Imperialift
[im-peer-ee-al-lift]
noun
*A quick rise in a country's power caused by the emperor and making things modern during the Meiji time.
When Emperor Meiji came to power in 1868, Japan went through an imperialift, changing from a closed, old-fashioned country to a modern industrial nation in just one generation.
*Learned from research
1
Nationlock
[nay-shun-lok]
noun
*When a country closes itself off from the outside world to protect its culture and power, like Japan did with its isolation laws.
For over 200 years, the Tokugawa shogunate kept a strict nationlock, only allowing trade through one port in Nagasaki and not letting Japanese people travel to other countries.
*Learned from research
2
Oligrachange
[ol-ih-gra-chaynj]
noun
*Big changes made by a small group of leaders, like how the Meiji rulers changed the government and society.
During the oligrachange of the 1870s, powerful clan leaders got rid of the old feudal lands, created a required army service, and brought in Western laws, with all decisions made by a small group of leaders around the emperor.
*Learned from research
3
Shogunization
[show-gun-ih-zay-shun]
noun
*A time of strict control and isolation led by military leaders, like when the shogunate kept Japan separate from other countries.
The era of shogunization ended suddenly when Commodore Perry's black ships came to Japan in 1853, showing how weak Japan had become by keeping itself isolated.
*Learned from research
4
Treatyshift
[tree-tee-shift]
noun
*A forced change in a country's path after agreeing to unfair treaties that took away freedom and opened ports to foreigners.
The embarrassing treatyshift forced by Western countries, giving them special rights and limiting Japan's taxes on imports, made Japan rush to modernize so it could renegotiate these treaties as an equal nation.
*Learned from research
5
