Silence before drawing the sword--Preparedness on the eve of the abolition of the han system (circa 1871, around the 4th year of Meiji)

Silence before drawing the sword--Preparedness on the eve of the abolition of the han system (circa 1871, around the 4th year of Meiji)

Around 1871, in the 4th year of Meiji (1871), the meeting of government leaders concerning the abolition of feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures took place at a stage when Japan as a modern nation had not yet developed its institutional contours. Neither a constitution nor a parliament existed, and the legitimacy of governance was left to political decisions rather than laws. At the conference, the institutionalists' argument that the distinction between sovereignty and government power and the establishment of laws should be prioritized dominated the discussion, but in the midst of this debate, Saigō Takamori repeatedly said, "Japan has not yet had enough wars since the Meiji Restoration," which did not engage the discussion. At first, this statement was perceived as violent and illogical. Later, however, Kaoru Inoue's explanation clarified his true intention. Saigo did not want war, but rather he was asking whether the government was prepared to accept the r
esponsibility for the bloodshed that would result from the rebellion and civil war that could occur if the abolition of feudal domains was implemented. There was a recognition that laws and institutions should be put in place after decisions are made, and that the foundation of a nation lies in its preparedness. These words mark the moment when the logic of institutions and the logic of decisions collided, symbolizing the tension in the Meiji nation that would later lead to the Civil War.