ABSTRACT
At the end of the Edo Period (1603 to 1867), Japan was opened under the pressure from Western countries such as Russia and the United States. In 1859, the Tokugawa Shogunate government concluded a treaty on commerce with the United States, Russia, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and France, by which the country gave preferential tari€ and extraterritoriality to them. Aªer the squabbling about the provisions of this treaty, the low-ranking warriors succeeded in overthrowing Tokugawa Shogunate to return the ruling power to Meiji Emperor. Immediately aªer the Meiji Restoration in 1868, they wished to restore the traditional court of the emperor. ey changed the policy, however, to catch up with Western countries, under which they advocated the slogan of “Enrich the Country, and Strengthen our Military.” In addition, the government adopted the Western legal system to abolish the extraterritoriality.
