How the Meiji Restoration Ended Shogunal Rule in Japan

How the Meiji Restoration Ended Shogunal Rule in Japan The Meiji Restoration was a political and social revolution in Japan from 1866 to 1869 that ended the power of the Tokugawa shogun and returned the Emperor to a central position in Japanese politics and culture. It is named for Mutsuhito, the Meiji Emperor, who served as the figurehead for the movement. Background to the Meiji Restoration When Commodore Matthew Perry of the U.S. steamed into Edo Bay (Tokyo Bay) in 1853 and demanded that Tokugawa Japan allow foreign powers access to trade, he unwittingly started a chain of events that led to Japans rise as a modern imperial power. Japans political elites realized that the U.S. and other countries were ahead in terms of military technology, and (quite rightly) felt threatened by western imperialism. After all, mighty Qing China had been brought to its knees by Britain fourteen years earlier in the First Opium War, and would soon lose the Second Opium War as well. Rather than suffer a similar fate, some of Japans elites sought to close the doors even tighter against foreign influence, but the more foresighted began to plan a modernization drive. They felt that it was important to have a strong Emperor at the center of Japans political organization to project Japanese power and fend off Western imperialism. The Satsuma/Choshu Alliance In 1866, the daimyo of two southern Japanese domains- Hisamitsu of Satsuma Domain and Kido Takayoshi of Choshu Domain- formed an alliance against the Tokugawa Shogunate that had ruled from Tokyo in the Emperors name since 1603. The Satsuma and Choshu leaders sought to overthrow the Tokugawa shogun and place the Emperor Komei into a position of real power. Through him, they felt that they could more effectively meet the foreign threat. However, Komei died in January 1867, and his teenaged son Mutsuhito ascended to the throne as the Meiji Emperor on Feb. 3, 1867. On Nov. 19, 1867, Tokugawa Yoshinobu resigned his post as the fifteenth Tokugawa shogun. His resignation officially transferred power to the young emperor, but the shogun wouldnt give up actual control of Japan so easily. When Meiji (coached by the Satsuma and Choshu lords) issued an imperial decree dissolving the house of Tokugawa, the shogun had no choice but to resort to arms. He sent his samurai army toward the imperial city of Kyoto, intending to capture or depose the emperor. The Boshin War On Jan. 27, 1868, Yoshinobus troops clashed with samurai from the Satsuma/Choshu alliance; the four-day long Battle of Toba-Fushimi ended in a serious defeat for the bakufu and touched off the Boshin War (literally, the Year of the Dragon War). The war lasted until May of 1869, but the emperors, troops with their more modern weaponry and tactics, had the upper hand from the start. Tokugawa Yoshinobu surrendered to Saigo Takamori of Satsuma and handed over Edo Castle on April 11, 1869. Some of the more committed samurai and daimyo fought on for another month from strongholds in the far north of the country, but it was clear that the Meiji Restoration was unstoppable. Radical Changes of the Meiji Era Once his power was secure, the Meiji Emperor (or more precisely, his advisors among the former daimyo and the oligarchs) set about refashioning Japan into a powerful modern nation. They: Abolished the four-tiered class structureEstablished a modern conscript army that used Western-style uniforms, weapons, and tactics in place of the samuraiOrdered universal elementary education for boys and girlsSet out to improve manufacturing in Japan, which had been based on textiles and other such goods, shifting instead to heavy machinery and weapons manufacturing. In 1889, the emperor issued the Meiji Constitution, which made Japan into a constitutional monarchy modeled on Prussia. Over the course of just a few decades, these changes took Japan from being a semi-isolated island nation threatened by foreign imperialism, to being an imperial power in its own right. Japan seized control of Korea, defeated Qing China in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 to 95, and shocked the world by defeating the Tsars navy and army in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 to 05. Blending Ancient and Modern to Build Anew The Meiji Restoration is sometimes characterized as a coup detat or revolution ending the shogunal system for modern Western governmental and military methods. Historian Mark Ravina has suggested that the leaders who created the events of 1866–69 did not do so only to emulate Western practices but also to restore and revive older Japanese institutions. Rather than a clash between modern and traditional methods, or between Western and Japanese practices, says Ravina, it was the result of a struggle to bridge those dichotomies and create new institutions that could evoke both Japanese uniqueness and Western progress.   And it didnt happen in a vacuum. At the time a global political transformation was underway, involving the rise of nationalism and nation-states. The long-established multi-ethnic empires- Ottoman, Qinq, Romanov, and Hapsburg- were all deteriorating, to be replaced by nation states who asserted a specific cultural entity. A Japanese nation-state was seen as vital as a defense against foreign predation. Although the Meiji Restoration caused a lot of trauma and social dislocation in Japan, it also enabled the country to join the ranks of world powers in the early 20th century. Japan would go on to ever greater power in East Asia until the tides turned against it in World War II. Today, however, Japan remains the third largest economy in the world, and a leader in innovation and technology- thanks in large part to the reforms of the Meiji Restoration. Resources and Further Reading Beasley, W.G. The Meiji Restoration. Stanford University, 2019.Craig, Albert M. Choshu in the Meiji Restoration. Lexington, 2000.Ravina, Mark. To Stand With the Nations of the World: Japans Meiji Restoration in World History. Oxford University, 2017.Wilson, George M. â€Å"Plots and Motives in Japans Meiji Restoration.† Comparative Studies in Society and History, vol. 25, no. 3, July 1983, pp. 407-427.

Ethical Analysis of Eight Mile Road Hearsay Accident Essay

Ethical Analysis of Eight Mile Road Hearsay Accident - Essay Example As a result, an engineer is under pressure to explain the causes and consequences of such actions. The incident has raised major concerns within the ECCS Analysis. The primary reason for this concern is the termination of High Pressure Injection, a situation that places the power plant in major trouble (Barbour 12). Facts A pressure valve opened so that it can relieve steam hence decrease pressure due to a minor over-pressurization passing. As a result, the pressure valve failed to close. When the plant operator noticed this inaccuracy, he terminated high pressure injection. It is worth noting that this was a faulty move from the operator because the system was on a two-phase state. High pressure injection is only applicable when the primary system stood in a sub cooled state. Within 20 to 30 minutes after high pressure injection was terminated, the pressurizer level collapsed showing that this was a wrong move. As a result, the operator was forced to reintroduce injection. Significa nt fluid inventory was lost in the 30 minutes that injection was terminated. The engineer reported back to superiors with the facts as required. However, the superiors did not take the nuclear engineer seriously. Instead, they dismissed this as hearsay. It is worth noting that nuclear engineering is governed by a strict code of conduct. ... The engineer ought to make sure that the power plant operations are smooth flowing. This is because the emotions from a nuclear power plant are harmful to the people around and environment as a whole. Residents of Toledo are also major stakeholders. This is because they are the key focus of my decision. The value of life is important to any ethical organization. Moreover, the operator had to know what to do in case of incidences. However, in this case, he took a wrong decision more than once. This risked the lives of all persons in and around the power plant. Moreover, the ethics of the top management are also at stake here because they failed to take action just because they believed that it was from an incredible source (Shrader-Frechette 84). Regulations and Laws Any nuclear power plant is complex. As a result, it ought to be well-designed and engineered to reduce incidences. It is worth noting that it cannot be deemed to be a failure proof. This is clearly seen in the Eight Mile Road nuclear power plant when the pressure valve failed to close. The accident exposed serious shortages in a scheme that was destined to safeguard public well-being and safety. Failure modes ought to be present in any nuclear plant. This is because a commercial nuclear reactor can explode like a bomb. It is worth noting that, in this case, the fail-safe mechanisms were evidently not present. Moreover, the location of nuclear power plants is critical (Maxey 123). This is because emissions from such plants are powerfully harmful to the public health surrounding it. In this case, we are not told where the plant was specifically located. As a result, we hope it was located in a place where its emissions

The LInux Operating System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The LInux Operating System - Research Paper Example Thus, one can download the software and edit and make changes as per one’s requirements. This adds to the flexibility and adaptability of the operating system to user requirements. Linux is often called a derivative of UNIX, the other operating system that is character based and one that is widely used in research laboratories around the world. Linux operates in many flavors and some of the popular distributions of Linux are Fedora Core, Debian and SuSE Linux. According to many software sites, â€Å"Although there are a large number of Linux implementations, you will find a lot of similarities in the different distributions, if only because every Linux machine is a box with building blocks that you may put together following your own needs and views. Installing the system is only the beginning of a long term relationship† (Linuxtopia, 2008). Thus, one can install Linux and build on top of it or use it in any way possible according to one’s needs. Linux is an operating system, a software program that controls your computer. Linux traces its evolution to a mainframe operating system called Multics (Multiplexed Information and Computing Service). UNIX was developed by two Bell Labs software engineers who during their spare time used to play a game called Space Travel. Sometimes they used to find themselves without the operating system by which they could play their favorite game. Thus, the two software engineers, Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie developed the game to play on an otherwise unused PDP-7 computer. This was the origin of UNIX that was a precursor to Linux. Once the UNIX operating system began to be widely used and freely available, AT&T decided to license it and this led to its claiming a huge license fee for UNIX and it secured the intellectual property rights for UNIX. Once UNIX was no longer a freeware, a MIT scientist called Richard Stallman began what is known as the GNU (Or Not Unix) operating system and started to make it available under the

Systems Theory and Human Relations Essay Example for Free

Systems Theory and Human Relations Essay Systems theory within organisations states that businesses retrieve inputs from the external environment, transform these inputs from processes and procedures and then out put them back into the environment. Below is a diagram to illustrate this with examples of each. The inputs generally come from other organistaions outputs, and the outputs of organisations tend to become inputs for other organisations. Within the organisation as a system, each of the different transformation activities may themselves may be looked at as individual sub-systems with their own inputs-transformations-outputs. They may also be looked at to interact with different sub-systems. The 5 main sub-systems are as follows: †¢Task – goals and objectives of the company †¢Technology – the tools and knowledge in which are used to carry out tasks †¢People – attitudes, skills, needs etc Structure – both formal and informal, flow of authority, grapevine etc †¢Management – co-ordination of the other 4 sub-systems and interactions with outside world Human relations approach pays greater attention to the social factors at work and the behaviour of employees. Employees come to work for more than just monetary needs, they come to interact with each other also. Therefore employees need to be able to interact with each other and not be excluded, Hamiltons work plan enables this and also encourages this. One way by which Hamilton uses this approach is by humanising the workplace, recognising the importance of the informal structure and also giving concern for the manufacturing staff. Hamilton does many things to humanise the workplace, such as: †¢Regular walk abouts by directors †¢Quarterly updates/briefs †¢Nights of social events such as Christmas funded by the company †¢Attend certain MDW meetings †¢Works council to communicate to management about certain issues on shop floor †¢Birthdays always celebrated †¢Weddings and anniversarys celebrated †¢Shop sales Child care vouchers †¢Easter eggs provided by company These policies and procedures that are representative of the human relations approach, all help with the management of change within Hamilton. Below are some point and how they help with managing change: †¢Communication – By communicating with staff through quarterly briefs, team meetings and notice boards, all staff are aware of changes and why they are going to be made. †¢Multiskilling – By Hamilton training staff on at least 3 machines in the factory, this enables Hamilton help to manage production planning. It also helps make the employee feel needed by investing in them. †¢Production planning – Enables Hamilton to prduce there good more efficiently and to help cut down on set-up times and change over’s. †¢Works Council – Helps staff to communicate any issues with changes that are being made before they are being introdced. This then means they can rectify these issues which the staff have. †¢Social Events – Help keep staff morale high and help build relationships and work teams within the business. As I looked at one of the subsystems of management and how it relates to the external environment and how it manages changes in the environment, I realised Hamilton is effected a lot by external factors such as: †¢Social attitudes †¢Government policies – taxes †¢Trade unions †¢Customers †¢Other organisations †¢International relations †¢Economic climate – exchange rates †¢Suppliers †¢Technoligical innovations – dulux paint pod †¢Providers of finance One of the biggest external factors is the economic climate, the exchange rate with China is very poor at the minute. As you can see from the graph above Hamilton has seen a major drop in the exchange rate within the last 12 months. This therefore creates high production costs within the company, to try and reduce the impact the management has undertaken numerous actions such as: †¢Improve communications with suppliers †¢Improve technology internally and externally †¢New suppliers †¢Longer term agreements †¢Reduced spending †¢Production planning †¢Aggressive with suppliers †¢Re-structured sales force

Attachment in Groups :: essays research papers

Attachment and Self Disclosure in Groups   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Attachment and self disclosure can say a lot about a person. There was a study done to investigate attachment style and self disclosure in the first group counseling session. This was done in order to explain variable of group functioning. The attachment style was done by self report questionnaires and the self-disclosure was done by observations. There were more than four hundred participants that were split up into twenty seven different groups. I find taking over 400 people and placing them into twenty seven different groups is actually a quite strong way of studying attachment and disclosure. They were assessed on the basis of transcripts of the first group counseling session. As noted by the group leader and the participants, group functioning included self-disclosure, group empathy, group intimacy, and client behavior. The results indicated that a significant relationship existed between attachment and initial self disclosure. I agree with this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of people around the world find group counseling beneficial, but still there are some that disagree. The prediction of a person’s behavior in the group counseling process is important for the sake of both the group and the individual. This article covers the behind the scenes look at each of these behaviors and what role it has in a group. They wanted to examine whether a person’s behavior in a counseling group can be explained by means of self disclosure and attachment. I think that a person’s behavior can be explained in any setting based upon disclosure and attachment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Attachment theory is viewed as a valid conceptual framework for explaining one’s predisposition toward group counseling. This includes ability, motivation, and behavior. Attachment style reflects a person’s past experiences with significant others, it is expressed in Group 2 that person’s sense of trust and level of intimacy, and collected from self-report data. Self disclosure is reflected in actual behavior and can be measured through observation of a person’s situations such as the initial stage of a group. Attachment research has shown that secure attachment contributes to subjective well-being, high self-esteem, high self-efficacy, self-control, and well-adjusted interpersonal behavior. Insecure attachment seems to be organized around two basic dimensions: avoidance and anxiety-ambivalence. Avoidant adults tend to be uncomfortable about and have difficulties being close to and trusting others; anxious-ambivalent adults want closeness to others, worry that others do not love or want to be with them, and sometimes scare others away with their intense need for closeness.

Disaster in Franklin County Essay

The role of the major public health personnel, including the public health nurse, is to provide the public with accurate information, and to assure the community, as well as ensure the immediate safety and well-being of the members of the community, while being competent compassionate and accessible. The public health director was contacted by the incident commander to attend the incident briefing due to immediate and long term public health impacts. The fire chief gave report concerning how many people were confirmed dead, what time it occurred and what county(s) were affected. He made the public aware if any hazardous materials had been released and where and whether the hazardous materials team had been dispatched. He also notifies the community of areas of flooding, and any impassable roads and the roads that are closed, as well as any power outages, and possible long term problems that may occur from power loss such as water contamination, and food loss due to spoilage. The fire chief also informs the public that the plan for search and rescue has been initiated. The public health staff had previously had National Incident Management System (NIMS) training. The deputy director sets up the incident command center and does the head count of available responders. The most ideal personnel were not totally available; there were an appropriate number to set up section chiefs and command staff. The chain of command that was used in the simulation consisted of the Public Health Team which included the County Public Health Director, Environmental Health Specialists, and Community Health Nurses, as well as Franklin county staff members, mental health, and social workers, which allowed the community health nurse to have resources available that were used to deal with situations that were outside the nurse’s scope of practice included reporting to EOC well treatment hazardous waste removal. Actions taken by the community health nurse when she encountered possible emergency situations during the door-to-door interviews was to Calm and triage families and offer reassurance and instruction on safety. The public health personnel had to deal with multiple problems both during the initial period and after the immediate danger had past. Actions taken by the community health nurse to help the people who were interviewed cope with the situations after the flooding were: to advise them to stay at shelter where there is electricity and food to contact Environmental health specialists for toxic waste To contact Social services to address immediate needs and resources. To arrange for instruction on safe use of generators in English and Spanish. To make arrangement for medications to be delivered the next day. Techniques that were used or could have been used to calm the fears of the people interviewed are to use short and concise statements. Perform active listening and confirm statements by repeating it back to the person being spoken with, use confrontation avoidance, and De-escalation. The other nursing personnel could be prepared to help in responding to a similar emergency with a much larger affected area (e.g., the effect of Hurricane Katrina). Through the development of a well-organized disaster response plan. Public health staff requires National Incident Management System (NIMS) training. Emergency preparedness training should be performed at least every six months. There needs to be a method of communication in case power lines, towers and electricity are not available; have a backup system in place and know where they are located (e.g. include, walkie talkies, Morse code and emailing). Community nurses should have car stock that includes protective gear (PPE) such as N-95 mask, barriers for CPR, gloves, biohazard containers and isolation gowns. Knowledge of the basic steps that are needed to take to ensure patient safety, such as safe evacuation, and early notification will help prevent unnecessary casualties during emergencies (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. www.ahrq.gov/prep. Accessed July 21, 2006. References Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://cpheo1.sph.umn.edu/fcs/index.asp Health Care: Public Health Emergency Preparedness. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/prep

There Is Hope for the Drug Addicted - 932 Words

There is Hope According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, â€Å"Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. It is considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain; they change its structure and how it works. These brain changes can be long lasting and can lead to many harmful, often self-destructive, behaviors† (NIH, WEB). Many people in society struggle with drug abuse. â€Å"An estimated 208 million people internationally consume illegal drugs† (FFADRW, WEB). Many countries have spent an outrageous amount of money in hopes of trying to prevent drug use which will lower the drug related crimes and the number of drug addicts in the community. It is becoming increasingly difficult to fight the conflict on drugs since many substances are readily available to anyone who can afford them or get their hands on them. 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