In 1868, the fifteen-year old Emperor Meiji, as he was posthumously known, moved from Kyoto to Edo. The move marked the beginning of Japan's efforts to modernize its political and social institutions, to develop and expand its industrial base, and to achieve parity with the Western industrialized nations.

In 1882, the Ministry of Finance established the Bank of Japan. It introduced a modern currency system and put the government on a sound budgetary foundation.

The Meiji government financed the construction of an industrial infrastructure. It began building the national railway network. It also financed major heavy industries that were turned over to the private sector later, such as mining, iron and steel, shipbuilding and machine tools.

Until 1900, light industries such as the textile industry accounted for nearly 85% of Japan's total industrial output. The textile industry became one of Japan's mainstays in industrial output. In 1870, textile output was less than 10%. By the 1890s it jumped to over 25%. The textile industry remained an important source of industrial output in Japan until World War II.

World War II arrested the growth in urban populations. Many Japanese moved to the countryside to escape the bombings. By the end of the war in 1945, cities showed a significant decline in population.

Manufacturing companies expanded their facilities in three major industrial centers, the Kanto Plains, the Kinki Region and the Tokai Region. In 1968, 68% of Japan's manufacturing facilities and plants were concentrated in these three areas.

The economy floundered and many Japanese remained unemployed until the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950. The war stimulated the growth of heavy industries. Factories modernized their production in order to meet the new demand created by the war.

During the 1920s, the productivity of Japanese industries increased as a result of technological improvements, greater efficiency in production, and the introduction of new employment practices designed to win employee loyalty.

PHASE 3***********************************************************************************

The postwar political, social and economic reforms revived the economy and once again Japanese began moving into the cities to find work. The urban population began rising again. In 1955, 56.1% of the population lived in the cities. People working in the primary industry decreased significantly to 41.0%. Nearly 60% of the labor force now worked in the secondary and tertiary industries.

The growth of heavy industries such as shipbuilding continued. And the output of industries like chemical and electric machinery increased.

ies such as the iron and steel industry began expanding.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1395
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)