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How did the Meiji Restoration end Tokugawa shogunate rule in Japan?

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Map showing the territorial expansion of the Japanese Empire from 1870 to 1942 across East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The map uses color codes to indicate the original Japanese territory in 1870, subsequent acquisitions, and the farthest extent of Japanese occupation and conquest by 1942, including parts of China, Korea, Manchuria, Southeast Asia, and numerous Pacific islands. An inset map displays the broader reach of Japanese control at its peak. — Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, 1870–1942.

The Meiji Restoration ended the Tokugawa shogunate through a combination of internal political crisis, military defeat, and a strategic coup d’état.1

By the mid-19th century, the shogunate’s inability to resist Western demands—triggered by the arrival of Commodore Matthew C. Perry in 1853—exposed its military weakness and undermined its legitimacy. This failure fueled a movement among reformist samurai, particularly from the powerful southwestern domains of Chōshū and Satsuma, who sought to unify the country under the emperor to modernize and defend against foreign encroachment.12

Key factors in the regime's collapse included:
* The Satsuma-Chōshū Alliance: Facilitated by Sakamoto Ryōma, this alliance united the two most potent anti-shogunate forces.3
* Military Failure: The shogunate suffered a humiliating defeat in 1866 when it failed to crush the Chōshū domain, which utilized superior Western tactics and weaponry.2
* The Coup: On January 3, 1868, reformers seized control in Kyōto, announced the ouster of the last shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, and proclaimed the restoration of imperial rule.12

Following a brief civil war, the Tokugawa regime was dismantled, leading to the centralization of power and the modernization of Japan.12