Problem 1: Had the Tokugawa Shogunate stayed in power, do you think Japan would have fallen victim to colonization? Why or why not? What do you think the next 20 years would have looked like in Japan had the Tokugawa Shogunate not been removed from power during the Meiji Restoration?
Problem 2: After being absent from active political life for half a millenia, why do you think Emperors Komei and Meiji became so involved in the issue of opening up to the West? What made them take such an interest, and what made the Tokugawa and Satsuma/Choshu clans even consult them about it? Remember that the Imperial Family was never consulted about this before - even when the Europeans first arrived in the 1500s.
Problem 3: How do you think the new Meiji government should have dealt with the samurai class? Do you think they should have handled the abolition of the samurai class differently? If so, how?
Problem 4: In your opinion, which of the Westernizing reforms of the Meiji Period was the most important and influential on Japanese civilization? Which reform do you think Japan could have modified or done without?