The Roles of the Aristocracy in the Creation of Modern Japan, 1869-1900

FAIN: FO-50053-07

Sarah Thal
University of Wisconsin, Madison (Madison, WI 53715-1218)

“Aristocratic Connections: Creating Imperial Japan, 1869-1900” examines the newly expanded aristocracy of the Meiji period as a key player in the creation of modern Japan. By focusing on the aristocracy as a political tool of the Meiji oligarchs, as a contested symbol of imperial identity, and as a mediating structure between regional elites and metropolitan leaders, this project addresses the key issues of political centralization, social restructuring, and increased identification with the emperor in the Meiji era. Drawing upon qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis, the project will produce an historical monograph and a relational database of Meiji-era people and organizations that will be made available to other scholars.