Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji was born on November 3, 1852 in Kyoto. It was at the age of 14 that he became emperor at the time of his father's death. It was under his rule during which Japan underwent rapid modernization. The forty-four years under his rule became known as the Meiji Period. He encouraged the modernization by supporting Western influences in Japan.
Impact
When he was first crowned emperor, Japan was a primarily agrarian nation with a fairly weak military that had quite a bit of social unrest. By the time of his death (July 30, 1912) Japan had: a strong military and navy, well developed infrastructure, an educated population of people without the feudal class restrictions found in prior years, an official document that held the rules governing parliament, a fairly stable and centralized government, and a quickly growing industrial section of the economy that had the newest technology. That was the reason why the Meiji Restoration was the period of time during which Japan underwent the most growth and development that the nation had ever seen, and in such as short stretch of time. The Meiji Restoration was what allowed Japan to become and remain a modern nation and technological force on par with Western nations.
Impact
When he was first crowned emperor, Japan was a primarily agrarian nation with a fairly weak military that had quite a bit of social unrest. By the time of his death (July 30, 1912) Japan had: a strong military and navy, well developed infrastructure, an educated population of people without the feudal class restrictions found in prior years, an official document that held the rules governing parliament, a fairly stable and centralized government, and a quickly growing industrial section of the economy that had the newest technology. That was the reason why the Meiji Restoration was the period of time during which Japan underwent the most growth and development that the nation had ever seen, and in such as short stretch of time. The Meiji Restoration was what allowed Japan to become and remain a modern nation and technological force on par with Western nations.