nntsuzu/KFTT huggingface dataset:
English: The Emperor Konin paid attention to fiscal restraints, for example, by decreasing the number of officials and cleaning up of local administration by strictly controlling kokushi and gunji.
Japanese: 光仁天皇は、官人の人員を削減するなど財政緊縮につとめ、国司や郡司の監督をきびしくして、地方政治の粛正をはかった。
English: However, resistance by Ezo in the Tohoku region became stronger as seen in the revolt of 780 by KOREHARI no Azamaro in Mutsu Province.
Japanese: しかし、780年（宝亀11年）には陸奥国で伊治呰麻呂の反乱がおこるなど、東北地方では蝦夷の抵抗が強まった。
English: In 784, the Emperor Kanmu constructed a new capital (Nagaokakyo) in Nagaoka in Yamashiro Province in order to free himself from the influence of temples and shrines which had been getting more and more powerful.
Japanese: 784年（延暦3年）強まってきた寺社勢力からの脱却のため、桓武天皇が山背国長岡の地に新たな都（長岡京）を造成した。
English: After FUJIWARA no Tanetsugu, who was responsible for its construction, was assassinated, and Imperial Prince Sawara, the Emperor Kanmu's younger brother, was arrested, a new capital named Heiankyo was constructed and transferred in 794 and the characters from Yamashiro Province were changed from 山背国 to 山城国.
Japanese: 工事責任者の藤原種継が暗殺され、桓武天皇の弟早良親王が捕まる事態となって、794年（延暦13年）新しい都城を造成し、山背国を山城国と改め、新京を平安京と名づけて遷都した。
English: With this transfer of the capital, the Nara period completely ended and the Heian period commenced.
Japanese: この遷都をもって、奈良時代と呼称される時代は完全に終焉を遂げ、平安時代がはじまる。
English: One can discover a fragment about these traded goods from treasures in Shosoin.
Japanese: これらの交易物などは、正倉院宝物でも、その一端をうかがい知ることができる。
English: In 716, ABE no Nakamaro (who died in Tang China), KIBI no Makibi and the monk Genbo, were dispatched to Tang to study.
Japanese: 716年（霊亀2）には阿倍仲麻呂（唐で客死）・吉備真備・僧玄ボウら唐に留学した。
English: The "Kojiki," which is believed to have been completed in 712, was a record of histories which the Emperor Tenmu ordered HIETA no Are to memorize based on 'Teiki' (records of Emperor's family tree) and 'Kyuji' (a record of stories current at court) and recorded by O no Yasumaro.
Japanese: 712年（和銅5年）にできたとされる『古事記』は、宮廷に伝わる「帝紀」「旧辞」をもとに天武天皇が稗田阿礼によみならわせた内容を太安万侶が筆録したものである。
English: It contains myths and traditions and stories up until the Empress Suiko and it also recorded a large number of songs.
Japanese: 神話・伝承から推古天皇にいたるまでの物語であり、多くの歌謡を収載している。
English: In contrast, for the "Nihongi (Nihon Shoki)," composed of 30 volumes and a roll of genealogical chart, compiled and offered to the emperor in 720, KI no Kiyohito and MIYAKE no Fujimaro in 714 selected accounts from provincial historical literature from the mythological age to the Empress Jito, and then Imperial Prince Toneri and his assistants edited the work.
Japanese: それに対し、714年（和銅7年）に紀清人・三宅藤麻呂に国史を撰集させ、舎人親王が中心となって神代から持統天皇までの歴史を編集、720年（養老4年）に撰上されたのが『日本紀（日本書紀）』30巻・系図1巻である。
English: This followed the form of history books of China and was presented in the Chinese way using chronological order.
Japanese: これは、中国の歴史書の体裁にならったもので、漢文の編年体で記されている。
English: After that official histories in classical Chinese up to "Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku" were edited and collectively called 'Rikkokushi' (Japan's six national histories chronicling the seventh and eighth centuries) of which "Nihonshoki" was the first.
Japanese: こののち、『日本三代実録』まで漢文正史が編まれて「六国史」と総称されるが、『日本書紀』はその嚆矢となったものである。
English: In 713, the government ordered to each provision to edit 'Fudoki.'
Japanese: また、政府は713年（和銅3年）には諸国に「風土記」の編纂を命じた。
English: These were local reports which were composed of descriptions of local products, natural features such as mountains and rivers as well as their history and legends as told by old people.
Japanese: これは、郷土の産物や山や川などの自然、あるいはその由来、古老の言い伝えなどを収めた地誌である。
English: "Izumo no kuni fudoki" (the local reports of Izumo Province) still exists in its almost complete form and a part of each fudoki from Hitachi Province, Harima Province, Bungo Province and Hizen Province still remains.
Japanese: 『出雲国風土記』がほぼ完全に伝存するほか、常陸国、播磨国、豊後国、肥前国の風土記のそれぞれ一部が伝えられている。
English: They constitute precious works of literature (historical sources) which show local situations in ancient times.
Japanese: これは、古代の地方の様相を示す貴重な文献資料(歴史学)になっている。
English: In the field of literature, the oldest existing collection of Chinese poems "Kaifuso" (Fond Recollections of Poetry) was edited in 751, containing Chinese poems from the latter half of the seventh century and on, including poems by the Emperor Kobun, Prince Otsu, the Emperor Monmu, and Prince Nagaya.
Japanese: 文芸の面では、751年（天平勝宝3年）に現存最古の漢詩集『懐風藻』が編集され、弘文天皇、大津皇子、文武天皇、長屋王などの作品を含む7世紀後半以降の漢詩をおさめている。
English: OMI no Mifune and ISONOKAMI no Yakatsugu were famous as poets of Chinese poems representing the middle of the Nara period, and although it is inferred that one of them was involved in editing of "Kaifuso," there is no definite evidence.
Japanese: 奈良時代中期を代表する漢詩文の文人としては淡海三船と石上宅嗣が著名であり、いずれかが『懐風藻』の編集にたずさわったであろうと推定されるが、確実な証拠はない。
English: In the world of Waka, many poets such as YAMANOUE no Okura, YAMABE no Akahito, OTOMO no Yakamochi and OTOMO no Sakanoue no Iratsume appeared one after another from the Wado to Tenpyo era.
Japanese: 和歌の世界でも、和銅年間から天平年間にかけて山上憶良、山部赤人、大伴家持、大伴坂上郎女らの歌人があいついであらわれた。
English: "Manyoshu" is a collection of about 4,500 poems up until 759 and a poem by the Emperor Yuryaku is placed at the front.
Japanese: 『万葉集』は759年（天平宝字3年）までの歌約4500首を収録した歌集で、雄略天皇の歌が巻頭をかざっている。
English: The Waka are not only by famous poets and court nobles, but also many poems showing unassuming sentiments of local farmers such as azumauta (poems in ancient Japan in the dialect of the eastern region) and sakimori-no-uta (poems by soldiers deployed for boarder defenses) and many of the latter are excellent ones which appeal to human sentiment.
Japanese: 著名な歌人や宮廷人の作品ばかりではなく、東歌や防人歌など、地方の農民の素朴な感情をあらわした作品も多く収められており、このなかには心に訴える優れた歌が多くみられる。
English: Its significant feature is the use of Manyo-gana (a form of syllabary used in the Manyo-shu) which describes Japanese language by combining on and kun readings of Chinese characters.
Japanese: 漢字の音と訓をたくみに組み合わせて日本語を記す万葉仮名が用いられていることも大きな特徴である。
English: In the Nara period, Buddhism developed thanks to protection by the government as well as the ideology of Chingo kokka and Hoe (Buddhist mass) and prayers to protect the nation were often held.
Japanese: 奈良時代の仏教は、鎮護国家の思想とあいまって国家の保護下に置かれていよいよ発展し、国を守るための法会や祈祷がさかんにおこなわれた。
English: The government built large temples in Heijokyo and, in 741, the Emperor Shomu issued an imperial edict to each Province and made them build kokubunji and kokubunniji.
Japanese: 政府は平城京内に大寺院をたて、聖武天皇は、741年（天平13）に全国に詔して、国分寺や国分尼寺を全国に建てさせた。
English: They also constructed Todai-ji Temple, naming Roben as its founder and, in 743, ordered construction of the statue of Birushana Buddha in Todai-ji Temple (Daibutsu) praying for a peaceful nation.
Japanese: また良弁を開山の師として東大寺の造営をおこない、743年（天平15）には、東大寺盧舎那仏像（大仏）の造立を発願し、国家の安泰を願った。
English: In 752, Retired Emperor Shomu Daijo, the Empress Komyo and his daughter Empress Koken visited Todai-ji Temple and held a ceremony to consecrate the daibutsu.
Japanese: 752年（天平勝宝4）には、出家し、退位した聖武太上天皇・光明皇后・聖武の娘である孝謙天皇らが、東大寺に行幸し、大仏の開眼供養を行った。
English: Monks studied Buddhist theory in the Seven Great Temples of Nara (Daian-ji Temple, Yakushi-ji Temple, Genko-ji Temple, Kofuku-ji Temple, Todai-ji Temple, Saidai-ji Temple and Horyu-ji Temple) and sects called Nanto rokushu "six Nara sects" (Sanron sect, Jojitsu sect, Hosso sect, Kusha sect, Kegon sect, and Ritsu sect) were formed.
Japanese: 僧侶は南都七大寺(大安寺、薬師寺、元興寺、興福寺、東大寺、西大寺、法隆寺）などの寺において仏教の教理を研究し、南都六宗（三論宗、成実宗、法相宗、倶舎宗、華厳宗、律宗）という学派が形成された。
English: Large-scale copying of sutras was conducted and, Empress Komyo's order for a complete copy of all Buddhist scriptures was a great undertaking comparable to construction of daibutsu and kokubunji.
Japanese: 大規模な写経もおこなわれており、特に光明皇后発願の一切経の写経事業は、大仏造立や国分寺造営とならぶ大事業であった。
English: Development of Buddhism was owed largely to the efforts of gakumonso (literally, studying monks) such as Doji (of the Sanron sect) and Genbo (of the Hosso sect) who accompanied the envoys to Tang to study.
Japanese: 仏教の発展は、遣唐使にしたがって留学した道慈（三論宗）や玄ボウ（法相宗）ら学問僧たちの努力によるところが大きい。
English: It also owed to activities of foreign monks such as Ganjin (Jianzhen) wajo from Tang who arrived in January 754 in Heijokyo on his sixth attempted voyage to Japan and introduced the precepts of Buddhism, bringing a large number of Buddhist scriptures, Bodai Senna from India who acted as Kaigan doshi (an officiating priest to consecrate a newly made Buddhist statue or image by inserting the eyes) for the daibutsu, Buttetsu, a monk from the kingdom of Champa (Lin Yi, a former name for Vietnam) who came to Japan at the same time as Tang monk Bodai Senna (Dosen) and a large number of monks from Silla.
Japanese: 754年（天平勝宝6年）1月に6度目の航海のすえに平城京に到着して、戒律や多数の経典を伝えた唐出身の鑑真和尚、大仏開眼供養の導師となったインド出身の菩提僊那、菩提僊那と同時に来日したチャンパ王国（林邑）出身の僧仏哲、唐僧道セン、また、多くの新羅僧ら外国出身の僧侶の活動に負うところも大きかった。
English: While protecting Buddhism as a state religion, the Imperial Court controlled it strictly with laws and regulations such as Soni ryo (Regulations for Monks and Nuns) and restricted private missionary activities by stipulating procedures and qualifications to become a monk or nun.
Japanese: 朝廷は国教として仏教を保護するいっぽう、「僧尼令」などの法令によってきびしく統制し、僧侶になる手続きや資格をさだめて仏教の民間布教に制限を加えた。
English: On the other hand, there were monks such as Gyoki who violated these restrictions and preached to the general public, and, although he was suppressed, he was also supported by general public for his efforts in social work such as provision of irrigation systems and fuseya (aid station or rest house) as well as road construction.
Japanese: しかし、行基のように禁令にそむいて民間への布教をおこない、弾圧されたものの灌漑設備や布施屋の設置、道路建設などの社会事業に尽力し、民衆の支持を集める僧侶もあった。
English: In the end, the government noticed Gyoki's popularity and took him on, promoting him daisojo (a Buddhist priest of the highest order) for his efforts and contribution to construction of daibutsu.
Japanese: 行基は結局、その人気に注目した政府によって登用され、大仏建立に尽力したことで大僧正の僧位を得た。
English: Others who carried out social works include Dosho (founder of the Hosso sect) who was Gyoki's teacher and said to have built Uji-bashi Bridge, the Empress Komyo who established Hidenin and Seyauin to give relief to poor people, and WAKE no Hiromushi who brought up a large number of orphans.
Japanese: 他に社会事業をおこなった人物としては、行基の師で宇治橋をつくったといわれる道昭（法相宗の開祖）、貧窮した民衆を救済するための悲田院・施薬院を設けた光明皇后、多数の孤児を養育した和気広虫などがいる。
English: The Meiji Restoration was the historic change from the feudal system of the Edo Shogunate to the system of direct Imperial rule by the Meiji government through the overthrow of the Shogunate, and the accompanying series of wars (the Boshin War) and reforms.
Japanese: 明治維新（めいじいしん）は、江戸幕府による幕藩体制から、明治政府による倒幕運動および天皇親政体制の転換と、それに伴う一連の戦争（戊辰戦争）・改革をいう。
English: The restoration affected all areas of life, such as the organization of the central government, legislation, the Imperial court, the class system, the local administration, the distribution system, industry, education, diplomacy, and religious policy, and effectively converted Japan into the first Western-style modern state in Asia.
Japanese: その範囲は、中央官制・法制・宮廷・身分制・地方行政・金融・流通・産業・経済・教育・外交・宗教政策など多岐に及び、日本をアジアで最初の西洋的国家体制を有する近代国家へと変貌させた。
English: Although there are various theories about when the Meiji Restoration started, the official date is October 23, 1868 (September 8, 1868 of the lunar calendar).
Japanese: 開始時期については諸説あるが、狭義では明治改元に当たる1868年10月23日（9月8日(旧暦)）となる。
English: However, the Meiji Restoration generally includes Taisei-hokan (transfer of power back to the Emperor) and Osei-hukko (the restoration of the Imperial rule) which started in 1867 (according to various academic studies of the Meiji Restoration in Japan, it includes the late Edo Shogunate period (after the Tempo reforms or the Perry Expedition) as the first part of the Restoration, but some political situations prior to the Restoration are mentioned in the article of "Bakumatsu" (the end of the Edo Shogunate)).
Japanese: しかし一般的にはその前年にあたる1867年（慶応3年）の大政奉還、王政復古以降の改革を指すことが多い（日本の歴史学界における明治維新研究では、前段階である江戸幕府崩壊期（天保の改革あるいは黒船来航以後）も研究対象とされるが、維新体制が整う以前の政治状況については幕末の項で扱うものとする）。
English: There are also various theories about when the restoration ended, and it may have continued until Haihan-chiken (abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures) in 1872, until the end of the Seinan War in 1877, until the inauguration of the cabinet system in 1885, or until the establishment of constitutionalism in 1889.
Japanese: 終了時期についても、廃藩置県の断行（1872年）、西南戦争の終結（1877年）、内閣制度の発足（1885年）、立憲体制の確立（1889年）までとするなど諸説ある。
English: The government of this period (generally, the government born after Osei-hukko (the restoration of the Imperial rule in January 3, 1868)) is commonly called the Meiji government, the new government, or the restoration government.
Japanese: この期間の政府（一般的には1868年1月3日（慶応3年12月9日(旧暦)）の王政復古以後に成立した政権）を特に明治政府（めいじせいふ）、新政府（しんせいふ）、維新政府（いしんせいふ）などと呼称することが多い。
English: Since the Meiji Restoration was implemented arbitrarily by the Satsuma clan, the Choshu clan, and some court nobles, it was sometimes derisively called "a clan dominated government," but it cannot be said that a couple of powerful clans led this restoration because a considerable number of Tokugawas and former retainers of the Shogun were hired as the middle or upper levels of the bureaucracy.
Japanese: 主に旧薩摩藩・長州藩および一部の公家による専制政治として実行されたため「藩閥政府」と揶揄されることもあるが、中級官僚以上でも旧親藩・旧幕臣などから採用された者も少なくなく、一概に一部雄藩のみが主導したともいえない。
English: Until then, it had been called the "Restoration" (Goisshin), mainly referring to Haihan-chiken (the abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures) and Taisei-hokan (transfer of power back to the emperor).
Japanese: 当時の人々からは主に大政奉還と廃藩置県を指して御一新と呼ばれていた。
English: People in foreign countries thought it a miracle that Japan organized a modern state mostly on their own in such a short period and built a country which had almost the same power as any Western European country, and it served as a model for the modern revolution especially for other Asian countries.
Japanese: 短期間のうちにほぼ独力で近代国家を整備し、西欧列強に比肩する国家を築き上げたことは諸外国からは奇跡と見られ、とくにアジア諸国にとって近代革命の模範となった。
English: Emperor Meiji, who became the symbol of this revolution and the constitutional monarch for the first time in Asia, is sometimes more valued in foreign countries than in Japan.
Japanese: この革命の象徴となり、アジア初の本格的立憲君主となった明治天皇について、諸外国では日本以上に高く評価されることもある。
English: The aim of the Meiji government, which was created by the restoration of Imperial rule after Taisei-hokan (transfer of power back to the emperor) from the Edo Shogunate, was to establish the basis of direct Imperial rule by the emperor by the abolition of the Shogunate and the positions of Regent and Chief advisor to the emperor, and to investigate ways to reform and catch up with foreign countries (mainly, powerful countries in Western Europe and North America).
Japanese: 江戸幕府による大政奉還を受け、王政復古(日本)によって発足した明治新政府の方針は、天皇親政（旧来の幕府・摂関などの廃止）を基本とし、諸外国（主に欧米列強国を指す）に追いつくための改革を模索することであった。
English: This aim was expressively stipulated in the "The Five-Articles of the Imperial Covenant" (Gokajo no Goseimon) legislated in 1868.
Japanese: その方針は、翌1868年の五箇条の御誓文で具体的に明文化されることになる。
English: In this oath, the government stipulated the use of a collegiate body system, the creation of a state in cooperation with bureaucracy and the private sector, the breaking of old habits, and the fostering of power to equal with foreign powerful countries.
Japanese: 合議体制、官民一体での国家形成、旧習の打破、世界列国と伍する実力の涵養などである。
English: Also, "Fukoku Kyohei" (enriching the country, strengthening the military) and "Shokusan Kogyo" (encouragement of new industry) were often used as specific slogans in order to achieve this goal.
Japanese: また、この目的を達するための具体的なスローガンとして「富国強兵」「殖産興業」が頻用された。
English: The new government, which needed to establish a centralized government quickly after the feudal system of the Shogunate collapsed, restored job titles and names of government offices following the Ritsuryo system (such as Dajokan [Grand Council of State] and the Ministry of Finance. Naturally, the actual work of the given titles was substantially different from that under the Ritsuryo system).
Japanese: 幕藩体制の崩壊に伴い、中央集権国家の確立を急ぐ必要があった新政府は、律令制を範とした名称を復活させた（例：太政官、大蔵省など。ただし、当然のことながら実態は律令制のそれとはかなり異なる）。
English: On the occasion of Osei-hukko (the restoration of Imperial rule in Japan), the new government abolished the Shogunate, the positions of Regent and Chief Advisor to the emperor, provided direct Imperial rule, and established a central government organization consisting of a president, a chairman (Gijo), and a councilor under the control of the Emperor.
Japanese: 王政復古(日本)において、幕府や摂政・関白の廃止と天皇親政が定められ、天皇の下に総裁・議定・参与の三職からなる官制が施行された。
English: However, because Emperor Meiji was a youth at that time (in fact, direct Imperial rule was still just a theory), a system to assist the Emperor was needed immediately.
Japanese: しかし、明治天皇はまだ年少であるため（実際天皇親政は建前であった）、それを補佐する体制がすぐに必要となった。
English: Therefore, on June 11, 1868, the "Japanese government organization" law was issued (the Constitution of 1868), and the next year a system of two departments and six ministries, which was modeled on the Ritsuryo system of two departments and eight ministries, was set up.
Japanese: そこで、明治元年閏4月21日、日本の官制が公布され（政体書体制）、さらに翌年、律令制の二官八省を模した二官六省制が発足する。
English: Although the government copied the Ritsuryo system, which had Dajokan (Grand Council of State) and Jingikan (the Officer in charge of the Shinto ceremony) as specific administrative organizations, the system was unstable because it needed continuous reforms thereafter, such as dividing the Ministry of Industry from the Ministry of Popular Affairs, and changing the Ministry of Criminal Punishments to the Ministry of Justice.
Japanese: 具体的な行政機構としては、太政官と神祇官を置き、太政官の下に各省を置く律令制が模写されたものの、その後も民部省から工部省が分離したり、刑部省から司法省への改組など幾多の改変を必要とし、安定しなかった。
English: Moreover, the Council of the Left (later, the Chamber of Elders) and Right, which were the legislature, and the Council of the local officers were repeatedly established and abolished.
Japanese: また立法府である左院（のち元老院）・右院や地方官会議なども設置・廃止が繰り返された。
English: The reform of the organization of the central government was finally settled by the inauguration of the cabinet system in 1885.
Japanese: 明治中央官制の改革は明治17年（1885年）の内閣制度発足をもってようやく安定する。
English: Also, as far as the legislation was concerned, Takayoshi KIDO and others had insisted on the establishment of the Diet since 1868.
Japanese: また、立法府に関しては木戸孝允らが明治初年から議会開設を唱えていた。
English: However, it was too early to establish the Diet because the reform of the organization of the central government, the cultural level of the people, and national education were still immature, and due to the Saccho (Satsuma and Choshu) clanship a bureaucracy centered system called "Yushi-sensei" led by Toshimichi OKUBO was maintained.
Japanese: しかし、議会制度を発足させるためには、官制改革・民度・国民教育などが未成熟であり、時期尚早であったため、大久保利通を中心に「有司専制」と呼ばれる薩長藩閥による官僚を中心とした改革体制が維持された。
English: Yet, due to the rising tide of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement, and the maturity of the reform resulting from the organized systems, the "Imperial edict of establishment of the National Diet" was finally submitted in 1881.
Japanese: しかし、自由民権運動の高まりや、諸制度の整備による改革の成熟などもあり、1881年に「国会開設の詔」が出された。
English: At the same time, the movement for the formulation of the constitution led by Hirobumi ITO began in earnest as a premise to the Diet system, and then the Privy Council was established to discuss the constitution.
Japanese: 同時に議会制度の前提として伊藤博文らによる憲法制定の動きが本格化し、憲法審議のため枢密院(日本)が設置された。
English: Thus, a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy was completed for the first time in Asia (precisely speaking, the Midhat Constitution in 1876 of Tanzimat Reform in the Ottoman Empire was the first Asian constitutional monarchy, but the country returned to a monarchy in the same year).
Japanese: こうして、アジアでは初の本格的な立憲君主制・議会制民主主義国家が完成した（正確にはオスマン帝国のタンジマート改革における1876年ミドハト憲法公布がアジア初の立憲制ではあるが、同国は直後に君主専制に回帰している）。
English: In addition, Toshimichi OKUBO insisted at first that the capital should be transferred to Osaka as there were many old-fashioned customs related to the old regime in Kyoto.
Japanese: また、首都については、当初京都では旧弊が多いとして、大阪市遷都論が大久保利通を中心として唱えられた。
English: This problem was finally settled by changing Edo to Tokyo as the eastern capital, because many people were opposed to transferring the capital from Kyoto, and around this time, Edo-jo Castle capitulated (refer to the article "Tokyo Tento" (transfer of the national capital to Tokyo)).
Japanese: しかし京都から都を移してしまうことには反対が多く、江戸城の開城もあり、江戸を東京とすることで落ちついた（→東京奠都の項目を参照）。
English: Since Emperor Meiji visited Tokyo twice the Dajokan moved to Tokyo, and from this point Tokyo was considered the de facto capital.
Japanese: 明治天皇の2度の東京行幸により太政官も東京に移され、東京が事実上の首都と見なされるようになった。
English: At the local administration level the Meiji government basically maintained the domain system, except they changed the Tokugawa family's domain from Edo to Sunpu, and they put Kyoto, Nagasaki, and Hakodate under direct control of the government by making them "Fu" (Prefecture).
Japanese: 明治政府の地方行政としては、徳川家を駿府藩に移封し、京都府・長崎県・函館市を政府直轄の「府」とした以外は、原則として以前の藩体制が維持されていた。
English: However, the government desperately needed strong control over the provinces in order to develop the construction of modern state, to enrich the country and to strengthen the military.
Japanese: しかし、富国強兵を目的とする近代国家建設を推進するためには、中央集権化による政府の地方支配強化は是非とも必要なことであった。
English: First, in 1869 former governors of feudal domains voluntarily returned their lands and people to the emperor (Hanseki-hokan), and then they were reappointed as governors of domains by the emperor, while feudal lords were separated from their domains.
Japanese: まず、明治2年の版籍奉還で旧藩主が自発的に版（土地）・籍（人民）を天皇に返上し、改めて知藩事に任命されることで、藩地と領主の分離が図られた。
English: Then, the "Prefectures and Domains" system was established, and important regions and the regions formerly under direct control of the Shogunate were made into prefectures and domains.
Japanese: そこで、重要地や旧幕府直轄地に置かれた府・県とともに「府藩県体制」となる。
English: Yet, the existence of domains hindered centralization and reform throughout the country, and many governors of domains voluntarily asked for the abolishment of the feudal domains because of their constant financial difficulties.
Japanese: しかし、中央集権化を進め、改革を全国的に網羅する必要があることから、藩の存在は邪魔となり、また藩側でも財政の逼迫が続いたことから自発的に廃藩を申し出る藩が相次いだ。
English: Therefore, on August 29, 1871, the leaders from Satsuma domain and Choshu domain abolished feudal domains and established prefectures instead (Haihan-chiken), and the modern prefecture system of Japan was established (at first, there were 3-fu and 302-ken, and soon after the system was organized to 3-fu and 72-ken), and then the system of dispatching the prefectural governors from central government was implemented.
Japanese: 1871年8月29日（7月14日(旧暦)）に、薩摩・長州藩出身の指導者により廃藩置県が実施され、都道府県制度が設置され（当初は3府302県、直後に整理され3府72県）、中央政府から都道府県知事を派遣する制度が実施された。
English: Because the region name from the Ritsuryo system was not used there are many regions in which the city name became the prefecture name.
Japanese: これにおいては、令制国の地名を用いなかったために、都市名が府県名となった所も少なくない。
English: There was no remarkable objection except that Hisamitsu SHIMAZU in Satsuma Domain complained about the system (the reasons why there were so few objections are that it was difficult for each domain to oppose the already organized central military system; governors were not able to deal with the serious financial problems in their domains; and former governors of feudal domains were assured their position and properties as nobles).
Japanese: 薩摩藩の島津久光が不満を述べた以外は目立った反撥はなかった（すでに中央軍制が整い、個別の藩が対抗しにくくなっていたこと、藩財政が危機的状況に陥り、知藩事の手に負えなくなったこと、旧藩主が華族として身分・財産が保証されること、などが理由とされる）。
English: It can be considered a miracle that the ruling system of Japan was changed quickly and dramatically by the Meiji Restoration.
Japanese: 国家の支配体制がこのように電撃的、かつ画期的に改変されたのは明治維新における奇跡とも言える。
English: In addition, the Ryukyu Kingdom, which was nominally an independent country but actually was under the control of Satsuma Clan in the Shogunate period, belonged to Japan when Ryukyu domain was established at the time of Haihan-chiken, and then Ryukyu was formally incorporated into Japan as Okinawa prefecture in 1879.
Japanese: なお、旧幕府時代、名目上は独立国でありながら実質上薩摩藩の支配下にあった琉球王国に関しては、廃藩置県の際に「琉球藩」が設置されて日本国家内に取り込まれることとなり、1879年（明治12年）に沖縄県として正式に県に編入された。
English: (For what happened in Okinawa during the period, refer to "Historical Ryukyu Annexation of Okinawa Prefecture". The Sho clan, who dominated the old Ryukyu Kingdom, became the nobility as did other former domain governors.)
Japanese: （この間の経緯は一般に沖縄県の歴史琉球処分と称される。旧琉球国王の尚氏も旧藩主と同様、華族となった。）