Japanese Industry example essay topic

386 words
SHORT ESSAY - MEIJI RESTORATION The Meiji restoration reshaped the way of Japanese living, culture and industry. Clothes, buildings, labour, speech and military were all modernised due to the adapted Western influence. The vision of hope in war was given to the neighbouring Asian countries. In the time of the Meiji revolution, Japanese culture was reformed to a large extent. The cultural ways of the Japanese society were completely changed when the country of Japan was forced to open its walls to the outside world.

The cause of this was a letter from the US President sent via a US Naval Commodore, Matthew Perry. Perry also offered the country a mechanical toy train and industrial ideas that could help Japan modernise their country. The firm social structure of the Japanese people was completely eliminated and instead substituted with the law that all people were to be treated equally and demand equal rights. The Japanese adapted Western speech, clothes and foods that became standard behaviour of the people.

The Samurais' were pulled down to the level of everybody else and were no longer being funded with rations. With all the positives there was bound to be set backs for the nation. The land for the farmers was now dealt out evenly between them. This made work quite stressful as most of them had to cultivate more than they started with. All citizens soon realised that these sacrifices had to be made to improve their industry. Upgrading the Japanese industry was the main objective of the Meiji and came with great expenses to the nation.

Railways, electricity, textile mills and mines were created in conjunction with the background Western ideas. The Japanese became major manufacturers of silk and silk products. The earnings were then used to construct the railway that travelled from Tokyo to Yokohama. To achieve such things adults and children were forced to work a gruelling 19 hours a day in terrible mining conditions. The worst place known for this was Battleship Island. The circumstances were dreadful, with families having to live in octopus dens and share only a few beds between them.

The miners were informed that any escape attempt would end in death.