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CHAPTER
13
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1
ECTION
Class
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Section Summary
JAPAN MODERNIZES
In 1603, shoguns seized power in Japan and closed it to foreigners. For more than 200 years, Japan was isolated from the world.
Over time, many Japanese became discontent. They suffered
financial hardship and had no political power. The government
responded by trying to revive old ways. They tried emphasizing
farming over commerce. These efforts had little success. The
shoguns’ power weakened.
Then, in 1853, a fleet of well-armed U.S. ships arrived. They
were led by Commodore Matthew Perry, who demanded that
Japan open its ports. Japan was unable to defend itself, so it
was forced to sign treaties that gave the United States trading
rights. Disgraced by the terms of these treaties, daimyo and
samurai revolted. The revolt unseated the shogun and restored
the emperor Mutsuhito to power. Mutsuhito moved to the
shogun’s palace in the city of Edo, which was renamed Tokyo.
This began a long reign known as the Meiji Restoration.
The Meiji reformers wanted to create a new political and
social system. Their constitution made all citizens equal. A legislature, or Diet, was formed. Meiji leaders also wanted to
build a modern industrial economy. The government supported powerful families, known as zaibatsu. These families ruled
over industrial empires. Japan modernized very quickly. This
was partly due to Japan’s strong sense of identity caused by its
homogeneous society. Its people shared a common culture
and language.
Japan needed natural resources for industry. This need and
the desire to equal the West pushed Japan to build an empire.
First, Japan forced Korea to open its ports for trade. Next, competition between Japan and China in Korea led to the First
Sino-Japanese War, which Japan won. Japan gained ports in
China and won control over Taiwan. Then, Japan successfully
battled Russia in the Russo-Japanese War. By the early 1900s,
Japan was the strongest power in Asia.
Review Questions
1. What caused the daimyo and samurai to revolt?
2. What right did all citizens gain under the Meiji constitution?
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141
READING CHECK
Why did Japan have a strong
sense of identity?
VOCABULARY STRATEGY
Find the word emphasizing in the
underlined sentence. What does
it mean? Look for context clues
in the surrounding words. For
example, what clue does the
word over provide about the
relationship of farming to commerce? To what does “old
ways” refer here? Use these
clues to help you figure out what
emphasizing means.
READING SKILL
Identify Causes and Effects
What was one cause and one
effect of the coming to Japan of
Perry’s fleet?