rved much of the traditional structure and authority of the country, while (2) establishing a firm central control.14Power in the new governmental structure was extended to all segments of Japanese society, as opposed to simply a redistribution of power among members of the former privileged (warrior) class.15
One of the traditional Japanese values preserved under the Meiji Restoration was loyalty. Loyalty was not (and is not) unidirectional in Japan. Loyalty flows downward in Japan, as strongly as it flows upward.16 Loyalty enhances the Japanese concern with collective goals, the attainment of which was (and continues to be) of major significance in the economic development of Japan.17
All of these factors created the environment which fostered Japanese economic growth during the Meiji period. Japan's modern economy began in this period.The Development of the Japanese Economy
Initially during the Meiji period, the Japanese economy grew only moderately. Traditional agriculture was relied upon to provide the savings required for investment in the develop
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