What happened in the Meji Period in Japan? (in general)

Question

anonymous · Answer

If you are referring to how it ended:
This era was a transition from the era of the samurai to a more modern, developed country.  
One of the main influences was the United States.  Wanting to trade with Japan, the US brought their warship to Japan to force them to trade.  Japan was awed by the American advances in technology, and agreed to open trade in order to maintain competition.  
Many believed that continuation of an army of samurai would only serve to hold the economy back, so the emperor agreed to abolish the lifestyle.
The samurai grouped up and rebelled, but ultimately lost due to conscription.  
The movie "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise is a representation of the rebellion.
The end of the Samurai was seen as a full departure of feudal society into a modern society, ending the Meiji Period in Japan.