ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the reactions, responses, and consequences that followed the initial phase of the Meiji revolution, and then have a look at the continuing process of that revolution. The revolutionary changes that were introduced by the Meiji leaders and the large-scale exposure to a totally new civilization profoundly affected all segments of the society. The Meiji government managed by the 1890s to establish the new order on a firm footing in spite of the resistance and unfavorable reactions that its revolutionary measures produced. The Meiji Restoration had a revolutionary impact on the entire society insofar as it loosened the bonds of traditional institutions and unleashed the heretofore restrained energies and ambitions of people throughout the social hierarchy. In order to remove the symbolic head of the party movement from the political scene and in this way attempt to cool down the heated political atmosphere, the Meiji leaders suggested that Itagaki take a trip abroad with funds provided by Mitsui.
