Journey Into Japan: Modernising Japan in the Meiji Era

What were the two slogans of the new government during the Meiji era?

• Industrialize quickly, expand the empire

• Modernize the culture, preserve the past

• Educate the people, build the future

• Strengthen the army, enrich the nation

How did Japan catch up with Western machinery and production methods?

• By borrowing ideas and copying designs

• By focusing on agricultural advancements

• By forming alliances with Western countries

• By developing their own unique technologies

Which section of Japanese society provided both the work that financed Japan's industrial revolution and conscripts for a modern army?

• Samurai

• Merchants

• Peasants

• Artisans

What technologies and ideas did Japan borrow from Britain?

• Railways and steamships

• Agricultural techniques

• Legal and educational systems

• Architecture and fashion

Why was Japan able to make such enormous changes over such a short period of time?

• Due to their isolationist policies

• Because of their willingness to adopt new ideas

• By focusing solely on military advancements

• Through extensive foreign aid

Why do you think the conscript army was able to defeat a samurai uprising?

• Due to the use of advanced Western tactics

• Because of superior training and equipment

• Due to the loyalty of the samurai to the Emperor

• Because the samurai were outnumbered

What do Japanese invasions of Korea and China, and war with Russia suggest about Japan's potential for aggression?

• Japan was primarily defensive

• Japan was aggressive and aimed for a great empire

• Japan was focused on internal development

• Japan had no interest in foreign expansion

What features in the old black-and-white footage of Japanese street scenes provide evidence of rapid change?

• Traditional wooden houses

• Rickshaws and horse-drawn carriages

• Samurai in traditional attire

• Trams and buses

What features in the old black-and-white footage provide evidence of continuity?

• Modern factories

• Traditional clothing

• Steam trains

• Western-style buildings

In what year did the first steam train in Japan leave Tokyo for Yokohama?

• 1868

• 1872

• 1904

• 1885