In what year did the Meiji Restoration begin?

• A. 1868
• B. 1543
• C. 1770
• D. 1912

Answer: (A)

This question tests your understanding of when Japan shifted from feudal rule to an imperial-led modernization. The Meiji Restoration began in 1868, the year when power was restored to the Emperor and the Tokugawa shogunate effectively ended. That moment set in motion rapid political, economic, and social reforms aimed at centralizing authority and modernizing the country.

Why this year fits best: 1868 marks the actual pivotal change—the collapse of the old regime and the start of the Meiji era, with steps toward a unified state and modernization that followed. The other years don’t fit the event: 1543 is when Europeans first reached Japan and introduced firearms; 1770 is deep in the Edo period with no restoration of imperial rule; 1912 is the end of the Meiji era, not its beginning.