Originally, Japan was a country ruled by the Emperor. However, from the late 12th century onward, during the Kamakura period, effective control was in the hands of the samurai . In the early half of the 19th century, Japan feared that it would be colonized by the West, which had modernized and gained powerful military forces. With this, a growing sentiment was that Japan should overthrow the previous samurai regime and embark on modernization. This marked the beginning of a new era. That is the Meiji Restoration. It was not a revolution but a “restoration of the monarchy” because it was a transition of power that restored the power of the Imperial Court centered on the Emperor. Realizing the imminent threat of being overthrown by the force, the shogunate voluntarily relinquished its power to the imperial court. Behind this, there was an expectation that the shogunate-led regime would continue. The anti-shogunate faction determined that the situation wouldn’t change. They aimed to eliminate the shogunate forces through their force. The anti-shogunate faction won the battle and abolished the shogunate, establishing a new government. To establish a centralized new system centered around the Emperor, the presence of the lords from the former shogunate side poses a significant obstacle. If the new government forcibly seizes their territories, it could lead to another civil war. The new government will carry out administrative reforms. This was the “Haihan-chiken .” By abolishing the previous fiefs and establishing prefectures, they brought local governance under the control of the central government. First, four domains, including Satsuma (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture), the driving force behind the new government, followed the government’s wishes. Other domains followed them. The new government gave former lords of the domains salaries and privileged status as “kazoku (nobility).” In addition, the new government took on the financial burden of the domains, which had been in financial difficulties due to the civil war. So, all of the lords returned their land and administrative rights. Thus, the new government succeeded in obtaining the entire land of Japan under its rule without blood. Later, the new government implemented various reforms, including the education system, conscription system, and tax system. Japan then modernized under the policy of “rich country, strong army,” and in a short period of time, Japan caught up to the level of Western Europe. Notably, what stands out is that the driving force behind the Meiji Restoration was young people in their twenties and early thirties. (From January issue, 2024 / 2024年1月号より)