What was the all-important goal of the architects of the Meiji Restoration?

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The goal of the architects of the Meiji Restoration was to meet the threat posed by outside powers, particularly the West. Japan had been forced to open its ports to foreign trade in the mid-19th century, and the Meiji leaders recognized the need to modernize and strengthen Japan in order to avoid colonization or domination by foreign powers. This led to major political, economic, and social reforms aimed at modernizing Japan and making it a strong, modern nation-state. Expanding trade with the West was a means to achieving this goal, but it was not the ultimate goal itself. Ending imperial rule or forming an alliance with China were not major goals of the Restoration.

What Was the All-Important Goal of the Architects of the Meiji