The great changes which occurred during the Meiji era may be grouped
under three main headings. There were, in the first place, the economic
reforms which merged the old feudal lords and _samurai_ into a new
society, and laid the foundations of Japan’s modern industries. Then,
there was a political movement which led finally to the Emperor’s
proclamation of a written constitution. Finally, there was a cautious
development of foreign policy by which Japan, at first on the
defensive, later embarked on an expansionist program and fought its
wars with China and Russia. In this chapter we shall look at the first
of these trends.