A History of Japan’s Reforms: Politics and Economy in the Meiji Era

The History of the Meiji Restoration examines Japan's history during the Meiji Restoration from political, economic, and diplomatic perspectives. It explores how Japan rapidly transformed from a feudal state into a modern nation amid internal troubles and external threats, and analyzes the distinctive features of its modernization and the reasons behind them.

The book is organized by topic, combining narrative with analysis. The author examines how Japan's political and cultural traditions shaped the Meiji Restoration, while also comparing it with anti-feudal and anti-colonial revolutions elsewhere in the world. He contrasts Japan's rural capitalist development with Britain's Enclosure Movement and the French Revolution, then compares Japan with China to explore how Japan and the Qing court responded differently to Western colonialism and expanding trade. These comparisons help readers better understand both the common features and the unique aspects of the Meiji Restoration.

The author, Herbert Norman, was a renowned Japanese historian who spent many years researching Japanese history. He also served at the Canadian Embassy in Japan. Drawing on Japanese primary sources as well as Western scholarship on the Meiji Restoration, this book is a classic history of the Meiji Restoration in Japan.