“Foreign Customs are Now Generally Understood Throughout Japan”: Foreign Influence on Japanese Reform in the Nineteenth Century

Discussion of how the Japanese understood foreign influences

24 Mar 2025 — 2 min read

Japanese currency with a portrait of Itō Hirobumi. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

From page 105 of the AP World History Course and Exam Description.

The Meiji Restoration transformed Japan. Not only did the 250-year-old Tokugawa Shogunate end, but the Japanese also transformed their government and economy. Many of the leaders of the new Meiji government recognized the influence of Western Europe and the United States on Japan. Although we can have students focus on the effects of these influences, they can also learn how the Japanese leaders understood the influence of foreign powers.