Meiji Period (oct 23, 1868 – jul 30, 1912)
Description:
The 1870's witnessed a Western craze, as numbers of people wore Western clothes and bought diamonds and gold watches.
The new government aimed to make Japan a democratic state with equality among everyone. The social classes of Tokugawa Japan had it's boundaries between each other gradually broken down. These social reforms caused samurai to lose all of their privileges.
Universal conscription was introduced, and a new army modeled after the Prussian force, and a navy after the British one were established.
Many Japanese scholars were sent abroad to study Western science and languages, while foreign experts taught in Japan.
Transportation and communication networks were improved by large government investments.
The textile industry grew the fastest and remained the largest Japanese industry until WW2.
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History of Japan 【日本のれきし】
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