Unification Methods of the Meiji Period

The Meiji government of Japan had stepped into power after the military power of the shogun and Bakufu fell. In efforts to change Japan for the better, the Meiji government decided that the best thing to do for the country is to unite it. The Meiji government, used the following 3 methods out of many to make an attempt at the unification of Japan. This is includes control by beliefs and liberality.
The Meiji government took over the previous feudal control and slowly replaced it with a constitutional government. Before the Meiji government could choose what type of government to reform their country into, they had to agree on what they thought would be the best for Japan. Unlike the previous system where the shogun were both symbolic and powerful, the emperor does not make decisions himself. The oligarchy, as a group held power whereas feudalism gave more power to one person. Power was more evenly spread which may have kept political disasters from happening. By letting one person make the final decisions is dangerous because he may have become corrupted by power and selfishness. If the decisions are made as a group, they are less likely to act in fear. They will have different life experiences and perspectives thus allowing a variety of opinions to contribute to the welfare of society. By transforming the government, it’s less likely that the government will do something to give advantage to only one person. More decisions will be made to support commoners and not just higher ranks. The Meiji government presented the emperor as a sacred and inviolable symbol in an effort to attain loyalty and unify Japan. By presenting the emperor as a person who cannot be disobeyed or harmed, people will have no choice but to follow whoever they believe is correct. Commoners will be obedient, which solves any problems that the government might have with opposition. The people’s worldviews will change and they will give reverence to the emperor then become loyal to the emperor.