and symbols of the past: Mt. Fuji, the tea ceremony, and the sacred

objects of nature revered in Shintoism. Two of the most important

traditions and symbols in Japan; the Emperor and Confucianism have

endured through Shogunates, restorations of imperial rule, and up to

present day. The leaders of the Meiji Restoration used these

traditions to gain control over Japan and further their goals of

modernization. The Meiji leaders used the symbolism of the Emperor to

add legitimacy to their government, by claiming that they were ruling

under the "Imperial Will." They also used Confucianism to maintain

order and force the Japanese people to passively accept their rule.

Japanese rulers historically have used the symbolism of the

Imperial Institution to justify their rule. The symbolism of the

Japanese Emperor is very powerful and is wrapped up in a mix of

religion (Shintoism) and myths. According to Shintoism the current

Emperor is the direct descendent of the Sun Goddess who formed the

islands of Japan out of the Ocean in ancient times.Footnote1 According

to these myths the Japanese Emperor unlike a King is a living

government. The Meiji rulers achieved their goals by having the

national newspaper and television show was full of reports related to

that would create dissension and would destroy the idea of the

Emperor Komeo died and was replaced by his son who became the Meiji

Meiji oligarchs industrialization policies. The symbols and traditions

Some topics in this essay:
Confucianism Emperor, Emperor Meiji, Komeo Emperor, Japanese Emperor, Tokyo Japan, Rescript Education, Imperial Myth, Emperor Imperial, Shogunate Meiji, Mori Arinori, education system, imperial institution, meiji oligarchs, meiji rulers, emperor meiji, meiji leaders, japanese education system, japanese education, meiji emperor, symbolism emperor, imperial rescript, imperial rescript education, satsuma choshu clans, choshu clans imperialist, emperor meiji oligarchs,