Japan conquered principle of excluding foreigners that emerged at the end of Edo period, and the Meiji Government had tackled the following issues since the Bushing War: the construction of a modern state through the introduction of western civilization; the revision of the unequal treaties that the bakufu signed, with western countries; the definition of the border with Russia that had been promoting southward expansion; and the restructing of diplomatic relations and definition of the territory with East Asian countries.
幕末には攘夷論が台頭するがそれを克服し、戊辰戦争の後明治政府は西洋文明の積極的な受容による近代国家の建設、幕府が結んだ西欧諸国との不平等条約の改正と南下政策を進めるロシア帝国との国境確定および東アジア諸国との外交関係の再構築と版図の確定という課題に取り組んだ。