During the civil war against the former shogunate, the new government issued the Gokajo no Goseimon (Imperial Covenant Consisting of Five Articles), which designates the bases on which the new government is run with the emperor at its center, renamed Tokyo as “Edo”, and entitled the era “Meiji”. Furthermore, Tokyo was deemed the new capital, and the emperor and government were both moved there. The Hanseki Hokan, which returns the land and people to the Imperial Court, and Haihan Chiken, which instates prefectures in the place of han are conducted, and a system where the central government governs and dispatches prefectural governors is implemented.

In addition to this, segregation from farmers and towns folk was conducted by deeming court nobles and feudal lords as Kazoku (peerage), and warriors as Shizoku (warrior class). Despite this, an equal society without limitations by the class system starts to be shaped. There were some samurai who would wear two katanas as they had until then, but carrying katanas save on special occasions became illegal (Haitōrei Edict), and apparent privileges of the bushi were abolished.