Meiji

The name of the era was given by the motto of the reign ( nengo ) of the emperor Mutsuhito - "Meiji", which means "enlightened rule" ( mei明 = light, knowledge; ji 治 = rule).

The name Nengo was borrowed from the following ancient Chinese writings:

• from the “ Book of Changes ”: 「聖人 南面 而 聴 天下 、 嚮 明 而 治」 ^[2] ;
• from the 5th juan "Kung-tzu jia yui": 「長 聡 明 、 治 五 気 、 設 五 量 、 撫 万 民 、 度 四方」 ^[2] .

It should be noted the key role of the "Oath of Promise of Emperor Mutsuhito" of 1869 , which became the political program of his further rule. The following principles were enshrined in this document: democracy (taking public opinion into account when deciding state affairs - p.1), primacy of national interests (p. 2), freedom of activity (p. 3), independence of the court (p. 4). The main provision is the fifth paragraph, which establishes the effective use of knowledge, achievements of mankind, so that "the position of Japan is strengthened."

In 1866 - 1869, the leaders of the principalities Satsuma and Choshu managed to overthrow the power of the Tokugawa Shogunate and restore imperial rule. As a result of these events, known as the Meiji Restoration , the feudal structure was destroyed, and Japan embarked on the capitalist path of development.

At the end of the 19th century , zaibatsu , specific banking and industrial associations, formed the basis of the country's economic power.

The Meiji government pursued an expansionist policy:

• Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895
• Annexation of Taiwan ( 1895 )
• Russo-Japanese War ( 1904 - 1905 )
• Annexation of Korea ( 1910 )

Until the 5th year of the Meiji era

The table below shows the correspondence of Japanese traditional and European chronology. In parentheses to the year number of the Japanese era, the name of the corresponding year from the 60-year cycle of the Chinese Gan-chi system is indicated . The Japanese months are traditionally called moons .

^{* An} asterisk indicates short months (moons) of 29 days. The remaining months last 30 days.

After Calendar Reform (1872)

In 1872, Japan decided to switch from the traditional lunar-solar to the Gregorian calendar, so the next day after “the second day of the twelfth month of the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Meiji” was January 1, 1873, as a result of which the calendar of Japan was brought into line with the calendar major western powers.

• Kazoku

• History of Japan / Ed. A.E. Zhukova. - M .: Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences , 1998. - T. 2. 1868-1998. - 703 s. - ISBN 5-89282-073-4 .
• Westernization, the national idea and the realities of Japanese politics in the Meiji era / E.V. Verisotskaya; Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Federal Agency for Education, Far Eastern State. University, East Institute - Vladivostok: Publishing House of the Far Eastern University, 2005. - 333, [1] p. - ISBN 5-7444-1745-1

• (Russian) Emperor Meiji Japan ( copy )