Meiji era: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{short description|Period of Japanese history (1868–1912)}}

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{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}

{{Use American English|date=June 2020}}

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| caption = [[Emperor Meiji]] (1872)

| before = [[Keiō]]

| including = {{plainlist|*[[Meiji Constitution]]

*[[Japanese invasion of Taiwan (1874)]]

*[[Meiji Constitution]]

*[[Ganghwa Island incident|Japanese invasion of Korea]]

*[[First Sino-Japanese War]]

*[[Japanese invasion of Taiwan (1895)]]

*[[Eight-Nation Alliance]]▼

*[[Boxer Rebellion]]

▲**[[Eight-Nation Alliance]]

*[[Russo-Japanese War]]

}}▼

| after = [[Taishō era|Taishō]]

| monarch = [[Emperor Meiji|Meiji]]

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periods}}

The {{Nihongo|'''Meiji era'''|明治時代|Meiji jidai|{{IPA-|ja|meꜜː(d)ʑi||TomJ-Meiji.ogg}}}} was an [[Japanese era name|era]] of [[History of Japan|Japanese history]] that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912.<ref>Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Meiji''" in {{Google books|p2QnPijAEmEC|''Japan encyclopedia,'' p. 624|page=624}}; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, ''see'' [https://archive.today/20120524174828/http://dispatch.opac.ddb.de/DB=4.1/PPN?PPN=128842709 Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File].</ref> The Meiji era was the first half of the [[Empire of Japan]], when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated [[feudalism|feudal society]] at risk of colonization by [[Western world|Western]] powers to the new paradigm of a modern, industrialized [[nation state]] and emergent [[great power]], influenced by [[Western world|Western]] scientific, technological, philosophical, political, legal, and aesthetic ideas. As a result of such wholesale adoption of radically different ideas, the changes to Japan were profound, and affected its social structure, internal politics, economy, military, and foreign relations. The period corresponded to the reign of [[Emperor Meiji]]. It was preceded by the [[Keiō era]] and was succeeded by the [[Taishō era]], upon the accession of [[Emperor Taishō]].

The rapid modernization during the Meiji era was not without its opponents, as the rapid changes to society caused many disaffected traditionalists from the former [[samurai]] class to rebel against the Meiji government during the 1870s, most famously [[Saigō Takamori]] who led the [[Satsuma Rebellion]]. However, there were also former samurai who remained loyal while serving in the Meiji government, such as [[Itō Hirobumi]] and [[Itagaki Taisuke]].

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[[File:Meiji tenno1.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Emperor Meiji]] {{circa|1888}}]]

In as muchInasmuch as the Meiji Restoration had sought to return the Emperor to a preeminent position, efforts were made to establish a [[Shinto]]-oriented state much like it was 1,000 years earlier. Since Shinto and Buddhism [[Shinbutsu-shūgō|had molded into a syncretic belief]] in the prior one-thousand years and Buddhism had been closely connected with the shogunate, this involved the separation of Shinto and Buddhism ([[shinbutsu bunri]]) and the associated destruction of various Buddhist temples and related violence ([[haibutsu kishaku]]). Furthermore, a new [[State Shinto]] had to be constructed for the purpose. In 1871, the [[Office of Shinto Worship]] ([[:ja:神祇省]]) was established, ranking even above the Council of State in importance. The ''[[kokutai]]'' ideas of the Mito school were embraced, and the divine ancestry of the [[Imperial Household of Japan|Imperial House]] was emphasized. The government supported Shinto teachers, a small but important move. Although the Office of Shinto Worship was demoted in 1872, by 1877 the [[Home Ministry (Japan)|Home Ministry]] controlled all Shinto shrines and certain Shinto sects were given state recognition. Shinto was released from Buddhist administration and its properties restored. Although Buddhism suffered from state sponsorship of Shinto, it had its own resurgence. Christianity also was legalized, and Confucianism remained an important ethical doctrine. Increasingly, however, Japanese thinkers identified with Western ideology and methods.

== Politics ==

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The [[Industrial Revolution]] in Japan occurred during the Meiji era. The industrial revolution began around 1870 as Meiji era leaders decided to catch up with the West. The government built railroads, improved roads, and inaugurated a land reform program to prepare the country for further development. It inaugurated a new Western-based education system for all young people, sent thousands of students to the United States and Europe, and hired more than 3,000 Westerners to teach modern science, mathematics, technology, and foreign languages in Japan (O-yatoi gaikokujin).

In 1871, a group of Japanese politicians known as the [[Iwakura Mission]] toured Europe and the US to learn western ways. The result was a deliberate state-led industrialization policy to enable Japan to quickly catch up. The [[Bank of Japan]], founded in 1877, used taxes to fund model steel and textile factories.

Modern industry first appeared in textiles, including cotton and especially silk, which was based in home workshops in rural areas.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Allen|first=George Cyril|title=A short economic history of modern Japan, 1867-1937|date=1972|publisher=Allen and Unwin|isbn=0-04-330201-7|edition=3rd rev.|location=London|oclc=533080}}</ref> Due to the importing of new textile manufacturing technology from Europe, between 1886 and 1897, Japan's total value of yarn output rose from 12 million to 176 million yen. In 1886, 62% of yarn in Japan was imported; by 1902, most yarn was produced locally. By 1913, Japan was producing 672 million pounds of yarn per year, becoming the world's fourth-largest exporter of cotton yarn.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor|last=Landes|first=David S.|publisher=Norton|year=1999|location=New York|pages=379–80}}</ref>

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{{Clear}}

==Conversion tabletables==

To convert any [[Gregorian calendar]] year between 1868 and 1912 to [[Japanese calendar]] year in Meiji era, 1867 needs to be subtracted from the year in question.▼

===Before 1873===

Prior to Japan adopting the [[Gregorian calendar]], it used the [[Lunisolar calendar|lunisolar]] Japanese calendar. The first five years of the era correspond to the following date ranges in the Gregorian calendar:

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Conversion table for the first five years of the Meiji era to the Gregorian calendar

! Meiji year !! Gregorian date range

|-

| 1 || October 23, 1868 – February 10, 1869

|-

| 2 || February 11, 1869 – January 31, 1870

|-

| 3 || February 1, 1870 – February 18, 1871

|-

| 4 || February 19, 1871 – February 8, 1872

|-

| 5 || February 9 – December 31, 1872

▲}|}

Conversely, the conversion table of Gregorian calendar years 1868 to 1872 to the traditional Japanese lunisolar calendar is shown below:

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Conversion table of Gregorian calendar years 1868 to 1872 to the Japanese lunisolar calendar

! Gregorian year !! Japanese calendar range

|-

| 1868 || [[Keiō]] 3/12/7 – Meiji 1/11/18

|-

| 1869 || Meiji 1/11/19 – 2/11/29

|-

| 1870 || Meiji 2/11/30 – 3/11/10

|-

| 1871 || Meiji 3/11/11 – 4/11/20

|-

| 1872 || Meiji 4/11/21 – 5/12/2

|}

===Since 1873===

▲On January 1, 1873, Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar. To convert any [[Gregorian calendar]] year between 18681873 and 1912 to [[Japanese calendar]] year in Meiji era, 1867 needs to be subtracted from the year in question.

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|-

!Meiji|| 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 || 11 || 12 || 13 || 14 || 15 || 16 || 17 || 18

|-

|AD|| 1868 || 1869 || 1870 || 1871 || 1872 || 1873 || 1874 || 1875 || 1876 || 1877 || 1878 || 1879 || 1880 || 1881 || 1882 || 1883 || 1884 || 1885

|-

!Meiji|| 17 || 18 || 19 || 20 || 21 || 22 || 23 || 24 || 25 || 26 || 27 || 28 || 29 || 30 || 31 || 32

|-

|AD|| 1884 || 1885 || 1886 || 1887 || 1888 || 1889 || 1890 || 1891 || 1892 || 1893 || 1894 || 1895 || 1896 || 1897 || 1898 || 1899

|-

!Meiji|| 33 || 34 || 35 || 36 || 37 || 38 || 39 || 40 || 41 || 42 || 43 || 44 || 45