Emperor Meiji

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/emperor-meiji

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Emperor Meiji born?November 3, 1852
2. When did Emperor Meiji die?July 29, 1912 (age 59)
3. Where was Emperor Meiji born?Kyoto, Japan
4. What is the family?Married Empress Shoken; fathered 15 children, though only five survived to adulthood
5. What is the related topics?Meiji Constitution, Charter Oath, Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, Imperialism
6. What did Emperor Meiji do to help Japan become modern?He gave his support to big changes that made Japan learn new technology, build factories, and create a strong army. His name helped people trust the new ideas.

Meiji Restoration: A political revolution in 1868 that ended the Tokugawa shogunate and restored imperial rule, initiating rapid modernization.
Sakoku: Japan's policy of national seclusion, enforced for over 200 years, limiting foreign trade and interaction.
Imperial Diet: The bicameral legislature established by the Meiji Constitution, consisting of a House of Peers and a House of Representatives.
Genrō: A small group of elder statesmen who were instrumental in guiding Japan's modernization and political reforms during the Meiji era.