Meiji government

Quick Facts: Who was Meiji government?

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Meiji government

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The transformative government that centralized Japan, ending feudalism and ushering in rapid modernization.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Government of Meiji Japan (明治政府, Meiji seifu) was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan. Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji oligarchy, who overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate. After the Meiji Restoration, the leaders of the samurai who overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate had no clear agenda or pre-developed plan on how to run Japan. They did have a number of things in common; according to Andrew Gordon, “It was precisely their intermediate status and their insecure salaried position, coupled with their sense of frustrated ambition and entitlement to rule, that account for the revolutionary energy of the Meiji insurgents and their far-reaching program of reform”.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

most were in their mid-40s, and most were from the four tozama domains of western Japan (Chōshū, Satsuma, Tosa and Hizen). Although from lower-ranked samurai families, they had risen to military leadership roles in their respective domains, and came from a Confucian-based educational background which stressed loyalty and service to society. Finally, most either had first-hand experience in travel overseas, or second-hand experience through contacts with foreign advisors in Japan. As a result, they knew of the military superiority of the western nations and of the need for Japan to unify, and to strengthen itself to avoid the colonial fate of its neighbors on the Asian continent. However, immediately after the resignation of Tokugawa Yoshinobu in 1867, with no official centralized government, the country was a collection of largely semi-independent daimyōs controlling feudal domains, held together by the military strength of the Satchō Alliance, and by the prestige of the Imperial Court in Kyoto.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In early March 1868, with the outcome of the Boshin War still uncertain, the new Meiji government summoned delegates from all of the domains to Kyoto to establish a provisional consultative national assembly. In April 1868, the Charter Oath was promulgated, in which Emperor Meiji set out the broad general outlines for Japan's development and modernization. Two months later, in June 1868, the Seitaisho was promulgated to establish the new administrative basis for the Meiji government. This administrative code was drafted by Fukuoka Takachika and Soejima Taneomi (both of whom had studied abroad and who had a liberal political outlook), and was a mixture of western concepts such as division of powers, and a revival of ancient structures of bureaucracy dating back to Nara period. A central governmental structure, or Daijōkan, was established.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1867: 1867 Milestone — However, immediately after the resignation of Tokugawa Yoshinobu in 1867, with no official centralized government, the country was a collection of largely semi-independent daimyōs controlling feudal domains, held together by the military strength of the Satchō Alliance, and by the prestige of the Imperial Court in Kyoto.
2. 1868: 1868 Milestone — In early March 1868, with the outcome of the Boshin War still uncertain, the new Meiji government summoned delegates from all of the domains to Kyoto to establish a provisional consultative national assembly.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Meiji government

True or False: “The initial administrative structure established in 1868 was called the Daijōkan.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The Meiji government initially established a central governmental structure known as the Daijōkan, which housed various key departments.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Albert Bassermann — Historical peer (Born in 1867) (1867): Esteemed German stage and screen actor, celebrated for his dramatic versatility.
• Amy Beach — Historical peer (Born in 1867) (1867): Pioneering American composer and pianist, celebrated for her large-scale art music.
• Abdülmecid II — Historical peer (Born in 1868) (1868): Last Ottoman Caliph and prominent Turkish aesthete, head of the Osmanoğlu family.
• Adah Isaacs Menken — Historical peer (Died in 1868) (1868): American actress, painter, and poet known for sensational stage performances.

Frequently Asked Questions about Meiji government