Japanese Force Change

The once isolated country of Japan was forced into a age that had left them behind. This created a need for the country to advance without the westerners taking from them. This caused the government to change what was apart of them, to the new modern ideas that the world had created. They took away previous rights that was there for over a decade. They added more western ideas into their country to keep up with those that had left them.

The government pushed hard for these changes. They modernized their economy and transportation at first, but then started working towards the people and how they lived. This started with the warriors the Samurai. Those who have been above the law for as long as Japan has been around.

Limiting and eliminating most of them was the first step as the modern countries did not have a warrior class that was above the law. They slowly started by taking away specific rights to the Samurai. They then began to outright go against them and the core of the Samurai. This lead to the Samurai being a dying caste when modernization was going on and the true upper class was taking the power.

This expands with the lower class in a more difficult way as the Emperor sends people to study and take away what works for their country and bring it back to Japan. The Meiroku Zasshi was what came out of it. This was a series of essays over how this change can benefit the people of Japan. This helped the people understand what was better for their country. The Meiroku Zasshi talked about social programs such as public transportation and public schooling for everyone. As well as a small taste of democracy that the Japanese copied a little of and added some aspects to their own constitution. Allowing the lower classes to change along with the rest of the country.

The government also wished for a new look of Japan and in such change how they dressed. The upper class such as the military generals and emperor started wearing a western style outfits. This gave the look that Japan was modernizing along with the rest of the world. This upper class change started to go down to the lower classes and changed them as well.

With the whole of Japans upper class suggesting and changing it is only time that the lower classes will as well. They begin to change from the traditional styles of Japan to the modern look. They switch from kimonos to suits and dresses.

The Reformation ending in late 1800s created a new empire in Asia. They used their new power to expand to Korea and into the pacific. They created their Empire of Japan that would last until 1945 at the end of WW2.