ABSTRACT
The era of intensified modernisation in Japan from about 1890 had many similarities with Germany. Around 1890, the Meiji restoration placed increased emphasis on heavy industry. Minister of Finance Matsukata’s reorganisation of the economy and the development of new financial institutions in the 1880s meant a new basis for industry. Government interest in expansion of industries such as shipbuilding, iron and steel, and mechanical engineering gave industry new scope for action.
