The 1860s was a time of uncertainty and political unrest in Japan. Finally, in 1868, the situation became so serious that Emperor Mutsuhito took control from the last shogun (military dictator). Mutsuhito became known as the Meiji emperor, and this event is called the ‘Meiji restoration’. Under the emperor’s authority, Japan embarked on a programmed of modernization. In 1872, a group...