What happened during the transition from Tokugawa to Meiji Era

The Meiji Revolution
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Introduction
Japanese history is rich in political, social, and economic variations. One of Japan's history-defining chapters occurred in the 19th century, just after the world's more extraordinary powers finished industrialization. Consequently, they began expanding and searching for new areas to influence, with Asia being one of them. Foreign ships started appearing on Japan's shores with regularity, aiming to create trading ties. This essay analyzes the impact of westernization on Tokugawa's regime, the revolution, and Japan's state during the Meiji Period.
The transition from Tokugawa to Meiji Era
From 1603-1868, Japanese society was under the Tokugawa shogunate rule, popularly known as the Edo period. This period is characterized by abundant economic growth, a stable population, isolationist foreign policies, and strict social order enforcement. Japan's political system evolved with the inclusion of a code of laws established to regulate the daimyō houses. The code ranged from rules on private conduct, marriage, dress to the types of weapons and numbers of troops allowed. Tokugawa shogunate's regime went to great lengths to suppress social unrest in the society. Harsh penalties such as crucifixion, beheading, and death by boiling were the decree for even the minor offenses. Criminals from higher social classes were given the seppuku option ("self-disembowelment"). This was a form of suicide that became an ancient ritual in Japan. A religion such as Christianity was gradually restricted until it was finally outlawed to prevent further descent in the society. The sakoku ("closed country") isolationist policy meant that the Japanese people were forbidden from traveling overseas or building water vessels CITATION Lum21 \l 1033 (Lumenlearning, 2021). Only selected Europeans like the Dutch were granted trading spots and several foreign books banned from import.
Studies in the Edo period were characterized by Western sciences and techniques (called rangaku, "Dutch studies"). Dutch traders in Dejima provided books in areas of study such as geography, art, languages, medicine, mechanical and electrical sciences. Consequently, Japanese society experienced intellectual development through neo-Confucianism. Confucianism relies on rationality by rejecting Taoism and Buddhism's superstitious and mystical elements that influenced Confucianism in previous periods. Neo-Confucianism had established itself as the dominant legal philosophy in Japan by the mid-17th century. This contributed to the development of kokugaku, a school of Japanese philology and philosophy. The Meiji's enlightenment intended to refocus Japanese study from the dominant analysis of Chinese, Buddhist, and Confucian text in favor of intensive research into early Japanese culture. The advanced studies ushered in the transition of the social and political order in Japan. Japanese people had a new government theory and a new vision of society justified by comprehensive governance. The threat of foreign encroachment and growing domestic problems were the motivation for restoring imperial rule in Japan. The Meiji Restoration leaders comprised young samurai from feudal domains (Hans) hell-bent on stren...