Question

which event most directly led to the Meiji restoration

Answer 1

The event that most directly led to the Meiji Restoration was the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry and his fleet of American warships in Tokyo Bay in 1853. This event highlighted Japan's military and technological weaknesses relative to Western powers and forced the country to confront the need for modernization. The subsequent signing of the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854, which opened Japanese ports to American trade, signaled the end of Japan's isolationist policies.

This opening to the West triggered a series of political, social, and economic changes, which culminated in the Meiji Restoration of 1868. The restoration marked the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and the restoration of imperial rule under Emperor Meiji, leading to significant reforms aimed at modernizing Japan and strengthening it against Western powers.