Question

How were the ideas of the samurai and leaders of the Meiji Restoration different? (4 points) a Samurai aimed to preserve tradition; Meiji leaders aimed to change their nation. b Samurai wanted to learn from other cultures; Meiji leaders wanted to stay isolated. c Samurai thought peaceful reform was best; Meiji leaders used violence to push change. d Samurai looked to build industry; Meiji leaders looked to stop trade with the West.

Answer 1

a Samurai aimed to preserve tradition; Meiji leaders aimed to change their nation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Meiji leaders, including Emperor Meiji himself, wanted to change the face of Japan. They wanted to modernize Japan by applying some western ideas: land reform to distribute the land more equally, industrialization in order to compete with the European Powers and the US, and political reform in order to change the feudal order that had predominated in Japan for almost a thousand years.

The Samurai were opposed to these changes, because their mode of life was threatened by the modernization of Japan. Their reason of being was to protect the old feudal order, and the feudal lords.