How was the “West” defined geographically in the 19th century?
What did the slogan “Civilization and Enlightenment” (bunmei kaika 文明開化) mean to Japanese of the Meiji Period?
200 foreigners, Late Tokugawa
4,000 foreigners, 1868-1912
Teachers and technical experts
40 French military advisers, mid-1870s
4-5 French and 7 German military advisers, mid-1880s
150 scholarship students, Late Tokugawa, 1862-68
#7 Inoue Kaoru & #14 Itō Hirobumi
Science and technology
350 scholarship students, 1871-3
Science, technology, engineering, business, law, medicine
900 self-supported students, 1868-1900
Science, humanities, social sciences
Late Tokugawa diplomatic missions
Fukuzawa Yûkichi
*Iwakura mission, 1871-3
US (7 mo.), Britain (4 mo.), France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Leaders:
*#1 Iwakura Tomomi-Court
*#3 Ōkubo Toshimichi-Satsuma
*#4 Kido Takayoshi-Choshu
50 Government officials
#14 Itō Hirobumi
3 sections
1) Constitutions and laws
2) Finance, trade, industry, and communications
3) Education
5 volume report
*Fukuzawa Yûkichi, Conditions in the West, 1866-70
Philosophy, fiction, and science translated
Yōshū Chikanobu, "Court Ladies Sewing Western Clothing"
"Monkey Show Dressing Room," Marumaru chimbun, 1879
Western societies as model
Unequal treaties
Mobilization of common people
Original inner circle
*#1 Iwakura Tomomi
Favors authoritarianism
*#2 Saigō Takamori
Resigns over Korea & Samurai, 1873
*#3 Ōkubo Toshimichi, assassinated 1878
Home Minister, 1875-78
Favors authoritarianism
*#4 Kido Takayoshi, d. 1877
Pro-Constitution
*#2 Saigō Takamori
Represents disaffected loyalist samurai
*#9 Itagaki Taisuke (Tosa)
#10 Gotō Shojirō (Tosa)
Resigned, 1873
1874 petition
Elected legislature, end to "tyranny"
Subtext: Anti-Satsuma, Chōshū
Supporters from excluded upper classes
Samurai, wealthy farmers, merchants
*#1 Iwakura Tomomi
*#11 Ōkuma Shigenobu, Finance, out 1881
*#12 Yamagata Aritomo, Defense
*#14 Itō Hirobumi, Public Works
Males over 25
Appointed governor retains veto
Sought to influence constitution
Liberal Party, 1881
*#9 Itagaki Taisuke, #10 Gotō Shojirō
Tosa, rural wealthy
Progressive Party, 1882
*#11 Ōkuma Shigenobu
Hizen, city businessmen
Press Ordinance, 1875
Public Assembly Ordinance, 1880
Peace Preservation Ordinance, 1887
Popularized ideas of constitutionalism
Encouraged acceptance of parties in government
Fact finding mission, 1882-3
Germany, Austria, France and Britain
Why no visit to USA?
Writing process, 1885-88
2 German advisors
Why a German model?
"Gift from the Emperor"
Promulgated, Feb. 11, 1889
What is the role of the Emperor as detailed in Chapter I?
Art. 3: “sacred and inviolable”
Art. 10: Chief executive Appoints prime minister
Art. 11: Commander-in-chief of Army and Navy Army reports directly to him
Chief executive
Appoints prime minister
Commander of Army and Navy
Army reports directly to emperor
What is the role of the Diet as detailed in Chapter III?
Art. 64: Approves budget
Art. 71: Loophole
House of Representatives
Electorate: Adult males paying taxes of 15+ yen
5% of adult males, 1% of pop.
House of Peers
Daimyo, court nobles, Meiji leaders
National pride
2,000+ candidates fan for 300 seats
95% turnout of eligible voters
Anti-government parties took 2/3 of seats
Prime minister & cabinet “Ministers of State”
Genrō: “elder statesmen”
Personal advisers to emperor
*#6 Matsukata Masayoshi, Satsuma
#7 Inoue Kaoru, Chōshū
*#12 Yamagata Aritomo, Chōshū
#13 Kuroda Kiyotaka, Satsuma
*#14 Itō Hirobumi, Chōshū
9 men, 1890-1915
Need for consensus
Rivalries develop: Yamagata vs. Itō
Diet must pass budget
Privy council membership
Influence over emperor
Art. 71: Loophole in constitution