Journal 9

Journal

One thing that I had not really considered when it comes to communication is the use of non-verbal cues. I had not realized just how often, or not, I tend to use my hands when speaking, and the section made me more aware of how much eye contact I use and the physical distance that I put between myself and others when I am speaking with them. Typically, I do not make eye contact with other people in conversation unless they are close friends or family members. I am shy to a fault, so excessive eye-contact, especially with authority figures or people I do not know, makes me uncomfortable. Interestingly, eye-contact is typically seen as aggressive, so I am sure that I will not give off the wrong impression when speaking to people in my host country.

 When it comes to specific hand signals (thumbs up, okay, etc.), I find that I do not use them very often. However, I tend to be expressive, using my hands to convey a lot of what I am saying. I feel that, in my host countries, this could be an issue, as it might definitely draw attention and could potentially come off as rude.

Personal space will definitely not be an issue for me when I visit my host countries. It is typical in the United States to leave a decent amount of space between yourself and the person you are speaking to, and the same is typical of Japan. I usually leave a few feet between myself and the person I am having a conversation with, unless the person is a close friend or family member. Additionally, I am not a fan of physical contact, even with friends, so I know that I won’t be the “typical American” going in for hugs with acquaintances in my host countries.

In preparing to come home, I know now that it will take time. Especially given how short our break will be between fall and winter term due to the length of the program, I hope to take what little time I do have to reflect on my travels and process everything as best I can. It will be especially hard since we will be returning right before Christmas, so I will be surrounded by family and trying to wrap gifts from abroad while also trying to adjust to being back home. I am not sure what sorts of cultural practices I will pick up abroad, or just how much I will have to relearn when I return, but I hope that I will be able to acclimate at my own pace. After completing the readings, I feel comfortable in knowing that I am not going to be the only one to feel overwhelmed by being back in my home country. I know that the transition will not be smooth, but I am hoping to make the best of it by journaling and reflecting on my wonderful experiences abroad and the likely awkward ones back at home.  

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The Meiji Restoration was an event that restored practical imperial rule to the Empire of Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ruling Emperors well before the Meiji Restoration, the events restored practical abilities and consolidated the political system under the Emperor of Japan.

The goals of the restored government were expressed by the new Emperor in the Charter Oath. The Restoration led to enormous changes in Japan's political and social structure and spanned both the late Edo period and the beginning of the Meiji period.

One of the driving forces of the restoration was a response to Japan’s general legging behind other countries in terms of technology. While industrialization had occurred independently of Western influence (beginning in the countryside), later pushed Japan to trade with foreign countries like the U.S. and adopt some of their technology (most notably the train).

The leaders of the Meiji Restoration (Itō Hirobumi, Matsukata Masayoshi, Kido Takayoshi, Itagaki Taisuke, Yamagata Aritomo, Mori Arinori, Ōkubo Toshimichi, and Yamaguchi Naoyoshi) concerned themselves with restoring imperial rule to strengthen Japan against the threat represented by the colonial powers of the day, as well as combine modern advances with traditional values. This would require the feudal lords to surrender their land and power to the emperor. Many lords, the Tokugawa chief among them, were subsequently persuaded to do so, thus creating, arguably for the first time, a central government in Japan which exercised direct power through the entire "realm".

Some shogunate forces escaped to Hokkaidō, where they attempted to set up a breakaway Republic of Ezo; however, forces loyal to the Emperor ended this attempt in May 1869 with the Battle of Hakodate in Hokkaidō. The defeat of the armies of the former shōgun marked the final end of the Tokugawa shogunate, with the Emperor's power fully restored.

Finally, by 1872, the daimyōs, past and present, were summoned before the Emperor, where it was declared that all domains were now to be returned to the Emperor. The roughly 280 domains were turned into 72 prefectures, each under the control of a state-appointed governor. “If the daimyōs peacefully complied, they were given a prominent voice in the new Meiji government. Later, their debts and payments of samurai stipends were either taxed heavily or turned in to bonds which resulted in a large loss of wealth among former samurai” (Lonely Planet).

Besides drastic changes to the social structure of Japan, in an attempt to create a strong centralized state defining its national identity, the government established a dominant national dialect that replaced local and regional dialects and was based on the patterns of Tokyo's samurai classes. This dialect eventually became the norm in the realms of education, media, government, and business.

The Meiji Restoration, and the resultant modernization of Japan, also influenced Japanese self-identity with respect to its Asian neighbors, as Japan became the first Asian state to modernize based on the Western model, replacing the traditional Confucian hierarchical order that had persisted previously under a dominant China with one based on modernity.