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87-543: Following the Meiji restoration , the new Meiji government needed export products to raise the monies necessary for the industrialization and westernization of Japan. Goods which were already produced in Japan and which could be exported for good profit included tea, silk thread and silkworm cocoons. Especially with the spread of the silkworm disease called pébrine in France and Italy, and

174-591: A Swiss engineer to assist. It was only on a small scale and employed 12 people. Later the same year, leaders of the Meiji government, including Ōkuma Shigenobu , Itō Hirobumi and Shibusawa Eiichi approached the French embassy and was introduced to Paul Brunat, an engineer who was working as a raw silk inspector in Yokohama to oversee a project to construct a much larger facility. Brunat in turn hired Edmond Auguste Bastan to create

261-638: A blueprint for the design of the silk mill, which was completed the end of December 1870. Bastan was able to complete the design such a short period as he had previously designed the Yokosuka ironworks and was familiar with made of timber-framed brick buildings. Brunat returned to France on to purchase equipment and hire engineers. In the interim, Odaka Atsutada was placed in charge of the Japanese side and started procuring materials, and in March 1871, construction started. Brick

348-444: A century of warfare. The political structure, established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and solidified under his two immediate successors, his son Tokugawa Hidetada (who ruled from 1616 to 1623) and grandson Tokugawa Iemitsu (1623–51), bound all daimyōs to the shogunate and limited any individual daimyō from acquiring too much land or power. The Tokugawa shogunate came to its official end on 9   November 1867, when Tokugawa Yoshinobu ,

435-400: A collection of Māori clubs, mats and cloaks, as well as gold, woodwork, kauri gum and geological specimens. Photographs of New Zealand scenery were shown and examples of flour and beer were provided by local industries. A collection of birds was prepared by a London taxidermist and Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary was said to have been "astonished" by a pair of moa skeletons from

522-473: A formal declaration of the restoration of his power: The Emperor of Japan announces to the sovereigns of all foreign countries and to their subjects that permission has been granted to the Shōgun Tokugawa Yoshinobu to return the governing power in accordance with his own request. We shall henceforward exercise supreme authority in all the internal and external affairs of the country. Consequently,

609-464: A loss of their cultural heritage. In the case of Hikone Castle , even though the government ordered its dismantling, it was saved by orders from the emperor himself. Nagoya Castle and Nijo Castle , due to their historical and cultural importance and sheer size and strategic locations, both became official imperial detached palaces, before they were turned over to the local authorities in the 1930s. Others such as Himeji Castle survived by luck. During

696-574: A model Istanbul residence, a representative hamam , a cafe, and a bazaar. The 1873 Ottoman pavilion was more prominent than its pavilion in 1867. The Vienna exhibition set off Western nations' pavilions against Eastern pavilions, with the host, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, setting itself at the juncture between East and West. A report by the Ottoman commission for the exhibition expressed a goal of inspiring with their display "a serious interest [in

783-504: A national system of public schools. These free schools taught students reading, writing, and mathematics. Students also attended courses in "moral training" which reinforced their duty to the Emperor and to the Japanese state. By the end of the Meiji period, attendance in public schools was widespread, increasing the availability of skilled workers and contributing to the industrial growth of Japan . The opening up of Japan not only consisted of

870-400: A strong centralized state defining its national identity, the government established a dominant national dialect, called "standard language" ( 標準語 , hyōjungo ) , that replaced local and regional dialects and was based on the patterns of Tokyo's samurai classes. This dialect eventually became the norm in the realms of education, media, government, and business. The Meiji Restoration, and

957-582: A sword or weapon to show their status. This led to a series of riots from disgruntled samurai. One of the major riots was the one led by Saigō Takamori, the Satsuma Rebellion , which eventually turned into a civil war. This rebellion was, however, put down swiftly by the newly formed Imperial Japanese Army , trained in Western tactics and weapons, even though the core of the new army was the Tokyo police force, which

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1044-426: Is equally true that the majority of samurai were content despite having their status abolished. Many found employment in the government bureaucracy, which resembled an elite class in its own right. The samurai, being better educated than most of the population, became teachers, gun makers, government officials, and/or military officers. While the formal title of samurai was abolished, the elitist spirit that characterized

1131-604: The Rotunda ( Rotunde ), a large circular building in the great park of Prater designed by the Scottish engineer John Scott Russell . (The fair Rotunda was destroyed by fire on 17 September 1937.) The Russian pavilion had a naval section designed by Viktor Hartmann . Exhibits included models of the Port of Rijeka and the Illés Relief model of Jerusalem. The Japanese exhibition at

1218-610: The Battle of Hakodate in Hokkaidō. The defeat of the armies of the former shōgun (led by Enomoto Takeaki and Hijikata Toshizō ) marked the final end of the Tokugawa shogunate, with the Emperor's power fully restored. Finally, by 1872, the daimyōs , past and present, were summoned before the Emperor, where it was declared that all domains were now to be returned to the Emperor . The roughly 280 domains were turned into 72 prefectures, each under

1305-534: The Blood tax riots , the Meiji government put down revolts by Japanese samurai angry that the traditional untouchable status of burakumin was legally revoked. Under the Meiji Restoration, the practices of the samurai classes, deemed feudal and unsuitable for modern times following the end of sakoku in 1853, resulted in a number of edicts intended to 'modernise' the appearance of upper class Japanese men. With

1392-560: The Elbise depicted traditional Ottoman costumes, commissioned from artisans working in the administrative divisions ( vilayets ) of the Empire, worn by men, women, and children who resembled the various ethnic and religious types of the empire, though the models were all found in Istanbul. The photographs are accompanied by texts describing the costumes in detail and commenting on the rituals and habits of

1479-690: The Emperor of Japan . The goals of the restored government were expressed by the new emperor in the Charter Oath . The Restoration led to enormous changes in Japan's political and social structure and spanned both the late Edo period (often called the Bakumatsu ) and the beginning of the Meiji era , during which time Japan rapidly industrialized and adopted Western ideas and production methods. In 1853, Commodore Matthew C. Perry arrived in Japan. A year later Perry returned in threatening large warships with

1566-610: The Exposition Universelle (1878) in Paris as was told that the quality of silk from Tomioka had deteriorated considerably. On his return, Matsukata fired Odaka's successor, Yamada Noriyuki, who had been hindering reforms, and attempt to install a former official from the Home Ministry , Hayami Kenzo, as his successor. Hayami had become president of a company exporting silk, and was a strong proponent of privatization. He agreed to rent

1653-521: The Honorable Restoration ( 御維新 , Goishin ) , and also known as the Meiji Renovation , Revolution , Regeneration , Reform , or Renewal , was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji . Although there were ruling emperors before the Meiji Restoration, the events restored practical abilities and consolidated the political system under

1740-480: The National Mobilization Law with Katakura continuing the manage operations; however, its production was shifted to focus on munitions-related materials for aircraft or military use. The number of workers were drastically reduced due to the need for women to till fields as so many man had been conscripted by the army. Exports, which had been the mainstay of the mill since its creation, fell to zero. After

1827-607: The Tokyo Kaisei School (today the University of Tokyo ) in 1871 and at the capital's Confucian Temple in 1872; they eventually formed the core collection of the institution that became the Tokyo National Museum . Forty-one Japanese officials and government interpreters, as well as six Europeans in Japanese employ, came to Vienna to oversee the pavilion and the fair's cultural events. 25 craftsmen and gardeners created

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1914-434: The 15th Tokugawa shōgun , "put his prerogatives at the Emperor's disposal" and resigned 10 days later. This was effectively the "restoration" ( Taisei Hōkan ) of imperial rule – although Yoshinobu still had significant influence and it was not until January   3, the following year, with the young Emperor's edict, that the restoration fully occurred. On 3 January 1868, the Emperor stripped Yoshinobu of all power and made

2001-499: The 1860s, principally by Westerners in the international settlements of Yokohama and Kobe, and some local lords, but these had relatively small impacts. It was only in the 1870s that imported technologies began to play a significant role, and only in the 1880s did they produce more than a small output volume. In Meiji Japan, raw silk was the most important export commodity, and raw silks exports experienced enormous growth during this period, overtaking China. Revenue from silk exports funded

2088-608: The Dampatsurei Edict of 1871 issued by Emperor Meiji during the early Meiji Era , men of the samurai classes were forced to cut their hair short, effectively abandoning the chonmage ( chonmage ) hairstyle. During the Meiji Restoration, the practice of cremation and Buddhism were condemned and the Japanese government tried to ban cremation but were unsuccessful, then tried to limit it in urban areas. The Japanese government reversed its ban on cremation and pro-cremation Japanese adopted western European arguments on how cremation

2175-502: The Emperor to power. After Kōmei's death on 30 January 1867, Meiji ascended the throne on February   3. This period also saw Japan change from being a feudal society to having a centralized nation and left the Japanese with a lingering influence of modernity . In the same year, the koban was discontinued as a form of currency. The Tokugawa government had been founded in the 17th century and initially focused on reestablishing order in social, political and international affairs after

2262-654: The French Minister-Resident Léon Roches were the first European envoys ever to receive a personal audience with Meiji in Edo (Tokyo). This audience laid the foundation for (modern) Dutch diplomacy in Japan. Subsequently, De Graeff van Polsbroek assisted the emperor and the government in their negotiations with representatives of the major European powers. In 1869, the daimyōs of the Tosa , Hizen , Satsuma and Chōshū Domains , who were pushing most fiercely against

2349-559: The Izu Peninsula on March 20, 1874. Some items of art were later recovered. One of the items is a ceramic square dish with grapes by Ogata Kenzan that was exhibited and was recovered. Osman Hamdi Bey , an archaeologist and painter, was chosen by the Ottoman government as commissary of the empire's exhibits in Vienna. He organized the Ottoman pavilion with Victor Marie de Launay , a French-born Ottoman official and archivist, who had written

2436-487: The Japanese purchase of industrial equipment and raw materials. Although the highest quality silk remained produced in China, and Japan's adoption of modern machines in the silk industry was slow, Japan was able to capture the global silk market due to standardized production of silk. Standardization, especially in silkworm egg cultivation, yielded more consistency in quality, particularly important for mechanized silk weaving. Since

2523-567: The Japanese workers, which scared off many potential workers. Odaka was then forced to hire his own daughter to help dispel these rumors. As of January of the following year, there were 404 workers, mainly daughters of former samurai . The number of workers in April 1873 had increased to 556. The life of the workers has been recorded in the diary of one, Wada Ei . The Tomioka Silk Mill is a huge timber-framed brick building, containing 300 reels. The largest plants in France and Italy had up to 150 reels, so

2610-545: The Meiji Restoration was the 1866 Satsuma-Chōshū Alliance between Saigō Takamori and Kido Takayoshi , leaders of the reformist elements in the Satsuma and Chōshū Domains at the southwestern end of the Japanese archipelago. These two leaders supported the Emperor Kōmei (Emperor Meiji's father) and were brought together by Sakamoto Ryōma for the purpose of challenging the ruling Tokugawa shogunate ( bakufu ) and restoring

2697-484: The Meiji government considerable leeway to invest in new initiatives. During the Meiji period, powers such as Europe and the United States helped transform Japan and made them realize a change needed to take place. Some leaders went out to foreign lands and used the knowledge and government writings to help shape and form a more influential government within their walls that allowed for things such as production. Despite

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2784-575: The Meiji restoration's Shinbutsu bunri , tens of thousands of Japanese Buddhist religious idols and temples were smashed and destroyed. Japan then closed and shut down tens of thousands of traditional old Shinto shrines in the Shrine Consolidation Policy and the Meiji government built the new modern 15 shrines of the Kenmu restoration as a political move to link the Meiji restoration to the Kenmu restoration for their new State Shinto cult. In

2871-587: The Netherlands and Russia due to American pressure. These treaties signed with Western powers came to be known as Unequal Treaties as Japan lost control over its tariffs while Western powers took control over Japanese lands. In 1858, Townsend Harris , ambassador to Japan, concluded the treaty, opening Japanese ports to trade. Figures like Shimazu Nariakira concluded that "if we take the initiative, we can dominate; if we do not, we will be dominated", leading Japan to "throw open its doors to foreign technology." After

2958-664: The Ottoman Empire] on the part of the industrialists, traders, artists, and scholars of other nations...." The Ottoman pavilion included a gallery of mannequins wearing the traditional costumes of many of the varied ethnic groups of the Ottoman Empire. To supplement the cases of costumes, Osman Hamdi and de Launay created a photographic book of Ottoman costumes, the Elbise-i 'Osmaniyye ( Les costumes populaires de la Turquie ), with photographs by Pascal Sébah . The photographic plates of

3045-459: The Tomioka Mill was one of the largest in the world at the time of its completion. The reels also incorporated a rewinding process called re-rolling, where the raw silk was re-wound from a small frame into a larger frame. This was done as Brunat wanted to mechanically imitate the processes which Japanese craftsmen had formerly done by hand. In the case of the humid Japanese climate, once the raw silk

3132-537: The Tomioka Silk Mill for a five-year period, but this was strenuously opposed by the Gunma Prefectural government. By 1884, when most government-owned enterprises had been sold off, Tomioka Silk Mills remained in government hands. Due to its huge size, it was beyond the means of private investors at the time. Under its fourth director, Okano Asaji, a drop in silk prices worldwide plunged the operation deeply into

3219-430: The United States was still the company's major export market. The Hara General Partnership Company decided to divest its silk-reeling business in 1938. The Tomioka Silk Mill was separated and became independent as Tomioka Silk Mill Co., Ltd. on June 1, 1938, with Takeo Saigo (son-in-law of Hara Tomitaro) as representative director, but the largest shareholder, Katakura Spinning Co., Ltd., in charge of management. Katakura

3306-429: The aspiration of concluding a treaty that would open up Japanese ports for trade. Perry concluded the treaty that would open up two Japanese ports (Shimoda and Hakodate) only for material support, such as firewood, water, food, and coal for U.S. ships. The Convention of Kanagawa was signed in 1854 and opened up trade between the United States and Japan. Later, Japan reluctantly expanded its trade deals to France, Britain,

3393-615: The catalogue for the Ottoman Empire's exhibition at the 1867 Paris World's Fair . The Ottoman pavilion, located near the Egyptian pavilion (which had its own pavilion despite being a territory of the Ottoman Empire), in the park outside the Rotunde, included small replicas of notable Ottoman buildings and models of vernacular architecture: a replica of the Fountain of Ahmed III at Topkapı Palace ,

3480-524: The clearly defined class system which the bakufu had envisaged, partly leading to their eventual downfall. The military of Japan, strengthened by nationwide conscription and emboldened by military success in both the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War , began to view themselves as a growing world power. Besides drastic changes to the social structure of Japan, in an attempt to create

3567-652: The combined profits was not very large, and in 1902 Mitsui sold the plants to the silk merchant and entrepreneur Hara Tomitarō for 135,000 Yen. Under the Hara General Partnership Company, the mill was renamed the Hara Tomioka Silk Mill in October 1902. One action take by Hara was to distribute silkworm eggs to sericulture farmers around the country free of charge with the aim of improving cocoon quality, and homogenization of cocoons. He also asked for

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3654-425: The company recorded a production volume of 147,000 kilograms. Shortly afterwards, the company's situation deteriorated rapidly. With the outbreak of war in 1938, many silk mills around Japan went bankrupt. The factory manager at the Hara Tomioka Silk Mill committed suicide in 1938 due to disputes with the labor unions, and the development of nylon in the United States as a competitor to silk caused great concerns, as

3741-399: The control of a state-appointed governor. If the daimyōs peacefully complied, they were given a prominent voice in the new Meiji government. Later, their debts and payments of samurai stipends were either taxed heavily or turned into bonds which resulted in a large loss of wealth among former samurai. Emperor Meiji announced in his 1868 Charter Oath that "Knowledge shall be sought all over

3828-495: The cooperation of the Takayama-sha , a sericulture educational institution with influence nationwide to improve yields. In addition, in order to retain skilled workers, he expanded on the educational and entertainment opportunities for his workers. Production was affected by World War I and the 1929 Great Depression ; however, Hara was able to introduce more modern reels in the 1930s which greatly improved on productivity. In 1936,

3915-525: The decline in popularity of wearing the kimono in everyday use, and the normalization of diplomatic relations with China in 1972 leading to an increase in the imports of cheaper Chinese silk led to the company stopping production on February 26, 1987. The closing ceremony for the plant was held on March 5, 1987. After the factory was closed, the Katakura company continued to maintain the buildings at considerable expense for many years.The mayor of Tomioka City and

4002-483: The end of 1875 when their contracts expired, and thereafter the mill was managed only by Japanese. Odaka came into conflict with his government overseers and was forced to retire in November 1876 as well, but by this time the mill was showing good profits, and in the following year, direct exports to France by Mitsui & Co. began. Plans to privatize the mill was delayed when cabinet minister Matsukata Masayoshi visited

4089-469: The end of the war, the mill was returned to civilian control, and it has escaped damage from air raids. From 1952, automatic reeling machines were gradually introduced and the factory was electrified. Machinery continued to be upgraded over the years and production reached 373,401 kilograms in 1974, the highest it ever reached. However, due to changes in society and the economy, the company faced increased economic pressures. The popularity of synthetic fibers ,

4176-490: The ex- shōgun ' s army. All Tokugawa lands were seized and placed under "imperial control", thus placing them under the prerogative of the new Meiji government . With Fuhanken sanchisei , the areas were split into three types: urban prefectures ( 府 , fu ) , rural prefectures ( 県 , ken ) and the already existing domains. On March 23 the Dutch Minister-Resident Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek and

4263-611: The fair for use in Japanese industry . Art and cultural relics at the exhibit were verified by the Jinshin Survey, a months-long inspection tour of various imperial, noble , and temple holdings around the country. The most important products of each province were listed and two specimens of each were collected, one for display in Vienna and the other for preservation and display within Japan. Large-scale preparatory exhibitions with this second set of objects were conducted within Japan at

4350-546: The fair was the product of years of preparation. The empire had received its invitation in 1871, close on the heels of the Meiji Restoration , and a government bureau was established to produce an appropriate response. Shigenobu Okuma , Tsunetami Sano , and its other officials were keen to use the event to raise the international standing of Japanese manufactures and boost exports . 24 engineers were also sent with its delegation to study cutting-edge Western engineering at

4437-422: The fair, Sano compiled a report on it which ran to 96 volumes divided into 16 parts, including a strong plea for the creation of a museum on western lines in the Japanese capital; the government further began hosting national industrial exhibitions at Ueno Park in 1877. Le Nil , a French Ship, set off from the port of Triest to Japan loaded with a number of items from the fair, in total 192 boxes. It sanke off

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4524-438: The governor of Gunma Prefecture expressed an interest in preserving the site and promoting it to UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and Katakura agreed to sell the site to Tomioka city for a nominal value in 2005. The site was designated as a National Historic Site the same year. The oldest buildings were designated Important Cultural Properties in 2006. Three of these buildings were designated a National Treasure in 2014. The site

4611-412: The help Japan received from other powers, one of the key factors in Japan's industrializing success was its relative lack of resources, which made it unattractive to Western imperialism. The farmer and the samurai classification were the base and soon the problem of why there was a limit of growth within the nation's industrial work. The government sent officials such as the samurai to monitor the work that

4698-685: The humiliation of the Unequal Treaties, the leaders of the Meiji Restoration (as this revolution came to be known), acted in the name of restoring imperial rule to strengthen Japan against the threat of being colonized, bringing to an end the era known as sakoku . The word "Meiji" means "enlightened rule" and the goal was to combine "modern advances" with traditional "eastern" values ( 和魂洋才 , Wakonyosai ) . The main leaders of this were Itō Hirobumi , Matsukata Masayoshi , Kido Takayoshi , Itagaki Taisuke , Yamagata Aritomo , Mori Arinori , Ōkubo Toshimichi , and Yamaguchi Naoyoshi . The foundation of

4785-406: The international market. With this, industrial zones grew enormously, and there was a massive migration to industrializing centers from the countryside. Industrialization additionally went hand in hand with the development of a national railway system and modern communications. With industrialization came the demand for coal. There was dramatic rise in production, as shown in the table below. Coal

4872-460: The main pavilion, as well as a full Japanese garden with shrine and a model of the former pagoda at Tokyo's imperial temple . Apart from the collection of regional objects, which focused on ceramics , cloisonné wares , lacquerware , and textiles, the displays also included the female golden shachi from Nagoya Castle and a papier-maché copy of the Kamakura Buddha . The year after

4959-464: The military, the government instituted nationwide conscription in 1873, mandating that every male would serve for four years in the armed forces upon turning 21 years old, followed by three more years in the reserves. One of the primary differences between the samurai and peasant classes was the right to bear arms ; this ancient privilege was suddenly extended to every male in the nation. Furthermore, samurai were no longer allowed to walk about town bearing

5046-460: The mill's expenses. Workers were graded according to their skill level, with a system of eight ranks introduced in 1873. Silk produced at the mill received a second place award at the 1873 Vienna World's Fair , and "Tomioka silk" became a brand name. Workers from Tomioka were also sent, or otherwise found employment at other privately owned silk mills which were subsequently built in Japan. Brunat and other foreign engineers employed at Tomioka left at

5133-442: The more traditional practice of imperial rule, whereby the Emperor of Japan serves solely as the spiritual authority of the nation and his ministers govern the nation in his name. The Meiji oligarchy that formed the government under the rule of the Emperor first introduced measures to consolidate their power against the remnants of the Edo period government, the shogunate, daimyōs , and the samurai class. Throughout Japan at

5220-483: The new sectors of the economy could not be heavily taxed, the costs of industrialisation and necessary investments in modernisation heavily fell on the peasant farmers, who paid extremely high land tax rates (about 30 percent of harvests) as compared to the rest of the world (double to seven times of European countries by net agricultural output). In contrast, land tax rates were about 2% in Qing China. The high taxation gave

5307-416: The oligarchs to action. Whatever their true intentions, the oligarchs embarked on another slow and deliberate process to abolish the samurai class. First, in 1873, it was announced that the samurai stipends were to be taxed on a rolling basis. Later, in 1874, the samurai were given the option to convert their stipends into government bonds . Finally, in 1876, this commutation was made compulsory. To reform

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5394-429: The ports being opened for trade, but also began the process of merging members of the different societies together. Examples of this include western teachers and advisors immigrating to Japan and also Japanese nationals moving to western countries for education purposes. All these things in turn played a part in expanding the people of Japan's knowledge on western customs, technology and institutions. Many people believed it

5481-427: The prefectural governor, Katori Motohiko was enthusiastic on education, the women workers had access to an elementary school. However, worker turnover was high, as there was considerable social pressure against women working in a factory, and friction between women from different social classes forced to work side by side. Many workers left within three years of employment, and the need to keep training new worked added to

5568-491: The raw silk produced at the Tomioka mill was exported to the United States. A dormitory was also constructed for workers, although about half of the workers continued to commute. Working hours were also increased to twelve hours in summer and nine hours in winter. The elementary school was retained, but after twelve hour shifts, most workers were too tired to want to attend. Mitsui maintained three silk mills in addition to Tomioka, but

5655-507: The red. Hayami returned as director again in 1885 and turned the situation around by opening new markets in New York and by raising the reputation of Tomioka silk by increasing quality control. In September 1893, Mitsui & Co. raised a 121,460 Yen bid and purchased the Tomioka Silk Mill from the government. Under management of Mitsui, a second women one-story factory was established, and new, more modern, reeling machines were instructed, All of

5742-465: The reeling station and the east and west cocoon plants. In addition to the above structures, the Main Gatehouse of the factory has been designated as an "attachment" of the important cultural property designation. This building is a wooden one-story building. Meiji restoration The Meiji Restoration ( Japanese : 明治維新 , romanized :  Meiji Ishin ), referred to at the time as

5829-487: The regions and ethnic groups in question. Professor Lodovico Brunetti of Padua , Italy first displayed cremated ashes at the exhibition. He showed a model of the crematory , one of the first modern ones. He exhibited it with a sign reading, "Vermibus erepti, puro consummimur igni," in English, "Saved from the worms, we are consumed by the flames." New Zealand was represented at the 1873 Vienna International Exposition by

5916-421: The resultant modernization of Japan, also influenced Japanese self-identity with respect to its Asian neighbours, as Japan became the first Asian state to modernize based on the Western model, replacing the traditional Confucian hierarchical order that had persisted previously under a dominant China with one based on modernity. Adopting enlightenment ideals of popular education, the Japanese government established

6003-403: The samurai class lived on. The oligarchs also embarked on a series of land reforms . In particular, they legitimized the tenancy system which had been going on during the Tokugawa period. Despite the bakufu 's best efforts to freeze the four classes of society in place, during their rule villagers had begun to lease land out to other farmers, becoming rich in the process. This greatly disrupted

6090-452: The shogunate, were persuaded to "return their domains to the Emperor". Other daimyō were subsequently persuaded to do so, thus creating a central government in Japan which exercised direct power through the entire "realm". Some shogunate forces escaped to Hokkaidō , where they attempted to set up a breakaway Republic of Ezo ; however, forces loyal to the Emperor ended this attempt in May 1869 with

6177-405: The time, the samurai numbered 1.9 million. For comparison, this was more than 10 times the size of the French privileged class before the 1789 French Revolution . Moreover, the samurai in Japan were not merely the lords, but also their higher retainers—people who actually worked. With each samurai being paid fixed stipends, their upkeep presented a tremendous financial burden, which may have prompted

6264-507: The title of Emperor must be substituted for that of Taikun , in which the treaties have been made. Officers are being appointed by us to the conduct of foreign affairs. It is desirable that the representatives of the treaty powers recognize this announcement. Shortly thereafter in January 1868, the Boshin War started with the Battle of Toba–Fushimi in which Chōshū and Satsuma 's forces defeated

6351-585: The turmoil in China caused by the Taiping Rebellion , Japanese silk was in high demand. In 1862, shortly before the Meiji restoration, raw silk and silkworm cocoons accounted for 86% for Japan's exports. However, soon after the restoration, overproduction, and the recovery of silk producing areas in Europe and China led to a drastic fall in raw silk prices. The Meiji government countered by changing its focus to silk products, such as silk thread and cloth, to increase

6438-497: The value of its silk exports. Foreign merchants had previously approached the government with offers to provide funding for a silk mill but this was rejected as the government considered silk production to be a critical strategic industry; however, Japan lacked the technology to construct a mill on its own. In 1870, a government-owned model factory, the Maebashi Silk Mill, was constructed with equipment imported from Italy and with

6525-418: The value they provided in the modernization of Japan, the Japanese government did not consider it prudent for them to settle in Japan permanently. After their contracts ended, most of them returned to their country except some, like Josiah Conder and W. K. Burton . 1873 Vienna World%27s Fair The 1873 Vienna World's Fair ( German : Weltausstellung 1873 Wien ) was the large world exposition that

6612-736: The world, and thereby the foundations of imperial rule shall be strengthened." Under the leadership of Mori Arinori , a group of prominent Japanese intellectuals went on to form the Meiji Six Society in 1873 to continue to "promote civilization and enlightenment" through modern ethics and ideas. However, during the restoration, political power simply moved from the Tokugawa shogunate to an oligarchy consisting of these leaders, mostly from Satsuma Province ( Ōkubo Toshimichi and Saigō Takamori ), and Chōshū Province ( Itō Hirobumi , Yamagata Aritomo , and Kido Takayoshi). This reflected their belief in

6699-553: Was being done. Because of Japan's leaders taking control and adapting Western techniques it has remained one of the world's largest industrial nations. The rapid industrialization and modernization of Japan both allowed and required a massive increase in production and infrastructure. Japan built industries such as shipyards, iron smelters, and spinning mills, which were then sold to well-connected entrepreneurs. Consequently, domestic companies became consumers of Western technology and applied it to produce items that would be sold cheaply in

6786-442: Was essential for Japan to acquire western "spirit" in order to become a great nation with strong trade routes and military strength. The Meiji Restoration accelerated the industrialization process in Japan, which led to its rise as a military power by the year 1895, under the slogan of "Enrich the country, strengthen the military" ( 富国強兵 , fukoku kyōhei ) . There were a few factories set up using imported technologies in

6873-864: Was good for limiting disease spread, so the Japanese government lifted their attempted ban in May 1875 and promoted cremation for diseased people in 1897. Even before the Meiji Restoration, the Tokugawa Shogunate government hired German diplomat Philipp Franz von Siebold as diplomatic advisor, Dutch naval engineer Hendrik Hardes for Nagasaki Arsenal and Willem Johan Cornelis, Ridder Huijssen van Kattendijke for Nagasaki Naval Training Center , French naval engineer François Léonce Verny for Yokosuka Naval Arsenal , and British civil engineer Richard Henry Brunton . Most of them were appointed through government approval with two or three years contract, and took their responsibility properly in Japan, except some cases. Then many other foreign specialists were hired. Despite

6960-836: Was held from 1 May to 31 October 1873 in the Austria-Hungarian capital Vienna . Its motto was "Culture and Education" ( German : Kultur und Erziehung ). As well as being a chance to showcase Austro-Hungarian industry and culture, the World's Fair in Vienna commemorated Franz Joseph   I 's 25th year as emperor . The main grounds were in the Prater , a park near the Danube River , and preparations cost £23.4 million. It lasted from May 1 to November 2, hosting about 7,225,000 visitors. There were almost 26,000 exhibitors housed in different buildings that were erected for this exposition, including

7047-476: Was largely composed of former samurai. This sent a strong message to the dissenting samurai that their time was indeed over. There were fewer subsequent samurai uprisings and the distinction became all but a name as the samurai joined the new society. The ideal of samurai military spirit lived on in romanticized form and was often used as propaganda during the early 20th-century wars of the Empire of Japan . However, it

7134-559: Was listed on Japan's World Heritage Tentative List as "Tomioka Silk Mill and Silk Industry Heritage Group" on January 30, 2007. The formal nomination was accepted by the World Heritage Center on January 31, 2013, and it was officially registered at the 38th World Heritage Committee on June 21, 2014. The Important Cultural Property designation collectively covered seven buildings, including one iron water tank and one sewage ditch. The National Treasure designation covers three buildings:

7221-453: Was modernized and some parts of the castles were converted into modern military facilities with barracks and parade grounds, such as Hiroshima Castle . Others were handed over to the civilian authorities to build their new administrative structures. Some however were explicitly saved from destruction by interventions from various persons and parties such as politicians, government and military officials, experts, historians, and locals who feared

7308-443: Was needed for steamships and railroads. The growth of these sectors is shown below. The majority of Japanese castles were partially or completely dismantled in the late 19th century in the Meiji restoration by the national government. Since the feudal system was abolished and the fiefs ( han ) theoretically reverting to the emperor, the national government saw no further use for the upkeep of these now obsolete castles. The military

7395-473: Was not yet in common use, so a brick kiln had to be constructed in what is now Kanra, Gunma where clay of the appropriate quality had been found. The Tomioka Silk Mill started operations on November 4, 1872. However, due to the shortage of female workers, about 210 female workers initially operated with half of the total reeling machine. The Westerners on site was seen drinking red wine; after that, unfounded rumors spread that they lived off of blood drained from

7482-458: Was one of the largest textile companies in Japan at the time, and had lost in the initial privatization of the mill to Mitsui & Co. in 1893. The mill was renamed to Katakura Tomioka Silk Mill and in 1940 recorded a production volume of 189,000 kilograms. However, the start of the Pacific War the following year had a great impact on its business. The factory was placed under government control by

7569-570: Was wound, sericin could cause the silk threads to stick together. The rewinding process, which was not necessary in the drier European climates, prevented this. Another point which Brunat took into account when special-ordering the reeling equipment in Europe was the smaller stature of the Japanese women who operated the machines. The working environment at the Tomioka Silk Mill was progressive for its time. Brunat introduced eight-hour working days, Sunday holidays and ten-day holidays mid-year and at year-end. The workers were provided with uniforms, and as

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