In the 19th century, the Meiji Restoration leaders abolished the shogunate and the feudal system that supported it. In this restructuring, local rulers, or "daimyō" lost the control they had over sumo and financing that had previously come from it. To adapt and survive, the association introduced the change to the system of salaries and directors that is known today. In 1884, Emperor Meiji went to see a sumo tournament which helped to give sumo wrestling a reputation as a national event.