The Meiji Restoration of Japan

In a battle called the battle of Sekigahara in the 1600's ,leyasu defeated the the Hideyori loyalists and other Western rivals. Between 1639 and 1858 Japan was largely isolated from the outside world. Rade was prohibited except for two Dutch ships a year at Nagasaki. Chinese traders were allowed at Nagasaki as well. In 1858 Commodore Perry forced the Shogun government to allow trade. It is important to recognize that Perry was not forcing the Japanese merchants to trade, he was forcing the Shogun to stop preventing trade.The Shogun lost face as a result of his inability to enforce his will and there arose sentiment for deposing the Shogun. The expedious way to depose the Shogun was to call for the restoration of the Emperor as the head of state. The leaders of the rebellion did restore the Emperor Meiji to a place of prominance but these leaders themselves ruled in the name of the Emperor.