In modern Japan, the legacies of traditional Japan coexist with Western influences. Today’s Japan is similar to the West not only economically and technologically, but also in many political and social aspects: parliamentary democracy, high literacy rate, Western clothing and music, for example. However, upon closer examination, Japan is quite different from the West, especially in social and cultural aspects. Assuming that the beginning of modern Japan was precipitated by Perry’s arrival, and that the Meiji reform was essentially a reaction to the challenges that accompanied Perry’s arrival, we will survey the changes that took place in most areas of Japanese life: the arts, dress, domestic politics, the economy, education, foreign policy, government, hairstyles, ideology, law, the military, society, technology, etc. In doing so, we will focus on the role that education played in raising the literacy and skill levels of the people and in creating the “Japanese” people by instilling in them a sense of national unity.