The Meiji Restoration And The Charter Oath Of 1868

The Meiji Restoration began in Kyōto, the ancient imperial capital of Japan, on January 3, 1868. This revolution’s goal was to restore an emperor back into a place of power. The Restoration was run by a couple of young samurais from the hans, or feudal domains, who were stereotypically hostile to the Tokugawa rulers. In the end, the Meiji Restoration was a success because it overthrew the Tokugawa rule, which was run as a military-style government, and replaced it with the traditional imperial style of government, under the rule of Emperor Meiji, the dictator of their choosing. There were a few long-term causes of the Restoration, they had many domestic problems, such as the lack of power that the Tokugawa ruler had. Many leaders believed

Neither ethnic nor religious conflict played a role in their revolution. The leaders of the Meiji Restoration wanted to accomplish five major goals that were listed in the Charter Oath of 1868. Their first goal was that “deliberative assemblies shall be widely established and all matters decided by public discussion.” They accomplished this by creating a constitutional monarchy, where they had an emperor to represent their traditional roots, but used a constitution that let the people have a say. In their constitution, they give all “Japanese subjects shall, within the limits of law, enjoy the liberty of speech, writing, publication, public meetings and associations.” This way the subjects of Japan can give their input to the government without punishment, unlike how it was with the military-style of government. Their second goal was for “all classes, high and low, shall unite in vigorously carrying out the administration of affairs of state.” The revolutionaries believed in equality and wanted all classes to integrate unlike how it was during the Tokugawa rule where none of the classes could mix. The Meiji Restoration’s third major goal was to make sure that “the common people, no less than the civil and military officials, shall each be allowed to pursue his own calling so that there may be no discontent.” This means that any person, no matter what social class they are in can attempt to have any job that they want. Their new twist on an old style of government does not want anyone to be discriminated against because of the amount of money they have. The fourth goal of the revolution was that all “evil customs of the past shall be broken off and everything based upon the just laws of Nature.” The new generation of revolutionaries believe that many of the old traditions were evil and that they should just follow what “nature” ,or fate, wants them