Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Japan - Revolution and Modernization: thoughts and reflections

          Just before the eighteen-fifties, if a traveler were to visit Japan they would remark about its primitive structure of government and society. The mix of sexes in bath houses, and the chaotic sport of sumo-wrestling where two of the more primitive parts of the Japanese' lifestyle. The lack of an overruling government was another. When concerned with the separation of rights between foreigners and native Japanese, the government did not step in to establish any laws that should be in place. This would all soon change though, because of the 20 years of modernization that, however creating pollution and unhappiness, would hep Japan to become a wold power. 
          Japan modernized in a few different ways. They created the position of the emperor to establish an overruling monarch in charge of running the government. A mint was created in order to produce imperial coinage for the country, they replaced their feudal domains with prefectures, adopted the solar calendar, built railways, created a compulsory education and military system, and permitted marriage between different social classes. Later on in the eighteen-seventies, large factories were created and sold to private owners while a western-style postal system was in development. Japan also started to bring in english teachers and workers to further bring in western influence into Japan. These different small contributions to Japan were what advanced it from an isolated country to a major world power.  


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