They sent people to Europe and the United States to study ways of life and government.
They opened public schools.
They created banking, telegraph, and postal systems.
The Meiji Restoration is the period of time when the military government, called a shogunate, was over thrown and the emperor was placed back in power in Japan.
The goal of the Meiji Emperor was to regain Japan's pride and power after attempts by Western powers to take over and influence Japanese culture. The emperor believed the best way to defend against the West was to become one of them and set Japan on a mission to westernize while maintaining unique features of the Japanese culture. Studying the models of Great Britain and the US, Japan brought in universal, or public education, got rid of the feudal system, built telegraphs and railroads, developing a banking industry, and began steel factories. Eventually, Japan would join the West in becoming an imperial power as well.
