`` Peasants, Rebels, Women, And Outcastes The Underside...

Urban life was exhilarating for Japan as cities began to develop in the 1890s. The major alterations were technological advancements that lead to additional job opportunities and made lives easier; however, the greater part of Japan, during the Meiji period, were not satisfied. These people were not benefiting from the changes that were occurring around them. In Mikiso Hane’s book, Peasants, Rebels, Women, And Outcastes: The Underside of Modern Japan, the first chapter depicts the morbid ways in which Japanese peasants reacted to starvation and military conscription. The next section illustrates the difficult duties of a farmer, and the third division describes the peasants’ morals. In the fourth section, Hane displays the demanding tasks†¦show more content†¦Granted that, the farmers were also expected to sacrifice their lives and resources for the â€Å"sake of the nation.† Even though the peasants were the ones engaged in heavy labor for Japan, the pr ofusion of wealth did not trickle down to them. No doubt, the elites at the top of the social pyramid were the superior social class who benefited and enjoyed the prosperity. In addition to hunger, the Meiji era had an abundant amount of measures that were introduced, but the compulsory military service generated the most commotion. A profuse amount of parents was opposed, for they were perturbed for their sons. A simpleton in â€Å"a booklet published in 1879† made a valid argument that it is not fair to exhort farmers into the military since they would have to â€Å"give up even their last grain of rice and receive nothing in return† (19). Asking these people, who were already on the verge of death, to die for Japan is requesting far too much. Why should an individual fight for a nation that does nothing in return for them? What is even worse is that losing a male in the household to the military conscription meant that the family was losing one pair of hands to mana ge the farm. If a family in poverty was already having troubles paying bills and maintaining the field, losing a worker would not improve the situation at all. In conclusion, malnutrition drives a poor person to do appalling things while military service leads to horrendous living