...1868 in Japan as a 'restoration', but to those of the years following 1911 in China as 'revolutions'? Introduction The Meiji Restoration of 1868 in Japan and the Chinese Revolution of 1911 were responsible for producing an enormous amount of upheaval in both countries. Both nations were immersed in social, political and economic backwardness. In this context, both political episodes should be construed as an attempt to reverse decline and set the course for modernization. The main thesis of this essay is based on the notion that whilst there are some similarities between both political events, the main difference resides in the fact that the Meiji Restoration began the centralization of the mechanisms of governance and induced the social and economic modernization of the country. At the same time, the Chinese Revolution of 1911 did not succeed in engendering a sound system of government capable of reversing the country’s decline. The first part of the essay will deal with the main characteristics of the Meiji restoration of 1868. The second section of the essay will outline the main features pertaining to the Chinese Revolution of 1911. The third part of the essay will examine the similarities and differences between these two events, with the ultimate purpose of determining the qualitative differentiation to be made between the concepts of “restoration” and “revolutions”. The main characteristics of the Meiji restoration of 1868 The Meiji Restoration of 1868 can be interpreted...
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...“MEIJI ERA’s (1868-1912) IMPORTANCE IN JAPANESE MODERNIZATION.” Japan is a country that has never been colonised and was never colonised during the colonial period. It was governed by the Emperors, Shoguns, Daimyos and the Samurais through the feudal structure of governance with the Emperor as the head of the hierarchy. It maintained its isolationist policy and never opened-up to the outside world for centuries and was in a stagnant stage in terms of development. However, in the 19th Century it dumped its feudal past and subsequently emerged stronger and economically superior after the rubbles left behind by the Pacific War in the 20th Century. Japan showed her strength in the two World Wars. Japan is now ranked one of the world’s largest power/economy behind The United States and China. It is regarded as a distinct civilization of its own, with very unique history. To fully understand present day Japan and its economic miracle, critical investigation needs to be done on its past history to see where its foundation of modernity and industrialization has been laid. When investigation was done, it showed that the Meiji Era (1868-1912) is considered to be the upward trajectory that fired-up Japanese industrialization and helped establish its modernization path. This started when Japan’s pre-modern political system and its feudal society (1603-1865): the Edo Period, led by the Tokugawa Shogunate, with its band of radical samurais was ended in 1868. The Tokugawa Shogunate/central...
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...Meiji Japan. In 1867/68, the Tokugawa era found an end in the Meiji Restoration. The emperor Meiji was moved from Kyototo Tokyo which became the new capital; his imperial power was restored. The actual political power was transferred from the Tokugawa Bakufu into the hands of a small group of nobles and former samurai. Like other subjugated Asian nations, the Japanese were forced to sign unequal treaties with Western powers. These treaties granted the Westerners one-sided economical and legal advantages in Japan. In order to regain independence from the Europeans and Americans and establish herself as a respected nation in the world, Meiji Japan was determined to close the gap to the Western powers economically and militarily. Drastic reforms were carried out in practically all areas. The new government aimed to make Japan a democratic state with equality among all its people. The boundaries between the social classes of Tokugawa Japan were gradually broken down. Consequently, the samurai were the big losers of those social reforms since they lost all their privileges. The reforms also included the establishment of human rights such as religious freedom in 1873. In order to stabilize the new government, the former feudal lords (daimyo) had to return all their lands to the emperor. This was achieved already in 1870 and followed by the restructuring of the country in prefectures. The education system was reformed after the French and later after the German system. Among those...
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...The Meiji Era of Japanese history was a significant period of time where Japan shifted into a Western-oriented nation. In order to maintain pace with surrounding countries and their development, the Japanese consolidated their approach in order to compete with and benefit from other nations. Beginning in 1868, this long-term event initially intended to shift Imperial rule to Japan. Although there had been an emperor prior to the Meiji restoration period, this era strengthened the political system under the Emperor of Japan. The Japanese mainly relied on imported ideals during restoration in order to emulate Western nations who, in the Japanese eyes, were advanced and powerful. Due to the fact that Western nations were involved in Imperialism...
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...Contents 1. Introduction 2. Appointment 3. Powers 3.1 Powers exercised via the Emperor 3.2 Explicit powers 4. Current Cabinet of Japan 5. References 1. Introduction The Cabinet of Japan is the executive branch of the government of Japan. It consists of the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the Emperor after being designated by the National Diet, and up to nineteen other members, called Ministers of State. The Prime Minister is designated by the Diet, and the remaining ministers are appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister. The Cabinet is collectively responsible to the Diet and must resign if a motion of no confidence is adopted by the Diet. The modern Cabinet was established in December 1885. It replaced the Daijō-kan, the imperial administration since the Nara period, that had been reactivated after the Meiji restoration as its modernized variation. Under the Meiji Constitution, the Prime Minister and the cabinet were appointed by and responsible to the Emperor. Since the Constitution of Japan came into effect in 1947, the cabinet was reformed, with the Prime Minister being elected by the Diet and the cabinet being responsible to the Diet. 2. Appointment Under the constitution, Cabinet ministers are appointed after the selection of the Prime Minister. A majority of the Cabinet, including the Prime Minister, must be members of the Diet, and all members must be civilians. Under the Cabinet Law, the number of Cabinet Ministers (excluding the Prime...
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...[pic] TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 INTRODUCTION 5 KONGO GUMI ENVIRONMENT 7 Feudal Japan 8 The Restoration of Edo 8 The Meiji Restoration 9 World War 1 12 The Mid War Period 13 World War 2 15 The Occupation of Japan and Post War Reconstruction 16 The Economic Miracle 17 The Lost Decade 18 Global Financial Crisis 19 Natural Disasters 20 Abenomics 21 STRATEGIES KONGO GUMI USED TO SURVIVE TURBULENCE 23 Kongo Gumi in the 20th Century 23 Meiji restoration 23 The Mid War Period 24 World war 11 24 KONGO GUMI WOULD HAVE SURVIVED IF: 25 WOULD KONGO GUMI HAVE SURVIVED IF IT MADE IT THROUGH TO THE ABENOMICS ERA? 26 LESSONS FROM KONGO GUMI 27 CONCLUSION 28 REFERENCES 31 Appendix 1 – Infographic of Japan’s timeline EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Kongo Gumi was a success as it operated in a stable industry. The belief system has survived for thousands of years and has many millions of adherents. With this firm foundation, Kongo had survived some tumultuous times. The temple construction had until recently been a reliable mainstay, contributing 80% of Kongo Gumi's $67.6 million in 2004 revenues. The story of Kongo Gumi suggests that firms should blend elements of conservatism and flexibility. This means that firms should stay in the same business for more than a millennium and...
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...Japan’s economy in 1990 was 73 times bigger than in 1950, an unprecedented amount of growth. In 1945, just 5 years earlier, Japan lay in shambles. They were the subject of bombardments for almost four years and had the first ever atomic bombs dropped on two of their major cities: Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Most of the infrastructure, such as factories and railroads had been destroyed. How did Japan go from absolute shambles to one of the world’s largest and most developed economies in such a short period of time? One theory credits Japanese Prime Minister Ikeda who used monetary and fiscal policies to lower interest rates and taxes resulting in more capital investment. Another more mainstream theory credits the United States’ post-war policy of helping Japan rebuild via political and financial assistance is often given credit for helping Japan develop. A final theory, which this paper will argue precludes American policy, cites shifts in Japanese attitudes away from loyalty to an emperor and instead towards democratic institutions resulting in improved living standards. Although many factors and policies contributed to Japanese economic growth after World War Two, without a shift in attitude from Japanese citizens it would have been impossible to have economic success. The cultural beliefs of Japan that prevailed through world war two came from the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The Meiji government had three political priorities which, after implemented, shaped the views of Japanese...
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...both countries. Japan: Japan is known for it low crime rate and its unique policing styles and homogeneous society. Sam Bacca, Chief of Police in Albuquerque New Mexico stated, “This is police paradise”, while he was visiting Japan. (Rebenfien, 1989) “Every law enforcement officer would love to have a community like this”, he continued. (Rebenfien, 1989) Chief Baca and many others offers came to Japan to observe their police system and bring those ideas back to their community. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Statistics Bureau, Director-General for Policy Planning and Statistical Research and Training Institute reports Japan's total population in 2011 was 127.80 million and total density measured 343 persons per square kilometer in 2010. Japan has endured many trial and tribulations has a country, having to rebuild after wars and conflict. During the fourteen century short lived imperial rulers, followed by a new government established by the Ashikaja family, lasting for two centuries. (Sccnet, 1998) This was a time of great prosperity, following the way of the warrior, Bushido, the way of the warrior Japan feudalism hierarch after more than 265 years of consolidation, Japan was cut off from the rest of the world. There was a hierarchical order of society with strict social class divisions between the samurais, peasants, merchants, and artisans. Tokugawa family seized power in 1603. The Tokugawa’s ruled for fifteen...
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...the man responsible for the longest shongunate in Japan’s history, the Tokugawa shongunate. A man with such an accomplishment would only be talked from generation to generation as an example of a leader that drastically change Japans’ traditions and history. Ieyasu was one of three founders of the unified Japan, along side his former, Lord Oda Nobuga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Ieyasu achieved what most of his previous allies did not, a military regime so powerful and capable of uplifting Japan’s national spirit and traditions after the civil unrest and constant wars that once flew over this country. There is no doubt that Tokugawa’s regime was responsible for social change in Japanese society towards a medieval ruling. Junnosuke...
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...Contents General Models Nation Building and Political Development 1 Nation Building and War-fighting in Historical Perspective 4 Post Cold War Approaches to Nation-building: The Case of the United States: 6 Nation Building and War fighting: A Snapshot of the Record 8 Germany and Japan: misleading historical lessons, specious claims: 9 CONCLUSION 10 BIBLIOGRAPHY 11 ASSESS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WAR-FIGHTING AND NATION-BUILDING. Nothing is, and will remain in such short supply in the greater majority of the polities of the world’s ‘countryside’, as a sense of political community; and yet no such crucial term as ‘nation building’ has of recent been subjected to so much trivialisation and casual usage. This essay attempts to lay out what it is that nation building entails, as a background to assessing whatever linkage it may have with war fighting, causally or by coincidence. I outline existing schools of thought on nation building and demonstrate that it bore a clear relationship with war fighting especially in the dusk of the extensive empires of Western Europe. I argue that the United States had a much rosier experience by virtue of its geographical isolation, and of being constituted by an immigrant population, and as such, it may the least qualified actor to enforce nation building however construed. The essay points out the prevailing fallacy of conflating short-term post-conflict reconstruction with protracted nation building and state...
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...Japan’s Motorcycle Wars alexander.indd 1 4/14/2008 9:29:25 PM alexander.indd 2 4/14/2008 9:29:25 PM Jeffrey W. Alexander Japan’s Motorcycle Wars alexander.indd 3 An Industry History 4/14/2008 9:29:25 PM © UBC Press 2008 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the publisher, or, in Canada, in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from Access Copyright (Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency), www.accesscopyright.ca. 17 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 54321 Printed in Canada with vegetable-based inks on FSC-certified ancient-forest-free paper (100% post-consumer recycled) that is processed chlorine- and acid-free. Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Alexander, Jeffrey W. (Jeffrey William), 1972Japan’s motorcycle wars : an industry history / Jeffrey W. Alexander. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-0-7748-1453-9 1. Motorcycle industry – Japan – History. 2. Motorcycling – Japan – History. I. Title. HD9710.5.J32A43 2008 338.4’762922750952 C2007-907431-6 UBC Press gratefully acknowledges the financial support for our publishing program of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP), and of the Canada Council for the Arts, and the British Columbia Arts Council. This book has been...
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...the nature and conscquences of industrial capitalis~nand tlle consequent rise of nlodern politics. In the earlier Units. the growth of nation-states and thc nature of i~nperialist rivalries have also been discussed. We understand yo11 arc now bcttcr placed to see the two world wars as culmination of these diverse proccsses. Industrialization had signalled in fact the growth of new states that conlpeted with each other for global domination: and in the absence of riicclianis~iisfor peacefiil resolutions of internatiooa\ rivalries, armed conflicts on an al~llostglobal scale becanle incvit;ible. Since Europc had tdzological already been divided into ideologically defined camps, the war also ass~~rncd dimensions. In the first World War ideology was still in the background Rut the Socolld World War definitely saw tlie alliance of liberal democracy and sociali:;!n opposed to 1lie rightist dictatorial regimes. Interestingly the War did not fiilfil tlle objeciive of either campannihilation of the other. Soon after the end of arined conflict...
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...THE KOREAN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Cultural, Political, Economic Foundations Chan Sup Chang and Nahn Joo Chang Q Quorum Books Westport, Connecticut London Preface We approached the Korean management system from a cultural context. Although they share a common Oriental culture with other neighboring nations, Koreans maintain a unique culture. This culture, combined with the impact of the geopolitical environment of the Korean peninsula, results in a unique behavioral pattern. Thus, managers and workers in the Korean management system behave differently from their counterparts in other countries. The Koreans have accomplished remarkable economic success since the 1960s, and their management system has played a major role in contributing to this phenomenal economic achievement. Entrepreneurs, top executives, managers, and workers in the management system are all integral parts of the system, and they have performed their assigned jobs effectively. Therefore, to comprehend the unique nature of this Korean management system, we performed an in-depth analysis on its performance. The external environment of the Korean management system is a crucial factor in understanding it. In this kind of environment, the role of government is prominent because without active support from the government, no enterprise can survive and prosper. The government, in return, demands some favors from these enterprises, making this a quid pro quo, a unique feature of the Korean management system. We will...
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...AS LEVEL Specification HISTORY A H105 For first assessment in 2016 ocr.org.uk/alevelhistorya We will inform centres about any changes to the specification. We will also publish changes on our website. The latest version of our specification will always be the one on our website (ocr.org.uk) and this may differ from printed versions. Copyright © 2014 OCR. All rights reserved. Copyright OCR retains the copyright on all its publications, including the specifications. However, registered centres for OCR are permitted to copy material from this specification booklet for their own internal use. Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations is a Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England. Registered company number 3484466. Registered office: Hills Road 1 Cambridge CB1 2EU. OCR is an exempt charity. Contents Introducing… AS Level History A (from September 2015) Teaching and learning resources iv Why choose an OCR AS Level in History A? 1 1a. Why choose an OCR qualification? 1 1b. Why choose an OCR AS Level in History A? 2 1c. What are the key features of this specification? 3 1d. 2 iii Professional Development 1 ii How do I find out more information? 3 4 2a. Overview of AS Level in History A (H105) 4 2b. Content of AS Level in History A (H105) 5 2c. Content of unit group 1: British period study and enquiry (Units Y131 to Y143) 8 2c. ...
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...Chapter 1: The business systems of Asia Variety in the regional and general features Civilizational traditions • Confucianism • Taoism • Buddhism • Islam • Catholicism Historical external influences • Colonies • India establishing trading connections, mostly in South East Asia • Chinese who left China and settled as business people in the countries around the rim of the South China sea Periods: 1. 1945-1975 After the retreat of colonial powers, countries needed to reestablish their identity and political structures → hostility + Maoist experiments in China 2. 1975-1997 Relative calm period, stable growth, export to foreign countries, rise in FDI a. Mao’s death: collapse of communism → socialist market economy b. Japanese miracle c. Impressive growth of the South-Korean economy 3. Ersatz capitalism → Asian crisis in 1997: inefficient use of capital was covered up by the availability of easy money from governments, optimistic foreign investors lured by the emerging markets. The system could not keep up the pretence as it became sensitive to a downturn in the economic cycle which hit the region in 1997. → End of easy money and beginnings of reforms. 4. After 1997, reforms: • Improvements to accountability and disclosure in the financing of industry • Reduction of favoritism and corruption during control of licenses and capital • Opening of markets to foreign competition • Adoption of international standards in accounting, trading, IPR • General rise...
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