The Meiji era is an era of <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-Japan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Japanese history</a> that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization by Western powers to the new paradigm of a modern, industrialized nation state and emergent great power, influenced by Western scientific, technological, philosophical, political, legal, and aesthetic ideas. As a result of such wholesale adoption of radically different ideas, the changes to Japan were profound, and affected its social structure, internal politics, economy, military, and foreign relations. The period corresponded to the reign of Emperor Meiji. It was preceded by the Keiō era and was succeeded by the Taishō era, upon the accession of Emperor Taishō. The rapid modernization during the Meiji era was not without its opponents, as the rapid changes to society caused many disaffected traditionalists from the former samurai class to rebel against the Meiji government during the 1870s, most famously Saigō Takamori who led the Satsuma Rebellion. However, there were also former samurai who remained loyal while serving in the Meiji government, such as Itō Hirobumi and Itagaki Taisuke.

Visual Timelines

Meiji Era Timeline

Meiji Era Timeline

Prologue

Japanese attempts to establish relations with Korea

Meiji

Ee ja nai ka

Restoration and Reformation

Abolition of the han system

Imperial Japanese Army Academy established

Meiji Restoration

Boshin War

Fall of Edo

Emperor moves to Tokyo

Foreign Advisors

Big four

Modernization

Government-Business Partnership

Abolition of class system

Mines Nationalized and Privatized

Education Policy in the Meiji Era

Japanese Yen

Sino-Japanese Friendship and Trade Treaty

Iwakura Mission

French military mission

Japan-Korea Treaty of Amity

Castles destroyed

Railway Construction

Land Tax Reform

Conscription Law

Saga Rebellion

Japanese invasion of Taiwan

Akizuki rebellion

Satsuma Rebellion

Consolidation and Industrialization

Ryūkyū Disposition

Freedom and People's Rights Movement

Bank of Japan founded

Chichibu incident

Modern Navy

Global Power and Cultural Synthesis

Japanese Textile Industry

Meiji Constitution

First Sino-Japanese War

Taiwan under Japanese rule

Triple Intervention

Boxer Rebellion

Anglo-Japanese Alliance

Russo-Japanese War

High Treason Incident

Japan annexes Korea

Emperor Meiji dies

Epilogue

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