The Meiji Restoration played an important role in the modernization of Japan. The Meiji period was a time of political and social revolution. This brought considerable social, political, and economic changes to Japan, and these changes became the foundation of the Japan we know today. Before the Restoration of 1868, Japan was a militarily weak country with a feudal agricultural society and controlled by feudal lords. When the Meiji period ended with the death of the emperor in 1912, Japan was a well-developed nation with a constitutional monarchy, an elected government, a strong economy, a powerful military, and a well-educated population. The Meiji Restoration allowed Japan to modernize and adopt the ideas, technologies and social, political and economic systems of the Western world. Some of the major changes that occurred in the political system during the Meiji period were the introduction of the Imperial Charter Oath and the Meiji Constitution. The Imperial Charter Oath of April 1868 was a document that officially declared a break with the old feudal system. The fifth provision, which states: “Knowledge shall be sought throughout the world in order to strengthen the foundations of imperial rule,” is perhaps the most important because it officially opens Japan to the world. He promoted the modernization of the country by encouraging the Japanese people to study the Western world and adopt its social, political, and economic systems to Japan if possible. The new leaders also believed that a constitutional government would put Japan on an equal footing with Western powers. Thus, the Meiji Constitution, modeled on the Prusso-German model, was created in 1889. The Constitution established the Emperor as sovereign, developed a bicameral system...... middle of paper ...... and businesses growing and industries. However, this quickly led to a financial crisis which was later followed by a reform of the monetary system. The Bank of Japan, modeled after the European banking system, was also established, which encouraged the creation of specialized banks to help finance agriculture, special industries, and trade. These developments greatly aided Japan's economic systems. In conclusion, the Meiji Restoration played an important role in the modernization of Japan because it exposed Japan to Western culture and brought significant social, political, and economic changes to Japan. Historian John Whitney Hall described the Meiji Restoration as "Japan's transition to modernity" and "proved to be one of the pivotal events in Japanese history." Westernization and the changes brought by the Meiji Restoration provided the framework for modern Japan.