ABSTRACT
The basic policies of the Meiji government were made clear in the Charter Oath presented by the Meiji Emperor to the court nobility and daimyo on April 6, 1868. This centralization of power was only one aspect of political modernization; power alone was not enough for the government to create a modern state. In addition to industrial promotion, the state also intended to mobilize the energy of the people and took steps in that direction. A strong army needed a rich nation to support it, and Okubo Toshimichi understood that doing that would require building an industrial base first. The passion of the new government for introducing Western civilization is best shown by the dispatch of the Iwakura Tomomi Mission. The government created its school system in 1872 and made clear that it was intended to educate all citizens. Fukuzawa Yukichi took on a rather more realist approach after cutting his ties to the government.
