Question

Which event led to the Meiji Restoration

Answer 1

The event that led to the Meiji Restoration was the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry, an American naval officer, and his "Black Ships" in Japan in 1853. Perry's arrival forced Japan to open its previously closed society to foreign influences and trade. This event exposed the weaknesses of the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate and led to a growing movement for change and modernization within Japan.