On April 6, 1868, the Charter Oath was proclaimed. It was a public statement in the Emperor’s name which revealed the government’s intentions. Its five articles promised that:

1. Deliberative assemblies shall be widely established and all matters decided by public discussion.
2. All classes, high and low, shall unite in vigorously carrying out the administration of affairs of state.
3. The common people, no less than civil and military officials, shall each be allowed to pursue his own calling so that there may be no discontent.
4. Evil customs of the past shall be broken off and everything based upon the just laws of Nature.
5. Knowledge shall be sought throughout the world so as to strengthen the foundations of imperial rule.

In sum, the Charter Oath was a rather vague policy statement promising “reforms from above” in several directions. During the Meiji era, actions were taken to implement these promises, as we shall see in the following discussion.

Article One -- the clause of “deliberative assemblies” was probably not a promise to establish a democracy, but was an assurance that views of other Japanese elements, apart from the Meiji oligarchy, would be consulted in the nation’s affairs.
The implementation of this promise rested primarily with the proclamation of the Meiji Constitution in 1889. Even though their influence was not decisive in policy making, leaders of political parties were given a voice in the running of the country. By the end of the Meiji era, some sort of parliamentary government was taking root in Japan and which was to blossom in the 1920s.

Article Two -- this was a pious wish for national unity. The achievement of this laid with the fanning up of Japanese patriotism and nationalism which became apparent by the end of the 19th century. Instrumental to this achievement was the worship of the “tenno” as Japan’s national polity.

Article Three -- this promised that persons of all classes should be enabled to realize their aspirations without frustration. To this end, the abolition of feudalism and its class stratification were executed by the early Meiji era. All classes were free to pursue their own interests. The merchant class, together with some former daimyo and samurai, were the chief beneficiaries of this change. Some able ones were to become founders of Japan’s zaibatsu by the turn of the century.

Article Four -- this was a more general promise of drastic though undefined changes. Judicial reforms could be cited as examples of the wiping out of past evils.

Article Five -- this last Article was the most important of all. It was to be the basic philosophy of the Meiji modernization. Japan was to be modernized and strengthened through the use of western knowledge. As such, it was an open disavowal of the “joi” sentiment of the previous years.
Many examples could be given for the fulfilment of this Article. Military reforms, educational changes, and economic modernization -- all these were carried out through the acquisition of western knowledge and the adoption of western models. With these reforms, Japan was greatly strengthened and modernized. Her victories over China and Russia were the best illustrations of her successful transformation.

Conclusion -- to conclude, the various Meiji reform programmes could be interpreted as the fulfilment of the promises inherent with the Charter Oath. In point of fact, the goals set out in the Charter Oath were achieved rather successfully to a great extent by the end of the Meiji era.