Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
"The forced opening of Japan to the world by commodore Perry's US naval squadron in 1853 was followed by 15 years of political conflict between traditionalists and modernizers. In the 1850s, Japan was still a feudal society under the military government of the Tokugawa shoguns of Edo (Tokyo). Honored but purely ceremonial figures, the emperors reigned in powerless serenity from the imperial palace at Kyoto. . . . In late 1867, the shogun resigned and samurai rebels, armed with Western rifles, overthrew the military government and returned power to the young Emperor Meiji, who would reign until 1912. . . . Characterized by the slogan of Sakuma Shozan, 'Eastern ethics and Western technology,' the restoration of imperial rule was followed by an avalanche of change. Feudal jurisdictions and the privileged status of the samurai were abolished. A modern education system, a conscript army and navy, a written constitution, Western clothing, electricity, railways, income tax, postal service, and parliamentarian government were all adopted within 20 years. Westernization was enforced from above by a government that . . . employed the ancient Japanese Shinto religion . . ." [Furtado: 1001 Days]