HY2232 Week 2 PowerPoint Slide

A Modern History of
Japan
HY2232: Week 2
Masuda Hajimu
hishm@nus.edu.sg
A Modern History of
Japan
HY2232: Week 2
MASUDA HAJIMU
HISHM@NUS.EDU.SG
Meiji Ishin ( 明治維新 ),1868
Meiji Restoration?
Meiji Revolution?
Meiji Renewal?
Formation of nation-state
How was the nation-state of Japan

built?
Who were the main actors?

Nation Building
Processes
 1) Political and Social Aspects of Nation Building
 2) Institutional Aspect of Nation Building
 3) Symbolic Aspect of Nation Building
 4) Infrastructural Aspect of Nation Building

1. Political and Social Transformations
A)Abolishment of the Domain

System
B) Elimination of the Status System

Agreement among Satsuma, Chosu, and
Tosa
1. Political and Social Transformations
A)Abolishment of the Domain

System
B) Elimination of the Status System

Heimin 平民 [Commoners]
A Modern History of
Japan
HY2232: Week 2
MASUDA HAJIMU
HISHM@NUS.EDU.SG
Nation Building
Processes

2. Institutional Aspect of Nation
Building
A) Modern Military System
Yamagata Aritomo (1838-1922)
-Conscript army as “great civil and military
2. Institutional Aspect of Nation
Building
A) Modern Military System
B) Modern Education System

Meiji government declaration of
compulsory elementary education
“In a village there shall be no

house without learning, and in a
house, no individual without
learning.”
Terakoya [Commoner School]
Mori Arinori, 1847-1889
3. Symbolic Aspect of Nation
Building
Creation of the Modern Emperor

Meiji
Emperor
Emperor’s Tours
1876: Tohoku area and Hakodate

1878: Hokuriku and Tokaido areas
1880: Yamanashi and Nakasendo
area
1881: Hokkaido, Akita, and Yamagata
1885: Sanyodo area
Displaying the Emperor
“Banzai”
 Tojyo Hideki (1943) https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=vuT_RAoVg2w
Mori Arinori, 1847-1889
Nation Building
Processes

4. Infrastructural Aspect of Nation
Building
“Rich Country, Strong Army”
“Fu-koku-kyo-hei” 富国強兵
Infrastructure and Industries
 Improvement of harbors and

lighthouses
 Building of telegraph lines
 Establishment of postal
system
Developing Railroad Network
Shipyards
coal and mining
engineering
works
arsenals
cotton-spinning
silk-reeling
glass
sugar
beer
Nation Building
Processes

“Revolution from Above”
-Peter Duus
Was the formation of modern
Japan entirely a top-down
phenomenon ?
A Modern History of
Japan
HY2232: Week 2
MASUDA HAJIMU
HISHM@NUS.EDU.SG
Was the formation of modern Japan entirely a
top-down phenomenon ? Was it really a
“Revolution from above”?
Were there any roles played by ordinary people

in the making of modern Japan? Did they quietly
obey instructions from above, or did they have
much more active roles in the nation-building
processes?
Minken Movement 民権運動
“Movement for Freedom and Popular
Rights”
1)What kind of political regime would
be best for Japan?
2) Who should participate in what

kind of politics?
Toyama Kakusuke’s critique
 “Even though the Emperor would

attempt to limit the activities of the
movement, Minken thoughts could not
be forbidden any more”
“Boilin
g”
(1881)
Mass circulation newspapers
Local political associations
Mass circulation newspapers
Local political associations
“Every day we wait, the
evil poison of popular
rights agitation will spread
more and more over the
provinces, penetrate into
the minds of the youth,
and inevitably produce
unfathomable evils.”
Yamagata Aritomo
“If we lose this opportunity and hesitate,
within two or three years the commoners
will become confident that they can
succeed. Then, public opinion will ignore
any draft of the constitution written by the
government, and private drafts of the
constitution will win out in the end.”
Inoue Kowashi
Why did so many people
suddenly begin discussing
politics so enthusiastically?
“Meiroku Journal” (1874-
1875)
Why did so many people
suddenly begin discussing
politics so enthusiastically?
Fukuzawa Yukichi (1835-1901)
Fukuzawa Yukichi
(1835-1901)
Increasing frustrations
toward the hereditary
system held by lower-
ranking samurai, affluent
merchants, rich farmers,
and other commoners.
A Modern History of
Japan
HY2232: Week 2
MASUDA HAJIMU
HISHM@NUS.EDU.SG

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A Modern History of

How was the nation-state of Japan

Who were the main actors?

 2) Institutional Aspect of Nation Building

 3) Symbolic Aspect of Nation Building

 4) Infrastructural Aspect of Nation Building

A)Abolishment of the Domain

B) Elimination of the Status System

A)Abolishment of the Domain

B) Elimination of the Status System

 2) Institutional Aspect of Nation Building

 3) Symbolic Aspect of Nation Building

 4) Infrastructural Aspect of Nation Building

B) Modern Education System

“In a village there shall be no

Creation of the Modern Emperor

1876: Tohoku area and Hakodate

 Tojyo Hideki (1943) https://www.youtube.com/watch?

 2) Institutional Aspect of Nation Building

 3) Symbolic Aspect of Nation Building

 4) Infrastructural Aspect of Nation Building

“Rich Country, Strong Army”

 Improvement of harbors and

 2) Institutional Aspect of Nation Building

 3) Symbolic Aspect of Nation Building

 4) Infrastructural Aspect of Nation Building

Were there any roles played by ordinary people

2) Who should participate in what

 “Even though the Emperor would

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