The first reform is the promulgation of…

The first reform is the promulgation of the Charter Oath in 1868, a general statement of the aims of the Meiji leaders to boost morale and win financial support for the new government.

Its five provisions are the establishment of deliberative assemblies, the involvement of all classes in carrying out state affairs, freedom of social and occupational mobility, replacement of "evil customs" with the "just laws of nature," and an international search for knowledge to strengthen the foundations of imperial rule.

Implicit in the Charter Oath is an end to exclusive political rule by the bakufu and a move toward more democratic participation in government.

To implement the Charter Oath, an eleven-article constitution is drawn up.

Besides providing for a new Council of State, legislative bodies, and systems of ranks for nobles and officials, it limits office tenure to four years, allowed public balloting, provides for a new taxation system, and orders new local administrative rules.