WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -In a wider context, however, the Meiji Restoration of 1868 came to be identified with the subsequent era of major political, economic, and social change-the Meiji period (1868–1912)-that brought about the modernization and Westernization of the country.

Detailed explanation-2: -Japan’s isolation came to an end in 1853 when Commodore Matthew Perry of the United States Navy, commanding a squadron of two steam ships and two sailing vessels, sailed into Tokyo harbor. He sought to force Japan to end their isolation and open their ports to trade with U.S merchant ships.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Meiji Restoration of 1868 toppled the long-reigning Tokugawa shoguns of the Edo period and propelled Japan into the modern era. Japan’s Edo period, which lasted from 1603 to 1867, would be the final era of traditional Japanese government, culture and society.

Detailed explanation-4: -It was the Meiji Restoration that finally abolished the strict class system and created a more free and democratic system that allowed the Japanese people to unleash their full potential. Under this new democratic system, Japan modernized and developed rapidly.

Detailed explanation-5: -To win the recognition of the Western powers and convince them to change the unequal treaties the Japanese had been forced to sign in the 1850s, Japan changed its entire legal system, adopting a new criminal and civil code modeled after those of France and Germany.