Meiji Restoration

The 1868 political transformation that ended Tokugawa rule and established imperial government in Japan, beginning a period of rapid centralization and modernization under Emperor Meiji.

Tokugawa shogunate: The military government that ruled Japan from 1603 until 1868 under the Tokugawa family. Its loss of authority created the political opening the restorationaries used to end shogunal rule.
Charter Oath: The 1868 statement of principles issued in the emperor's name by Japan's new government. It publicly framed the government's reform program and its claim to rule in the emperor's name.
Conscription in Japan: The system of compulsory military service introduced in Japan in 1873. A national army replaced the samurai's former monopoly on military service.
Satsuma Rebellion: The 1877 uprising led by Saigō Takamori against Japan's Meiji government. It was the last major armed revolt by former samurai against the new order.
Perry Expedition: The 1853–1854 United States naval mission that pressured Japan to open ports to American ships. Its arrival intensified disputes over foreign policy and exposed the shogunate's vulnerability.
Abolition of the han system: The 1871 replacement of Japan's feudal domains with prefectures administered by the central government. It removed the domains that had held regional authority and resources under the Tokugawa order.
Land Tax Reform of 1873: A Meiji reform that replaced rice-based levies with a national land tax assessed in money. Reliable cash revenue gave the central government a fiscal base independent of domain lords.
First Sino-Japanese War: The 1894–1895 war between Japan and Qing China over influence in Korea. Japan's victory demonstrated the military power built by the Meiji state.
Convention of Kanagawa: The 1854 agreement that opened two Japanese ports to American ships and established diplomatic relations. The agreement became a flashpoint for criticism of the shogunate's concessions to foreign powers.
Meiji Constitution: Japan's 1889 constitution, which established an imperial state with a parliament and defined formal political institutions. It gave the centralized state a constitutional framework after two decades of reform.

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