How the Meiji Restoration Bought In Elites Through Minimal Change Works in Progress wants someone to write this article: How the Meiji Restoration bought in elites. Japanese samurai did not just accede to the total destruction of their way of life and status in society, but actively fought for it. How did the architects of the Meiji Restoration convince samurai to accept change? Here’s my pitch »> The Meiji Restoration’s genius wasn’t convincing Japan’s elites to accept revolutionary change—it was discovering a path that barely required change at all. Despite its reputation as a dramatic economic transformation, the Meiji “Restoration”’s political transformation was precisely that: a restoration that maximized the preservation of existing power structures while satisfying foreign demands just enough to avoid colonization. ...