The Making of Modern Japan: An Account of the Progress of Japan from Pre-feudal Days to Constitutional Government & the Position of a Great Power, With Chapters on Religion, the Complex Family System, Education, &c

In Short

This historical study outlines the political, administrative, and social evolution of Japan as it transitions from feudal isolation under the Tokugawa Shōgunate to a recognized global power. It charts the redistribution of feudal domains, the fall of the Shōgunate, the Restoration led by Western clans, and the establishment of a Bavarian-model constitution. Incorporating examinations of religion, ancestor worship, the legal status of women, and family structures, the work survives as a detailed eyewitness overview of rapid modernization, documenting how traditional feudal customs transformed into a centralized constitutional monarchy.

The Story

The narrative opens with the structural foundation of Tokugawa rule established by Iyéyasu. Through sweeping redistributions of feudal fiefs and rigid control over the Imperial Court and regional nobility, the Shōgunate enforces stability across Japan for centuries. However, the arrival of foreign powers and forced treaty negotiations in the mid-nineteenth century ignite severe domestic political friction. A sharp divide emerges between the Yedo administration and the Kyoto Court, compounded by intense anti-foreign sentiment and factional disputes over Shōgunal succession. Regent Ïi moves decisively against political rivals, confining opposing lords to their residences and signing foreign treaties under pressure from incoming Western warships, setting off an unstoppable political crisis.

This friction culminates in civil war, the collapse of Tokugawa authority, and the Restoration of 1868. Driven primarily by four powerful south-western clans—Satsuma, Chōshiū, Hizen, and Tosa—the new government reorganizes the nation under Imperial authority. The regime swiftly abolishes the feudal system, revamps land tenure, and adopts Western innovations, including the Gregorian calendar in 1873. These rapid changes generate deep unrest among displaced ex-samurai who find themselves stripped of traditional privileges and income. Discontent erupts into armed conflict during the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion, led by Saigō. Despite the formidable reputation of the Satsuma swordsmen, government forces leverage modern transport, telegraphs, and superior material wealth to suppress the uprising, firmly solidifying centralized state power.

With domestic security secured, the government turns toward institutional reform and international recognition. Leaders navigate early experiments with political parties, though internal squabbles and the absence of an elected assembly hamper initial progress. In 1889, the Emperor promulgates a constitutional framework modeled on Bavarian principles, maintaining strong Imperial prerogatives and an independent Cabinet while creating a national legislature. Parallel efforts focus on abolishing unequal foreign treaties. Long negotiations with Western nations, particularly Great Britain under Lord Salisbury, eventually secure treaty revisions that end extraterritoriality and grant tariff autonomy.

Japan's regional influence expands dramatically through military victories over China and Russia. Following the Treaty of Portsmouth, Japan establishes control over the South Manchurian Railway, secures a protectorate over Korea, and ultimately annexes the Korean peninsula. Abroad, new diplomatic complexities arise, including friction with the United States following the California School Question of 1906. Concurrently, internal social reforms reformulate legal codes: parental authority is moderated, and women gain rights to own property, act as guardians, and head households. Ultimately, the sweeping sequence of political realignment, social modernization, and strategic expansion cements Japan's position as a major constitutional power on the world stage.

How It Unfolds

The feudal order Iyéyasu consolidates central authority by executing a sweeping redistribution of territorial fiefs across the Japanese provinces. By subjecting the Imperial Court and placing trusted Tokugawa branches in strategic regions, he creates a rigid administrative framework. This stable political order suppresses clan rivalries and maintains national peace for centuries.

Pressure at the gates The arrival of foreign warships forces open treaty negotiations, triggering intense conflict between the Yedo Shōgunate and the Imperial Court in Kiōto. Regent Ïi strikes back against his conservative detractors by ordering the house arrest of prominent opposition leaders and forcing key daimiōs to abdicate. Despite mounting domestic anger, the government signs foreign agreements to head off military intervention.

Restoration and resistance A coalition of four southwestern clans—Satsuma, Chōshiū, Hizen, and Tosa—unites to overthrow Tokugawa rule and re-establish Imperial supremacy. The incoming leadership rapidly dismantles feudal structures, adopting Western tools such as the Gregorian calendar despite public confusion over shortened financial settlement periods. Over time, early prohibitions against Christian worship are rescinded and exiles are allowed to return.

The samurai clash Edicts forbidding the wearing of swords alienate traditional warriors, prompting figures like Shimadzu to withdraw permanently into private retirement. Tensions culminate in the Satsuma Rebellion under Saigō, who marches north to besiege Kumamoto castle. Government forces ultimately utilize railways, telegraphs, and sea power to crush the revolt, ending armed samurai resistance.

Framing the state Early efforts to form parliamentary parties founder due to leader departures and internal disunion among Liberal factions. In 1889, the Emperor solemnizes the promulgation of the Constitution with an Imperial Oath at a Shintō shrine. Modelled largely on Bavarian precedent, the document establishes an independent Cabinet responsible directly to the Crown.

Empire and outer horizons Diplomatic persistence yields treaty revision with Great Britain, eliminating extraterritorial concessions and establishing tariff autonomy. Following military triumphs over China and Russia, Japan secures Manchurian railway concessions and establishes a protectorate over Korea. These expansionist achievements elevate Japan to international prominence, even as new diplomatic friction arises with the United States.

The People

Iyéyasu seeks absolute administrative stability across the realm. Faced with regional warlords and an independent Imperial Court, he reorganizes territorial fiefs and establishes strict subordination over nobility, laying down centuries of Tokugawa hegemony.

Regent Ïi aims to maintain government control while confronting forceful Western demands for open trade. Blocked by aggressive anti-foreign sentiment from the Imperial Court and the House of Mito, he uses his authority to purge political opponents and sign foreign treaties, accelerating the downfall of the Shōgunate.

Saigō strives to protect the honor and influence of the traditional warrior class amid rapid modernization. Confronted by new government edicts prohibiting swords and stripping samurai privileges, he leads Satsuma forces in open rebellion against the state, only to be overwhelmed by government forces wielding modern logistics and technology.

Shimadzu desires to preserve traditional feudal dignity in a changing nation. Dismayed by progressive edicts banning samurai weaponry, he resigns his ministerial office and retires quietly to Kagoshima, stepping away from political life forever.

Lord Salisbury seeks to resolve long-standing treaty friction between Great Britain and Japan while securing commercial access. Hindered by Japanese political jealousy and popular fears regarding foreign land ownership, his liberal revision proposals are initially shelved, yet they eventually pave the way for Japan's full diplomatic equality.

In Its Own Voice

Reflecting on the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar, the author details the sudden adjustment forced upon the populace:

In Japan there was more reason for complaint, for the year 1872 was shortened by no less than twenty-nine days, what would, under the old calendar, have been the third day of the twelfth month of the fifth year of Meiji being altered so as to become the first day of the first month of the sixth year of Meiji (January 1st, 1873).

In analyzing the political character of the Restoration, the text clarifies its origin among warrior elites:

The impulse that produced it did not come from the body of the people.

Regarding the spiritual traditions embedded in Japanese ancestor-worship, the narrative notes their consoling cultural effect:

Thus the mischief wrought by time is lessened, while death is robbed of a part of its terrors.

What It's Really About

The work centers on the structural mechanisms of state transformation and the delicate tension between tradition and rapid modernization. It argues that Japan’s modern revolution was not a popular class uprising, but a calculated realignment driven by elite military clans seeking to protect national sovereignty against Western encroachment. Underneath the narrative of constitutional drafting and administrative reforms lies a persistent study of cultural continuity. The text explores how deeply ingrained customs—such as ancestor worship, family obligations, and clan ties—persisted beneath imported Western frameworks. Ultimately, it investigates how a nation can radically overhaul its political, legal, and military architecture on the global stage without forfeiting the underlying social structures and spiritual traditions that define its national identity.

Why Read It Today

Historians and readers interested in East Asian diplomatic history will value this work for its methodical, firsthand perspective on Japan's Meiji era. Writing with administrative precision, the author offers a structured, measured narrative that balances broad geopolitical movements with specific policy details, such as land tenure, tax reforms, and legal codes. What stays with the reader is the stark depiction of how rapidly an isolated feudal society constructed modern institutions, from telegraph lines to a Bavarian-style constitution.

However, readers should prepare for period-specific friction within the text. The writing reflects nineteenth-century diplomatic prose and colonial-era terminology, occasionally displaying patronizing Western attitudes toward Japanese administrative practices and religious customs. The pace can feel dense, weighted down by extensive lists of feudal territories, complex legal distinctions, and detailed breakdowns of diplomatic correspondence. Yet for those willing to navigate its formal, bureaucratic tone, the account delivers an invaluable primary view of how nineteenth-century statecraft was documented and understood by Western observers during a turning point in world history.