Fukoku kyohei
Also called: Rich country, strong army · Topic: Paths to Modernisation: Japan, China, Korea · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 7 "Paths to Modernisation"
Meaning
Fukoku kyohei was the main slogan of the Meiji government after 1868. It means "rich country, strong army". Japan feared it would become a colony, as India had, and it had seen China defeated by Britain. So the state set out to build a strong economy and a modern army together. It also tried to turn subjects into citizens who were loyal to the nation.
Example
Under this slogan, Japan used agricultural tax to pay for industry. It built the Tokyo–Yokohama railway (1870–72), set up modern banks in 1872 and paid subsidies to shipbuilders such as Mitsubishi and Sumitomo. It also made military service compulsory for men over twenty.
Don't confuse with
- Four Modernisations: The Four Modernisations were Deng Xiaoping's goals for China after 1978: science, industry, agriculture and defence. Fukoku kyohei was the slogan of Meiji Japan.
Related concepts
- Commodore Perry
- Treaty of Kanagawa
- Unequal treaties
- Meiji restoration
- Charter Oath 1868
- Emperor system
- Meiji education system
- Imperial Rescript on Education
- Hiragana and katakana
- Satsuma Rebellion 1877