolation broken in the mid-19th century?
-The arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry with a fleet of gunships and the demand for opening trade relations under threat forced Japan to end its isolation and accept imbalanced trading terms.
How did the Meiji Restoration address the technological gap between Japan and Western powers?
-The Meiji Restoration involved centralizing the government, implementing land and tax reforms, creating a standardized currency system, and investing in new infrastructure. Japan also hired European consultants to advise on industrial projects, effectively leapfrogging centuries in development.
What was the role of the Samurai class during the Meiji Restoration?
-The Samurai class was given pensions and forced to retire, losing their social rank and military roles. They were replaced by a conscript army, which was more loyal to the state and less expensive to maintain.
How did Japan's education system change during the Meiji period?
-Education was made compulsory for both boys and girls for four years, with an emphasis on creating Japan's next generation of innovators. The curriculum included national culture and a standardized Japanese language to foster a unified national identity.
What was the Bushido Code's significance in the Meiji period?
-The Bushido Code, originally a loyalty oath between a Samurai and his Daimyo, was embellished with concepts of honor and virtue, mirroring European chivalry, and became a key element in the construction of a modern Japanese identity.
How did Japan's art and architecture evolve during the Meiji Restoration?
-Artists and architects incorporated Western techniques to create new styles such as Yoga and Nihonga in painting, and used Western building materials in architecture. This fusion of Eastern and Western elements led to a unique and modern Japanese aesthetic.
What was Japan's approach to military defense following the Meiji Restoration?
-Japan created a Western-style conscript army with mandatory service for three years. This new army was designed to be more unified and loyal to the state, replacing the previously independent bands of samurai.
How did Japan's imperialism differ from Western imperialism?
-Japan's imperialism was driven by a desire to modernize and protect itself from Western colonization, but it also sought to free Asia from Western imperialism and establish its own sphere of influence. This approach, however, led to conflicts and ultimately contributed to Japan's aggressive expansion in the early 20th century.
What are the key lessons from the Meiji Restoration for other nations?
-The Meiji Restoration demonstrates that even isolated nations can rapidly modernize and flourish. It also shows that modernity can take different forms for different societies, and that the path to modernization can be intertwined with imperialism and national hubris, which can lead to negative consequences.
Outlines
😀 Industrial Leap and Political Shifts in Japan
The first paragraph introduces the rapid industrialization and military advancements that Japan underwent, comparing it to the experience of playing a game like Civilization. It discusses the historical context of Japan's political structure, the role of the Shogun, and the decentralized governance by local Daimyo. The paragraph also covers the impact of European traders introducing Christianity and firearms, leading to significant changes in warfare. The Tokugawa Shogunate's rule and its focus on maintaining peace, the establishment of a strict class hierarchy, and the isolationist policies are also summarized. The paragraph concludes with the arrival of Commodore Perry and the opening of Japan to trade, which led to a series of events that challenged the Shogunate's power and ultimately resulted in the Meiji Restoration.
🌟 Japan's Transformation and National Identity
The second paragraph delves into Japan's industrial development starting from scratch with the help of European consultants, allowing the country to leapfrog centuries of progress. The Meiji period's focus on creating a unified national identity is highlighted, including the dismantling of the rigid social hierarchy and the retirement of the Samurai class. The paragraph also discusses the introduction of a standardized education system for both boys and girls, the incorporation of Western techniques in art and architecture, and the creation of a new national currency and tax system. The establishment of a conscript army, the final abolition of the Samurai class, and Japan's unique approach to modernity while maintaining its distinct cultural identity are also summarized. The paragraph concludes with Japan's growing imperialistic ambitions and its annexation of various territories, reflecting a shift in foreign policy.
💥 The Rise and Fall of Japanese Imperialism
The third paragraph reflects on the Meiji Restoration and the subsequent period of Japanese imperialism. It outlines the successful modernization of Japan as a model for other nations and emphasizes the unique paths to modernity. The paragraph explores the relationship between Japan's modernization and its imperialistic expansion, leading to its downfall after World War II. It discusses the factors that contributed to Japan's aggressive behavior, from self-defense to unchecked conquest. The video concludes with a call to consider the broader implications of imperialism and a thank you note to the viewers for their interest in the topic, inviting them to join Patreon for more in-depth content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Meiji Restoration
💡Industrialization
💡Shogunate
💡Samurai
💡Daimyo
💡European Imperialism
💡Conscription
💡National Identity
💡Unequal Treaties
💡Bushido Code
💡Imperialism
Highlights
The joy of technological advancement is exemplified by the contrast of bringing an M-1 Abrams tank to a medieval city.
Mass-industrialization can lead to rapid societal changes, as seen in the transition from horse-drawn carriages to steam trains.
The development of new technology often leads to its use in warfare, creating significant power disparities.
Japan's rapid industrialization in the Meiji period serves as an extreme counter-example to the typical pace of societal development.
Understanding Japan's political structure, including the roles of the Emperor and the Shogun, is crucial to understanding its history.
The Tokugawa Shogunate's primary goal was to maintain peace, which led to a strict class hierarchy and isolation from foreigners.
The arrival of European traders introduced Christianity and guns, significantly impacting Japanese society and warfare.
The Meiji Restoration marked a significant political shift, restoring the Emperor to power and ending the Shogun's rule.
Japan's transformation into a centralized nation-state involved significant land and tax reforms, providing a stable revenue stream for infrastructure development.
The Meiji period saw the creation of a national identity, with education playing a key role in fostering innovation and unity.
Japan's military reforms included the establishment of a conscript army, which played a crucial role in its imperial expansion.
The Emperor remained a central figure in Japanese identity, even as the country adopted a constitution with a prime minister and elected legislature.
Japan's imperialistic ambitions led to the annexation of the Ryukyu Islands and Korea, and significant military conflicts with China and Russia.
The Meiji Restoration and subsequent imperialism serve as both a model for national development and a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked expansion.
Japan's unique path to modernity, while influenced by the West, was shaped by its distinct cultural and national identity, particularly centered around the Emperor.
The video emphasizes the importance of considering art, language, and culture in historical discussions, providing a well-rounded perspective on a nation's development.
Transcripts
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from spamming the tech tree in a game of Civilization,
it’s the simple joy of rolling up to a medieval city in an M-1 Abrams tank.
Normally, this is one of the less historically accurate parts of the game, but the big exception
comes in periods of mass-Industrialization.
Within a single lifetime, a society can start from horse-drawn carriages hauling hand-sewn
shirts to the local market and end up with an arsenal of steam trains ferrying machine-made
clothes halfway across a country.
But once people graduate from ooh-ing and aah-ing at a sewing machine, they start getting
creative with how to use all this newfound tech to wreak havoc, and this is where militaries
can develop truly frightening power disparities.
In Europe’s case, this made mass-colonization an absolute breeze, but today we’ll see
the extreme counter-example of Japan, who covered centuries of lost-ground in the space
of mere decades.
So, to see how Japan pulled off the world’s greatest industrial-reverso, Let’s do some
History.
The first thing we have to understand is Japan’s political structure at the time this was all
going down.
The Japanese archipelago has been ruled by an emperor for thousands of years, but since
roughly the first millennium, real power belonged to a military leader known as the Shogun.
The Emperor remained the figurehead and the symbolic ruler of Japan, but the Shogun had
all the Samurai, so he was really the one in charge.
That said, medieval Japan wasn’t centralized in the slightest, and most governing was in
the hands of local Daimyo, who were basically Mob Bosses for Samurai.
But the problem with Big Sword Politics is that it’s vulnerable to other people with
large stabby-sticks, so several Daimyo took swipes at the Shogun, and in 1467, Japan broke
into a century and a half of all-out war.
On paper, few things on earth are cooler than Samurai War, but few things are also more
disruptive to well-being than 148 years of constant conflict.
Things got even dicier with the arrival of European traders, whose show and tell exhibit
included Christianity and Guns.
While Jesus didn’t particularly affect the trajectory of the war, firearms made a much
bigger and bloodier splash.
This mercifully wrapped up at the start of the 1600s, when Tokugawa Ieyasu won the war
and reasserted Shogun supremacy.
For the next 250 years, the Tokugawa family ruled a finally-peaceful Japan from their
new capital at Edo, and their government had one priority above literally everything else:
keep the peace.
The Shogunate confiscated swords from everyone except Samurai, they implemented a strict
class hierarchy, and they closed Japan to any and all foreigners… except the Dutch,
they’re cool, they can stay.
Even into the start of the 1800s, Japanese society vaguely resembled medieval Europe,
where the country was unified but not centralized.
For one thing, taxes were chaos to manage, as the 300 Daimyo set their own tax-rates
and only collected payment in goods.
Meanwhile, the common people had to work hard and even endure famines while their taxes
paid for Samurai to do kendo and write poetry in their abundant free time.
This of course begs the question of why is there still a warrior-class if we’re not
supposed to have wars anymore?
While the Edo period saved Japan from civil war, two and a half centuries is a long time
to just stay in place.
People were hungry, Samurai were useless, Daimyo were antsy, & also there’s a gunship
in the harbor.
See, hot on the heels of Britain steamrolling China in the Opium Wars, European powers were
systematically siphoning wealth out of Asia because what else is an empire supposed to
do?
At the same time, America was westward-expanding so fast they blew past the pacific coast and
kept on going until West became East and they bumped right into Japan.
In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry arrived with a fleet of gunships and requested the opening
of trade relations on the basis of “Do It Or Else”.
With the intimidating might of a steam-powered gunship fleet and one model train, America
forced Japan to accept wildly imbalanced trading terms: full access to merchant ports, no export
taxes, and legal immunity to merchants and diplomats.
Soon enough, half of Europe had similar treaties with Japan, and the Shogun was powerless to
stop it.
Japan recognized that America’s threats and China’s recent thrashing was a warning
to shape up or get whacked, because there was no way they could resist an invasion,
and so far they’d only been experiencing Colonization-Lite, with Zero Military Occupation,
and Same Exploitation.
Hurdle number one was technology, because steam-powered transportation and high-accuracy
shooty-sticks made for a massive imbalance.
But since they were trading, Daimyo and Samurai across Japan now had access to rifles and
artillery, and some of them started pointing the barrels at the Shogun.
In 1868 he tried to quash this insubordination, but an alliance of the Satsuma and Choshu
domains not only beat the Shogun’s army, they routed him all the way up to the imperial
capital of Kyoto, proclaimed a restoration of Imperial authority under the teenage emperor
Meiji, and demanded the dissolution of the Shogunate.
That is one heck of a reversal, but it didn’t stop there.
The Shogun declared war to try and save his skin, but the pro-imperial forces were far
better equipped, so they hammered all the way up Japan and out to the island of Hokkaido.
So 7 centuries after the first Shogunate, the emperor was restored to power.
Now, our boy-o Meiji was all set for life, but there was still the problem of all those
predatory colonizers, so him and his advisors (but mostly advisors) wasted zero time in
reforming Japan.
The first order of business was reconfiguring the country from a fractured society of local
lords into a centralized Nation State.
That meant sending all the Daimyo into a cushy early-retirement, and converting their domains
into Imperial Prefectures.
And with land reform came standardized taxes, paid with a shiny new currency system which
gave the government steady revenue for the first time in literally forever.
This afforded Japan cash to pay for new infrastructure like railway networks and telecom lines.
Although Japanese industry was starting from scratch, the Emperor was proactive in hiring
consultants from all over Europe to advise their projects, so Japan looked like it was
timeskipping full centuries ahead.
Really shows how innovation can snowball fast.
All this newfound unity also depended on people and a national Japanese identity.
So Meiji’s second priority was disassembling Japan’s rigid social hierarchy of Samurai,
Farmers, Artisans, and Merchants.
Samurai, like the Daimyo, were given a pension and politely forced to retire, while the other
3-tiers were brought up to equal status.
The caveat is that women were still held in lower regard than men, and expected to be
good wives, wise mothers, and dutiful laborers in the new textile factories.
However, there is a caveat to this caveat, as both boys and girls were given 4 years
of education.
It was clear that sending out scholars to copy Europe’s homework would only get Japan
so far, so they made a point to give all kiddos the smarts to become Japan’s next innovators.
And though this may have looked like another copy-paste of western schooling, it encouraged
a distinct Japanese identity through the teaching of national culture and a standardized Japanese
language.
Additionally, schools coopted elements of the Bushido Code.
Historically, it wasn’t much more than a loyalty oath between a Samurai and his Daimyo,
but it was embellished with Honor and Virtue to echo European Chivalry, and fully mythologized
into a pillar of Japanese identity.
Meanwhile, in art, sculptors and painters alike were incorporating western techniques
to create totally new works.
Painting developed into two new styles: Yoga, which was naturalistic and very photo-real,
and Nihonga, which was very traditional and stylized.
In architecture, western building materials found use in Japanese designs.
And in 1889, the emperor lifted a ban on Hanafuda playing cards, so a new little company called
Nintendo began printing them.
So when you fire up Breath of the Wild, say thanks to your old pal Meiji.
Now, beyond a central government and a unified populace, Japan desperately needed some defenses
against bigger and stockier European militaries.
That meant echoing the big boys and creating a western-style conscript army, with 3 years
of mandatory service, where everybody fought as Japanese Soldiers rather than bands of
dubiously-loyal Samurai.
And speaking of, this was their last slap in the face — they’d lost their social
rank and their military honor, and their stipends were yanked too.
Meiji saw them as a relic that was too dangerous to use and too expensive to not use.
In 1877, the Samurai of Satsuma tried to rebel against this affront to their dignity, but
the army stomped them and axed the samurai for good, which, hey, reforms worked.
Now, all of these changes beg the question of whether Modern could exist outside of Western,
and since Japan was the first outside-nation to the post-Industrial party, they had to
figure out for themselves if they could meaningfully remain Japanese despite enjoying all of this
progress.
We definitely don’t have time to cover all the biases baked into the concept of “Development”,
but for Japan’s purposes, the one key trait that kept them distinct from Europe was The
Emperor.
Sure, Europe had monarchs aplenty, but they weren’t as culturally and nationally vital
as The Emperor, especially now that Meiji was head honcho again.
So even when Japan adopted a constitution in 1889 with a prime minister, cabinet, bicameral
and slightly elected legislature, that constitution was officially a gift from emperor Meiji,
and he remained the focal point of Japanese pride and identity, even if Meiji maybe left
all of the governing to his advisors.
And this idea of Japan being unique from and even in competition with The West became a
driving principle of their foreign policy, as they began freeing Asia from the grip of
western imperialism with…
Japanese imperialism.
Alrighty let’s see how this all went wrong.
SO, in 1879 they annexed the Ryukyu islands, and in 1894 they nabbed Korea on the logic
that “hey, if not us, it would be some westerners.
And besides, we can help you to modernize”.
Koreans weren’t thrilled, and called in China for backup, but Japan absolutely thrashed
China, and annexed Taiwan afterwards because heck, why not.
If you’re seeing any parallels to the Fire Nation, that’s intentional.
Japan also got more suspicious of the West, who ended the unequal treaties, but were also
pushing to deny this new sphere of influence.
This might have worked against the Shogunate in 1853, but we’re in the 1900s now, and
Japan was 4 training-montages stronger, so they rolled up to nearby Russia and utterly
flattened them.
This surprised pretty much everybody, and Russia’s monumental embarrassment only fueled
Japan’s newfound imperialistic pride.
In 1912, Emperor Meiji died after 44 years on the throne, but the empire kept on growing.
Though Japan got to sit at the treaty table after WWI, suspicion of the West only deepened,
as Britain and France went on a massive post-war land-grab.
Japan tried to include a racial equality clause in the preamble to the new League of Nations,
but big shock, it got voted down.
So now Japan felt like all this post-war high-fiving was just making an ever-smaller cool-kids-club
of Who Gets To Do Empire, which…
well?
Inspired by this attitude as well as their unbroken string of victories, Japan’s military
became more dominant in politics, and in 1932 they invaded Manchuria, with a push into China
proper in 1937.
By 1940 this expanded south into French Indochina, and America issued an oil embargo against
Japan to try and keep them in check.
The next year, Japan tried to go two-for-two on Western smackdowns and bombed America’s
Pearl Harbor, and by 1942 the Japanese empire encompassed nearly all of East Asia, yoinking
the American Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, and Thailand.
Needless to say, this did not last, and Japan was forcibly dis-empired in 1945.
So, what can we learn from this century of the Meiji Restoration and Japanese Imperialism?
Well, it’s as much an instruction manual as it is a cautionary tale.
First off, it’s an excellent role model for how any country, even one isolated in
place for 250 years, can actually flourish into something greater.
And it also shows that Modernity will look slightly different for everyone, that there
isn’t some single formula for how Society should be.
But of course, it’s impossible to detangle this modernizing renaissance from Japan’s
runaway imperialism.
There’s no simple culprit, so this period offers a chance to investigate just what can
lead a state like Japan down the slope to imperial villainy: from self-defense, to growing
national hubris, to carte-blanche conquest.
As with Europe as with Asia, Imperialism is a hell of a drug.
Thank you so much for watching!
This kind of video is a treat for me because I really enjoy covering one specific topic
from several different angles.
It always feels right to round out a historical discussion with a look at art, language, and
culture.
And if you want to be a person of culture as well, consider adding your name to this
list by joining our Patreon!
See you all in the next video!
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