In the mid-19th century, Japan was forced to end its isolation by signing a series of unequal treaties that gave Western nations special privileges in Japan. The unpopular Tokugawa shogunate collapsed soon after and, in 1868, the boy emperor Meiji was “restored” to power. The Meiji constitution defined Japan as a capable, modern nation deserving of Western respect while preserving its own power. What did Ito Hirobumi, who drafted the Meiji constitution, do to prepare himself for the task? Discuss