Social Impact of Westernisation in Meiji Japan

The Meiji era (1868-1912) in Japan was an era of significant social, political and economic change. After the fall of the previously reigning Tokugawa shogunate (Bakufu), the new Meiji rulers sought to advance Japanese social structures and become more modernised in order to compete and been seen as equals with the Western powers. In response to Westernisation, the Meiji regime brought about several significant social changes in the society of Japan. These included the abolishment of the feudal classes, the introduction of compulsory education, and movement away from previously defined ideals and roles, such as the position of women in the home and in the workplace.

Prior to the beginning of the Meiji regime in 1868, Japan was under the feudal rule of the Tokugawa Bakufu. For over 200 years the Tokugawa rulers kept Japan under a strict ‘closed country’ policy, out of fear that opening the country would allow dissemination of the corrupt ideas of Christianity and the possibility for Western alliance with Japanese dissidents . This seclusion meant that Japan was significantly cut off from the rest Asia and the world, only trading exclusively with the Dutch. Japanese citizens were prevented from leaving the country “on pain of death” and any western material was thoroughly scrutinized and censored before being allowed to enter the country . Despite the restricted resources available from the West, there was a strong belief that Japan “must study what the West had to teach in a variety of fields” . Although there was an inclination towards learning Western teachings, there was still a strong resistance to remain a separate identity, with military expert Sakuma Shozan putting forward the slogan ‘Eastern ethics, Western science’ (‘Tōy...

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