Meiji Restoration Vocabulary

Annexation- the formal act of gaining territory by conquest

Emperor- ruler of an empire

Imperialism- the practice of a larger country and government taking over a weaker country for its natural resources

Meiji Restoration- political and social changes that led Japan to become a strong and modern country

Shogun- supreme military commander in feudal Japan

Daimyo – territorial lords in feudal Japan (like a governor today)

Zaibatsu- a powerful business in Japan

Samurai – military nobility in feudal Japan (like a mayor today)

Matthew Perry – American military leader who forced Japan to trade with the United States

Feudalism – set of legal and military customs that govern a region or country.