At the beginning of the opening of Japan, it had a monarchical and feudal structure, it was like China, a country opposed to maintaining relations with foreign peoples. The emperor or Mikado was, in truth, a spiritual sovereign, since he was subject to the Shogun, true political and military chief, residing in the city of Tokyo.
European countries and, especially, the United States of America, as they had done with China, also harbored the intention of opening Japan's ports to international trade; They would also achieve this through military actions .
Indeed, in 1853, a powerful North American fleet, under the command of Commodore Perry it appeared in Tokyo Bay, and so impressed the Japanese that they had to give up two ports for American trade. Shortly after, the European powers obtained identical concessions.
Consequences
The opening of Japan, at the same time that it started an internal political evolution that contributed to invigorate the monarchy, meant the initiation of a prodigious Era of Progress , of unusual development due, precisely, to the implementation of Western Civilization (Japanese Europeanization), thanks, precisely, to the fruitful work undertaken by Emperor Mutsu Hito.
Over the years, Japan has become one of the greatest powers not only in Asia but in the world. Until, in the last century, it faced Russia, waged a long conflict with China and, finally, entered into conflict with the United States of America (1941-1945), a nation that managed to defeat it by using the atomic bomb.
Japanese Europeanization
Shortly after, Mutsu Hito took a bold step:convinced of the superiority of European civilization, he decided to implant it throughout the country, thus beginning the so-called Meiji Era or the Enlightenment. No people have ever made such an astonishing change:in less than thirty years, Feudal Japan was transformed into a modern nation, placing itself undisputedly at the head of all of Asia. First of all he reorganized the armed forces, soon having a modern army and a powerful fleet, according to the German and English models. Numerous railway lines were laid, the telegraph linked all the cities of the country, and little by little a prodigious metallurgical and textile industry developed, which, counting on very cheap labor, began to compete in price and quality with the European ones.
Justice adopted the Western Codes, and compulsory vaccination, the use of the calendar and European suits were established; at the same time the government evolved towards democracy, through the institution of Houses of Representatives elected by the people and with Ministers responsible to the Emperor.
In this way. Mitsu-Hito was rightly considered the founder of modern Japan; During the 45 years of his reign, the Empire retained its spirit and traditional pride, but was organized in the style of the most powerful nations in the world.