Feudalism in Japan began to decline in the late 19th century, culminating in the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Several factors contributed to this significant transformation.
Firstly, the arrival of Commodore Perry and his Black Ships in 1853 forced Japan to open its ports to foreign trade. This exposure to Western ideas and technologies made the existing feudal system seem outdated and inefficient.
Additionally, the internal strife during the Bakumatsu period (the final years of the Edo period) further weakened the shogunate. The growing dissatisfaction among samurai and the rising merchant class challenged the traditional power structures.
The Meiji Restoration marked the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and the restoration of imperial rule under Emperor Meiji. The new government sought to modernize Japan by abolishing the feudal caste system and instituting reforms that centralized authority, modernized the military, and promoted industrialization.
In essence, the combination of external pressures from foreign nations and internal demands for change led to the dismantling of the feudal system and the emergence of a modern state in Japan.