Before the modernization of Japan, the samurai were one of the most respected social classes. The different clans of Japan were constantly fighting for control of the island; therefore protection and warfare depended heavily on the samurai. This period of incessant warfare did not last forever, eventually one clan managed to secure power over Japan and implement reforms to bring Japan on par with the Western world. The modernization of Japan brought the necessary changes to keep the island's culture relevant, but because the samurai were not eager to adapt, they soon became irrelevant in the rapidly changing Japanese culture. The modernization of Japan began with the restoration of the emperor as the sole source of power. power on the island. Previously the majority of power was held by the ruling Shogun, or war leader. This restoration was called the Meiji Revolution; the new government's main priority was economic development. The first problem that the government tried to solve was the management of the national state budget; these included the debts of the dominions that accepted the government's rule. The national government also became responsible for the salaries paid to the samurai as compensation for their previous services to the government. Initially the salary paid to the samurai constituted one third of the government, the salary was changed to fixed interest bonds. Subsequently, with excessive money creation, prices rose and the real value of samurai bonds fell. The samurai class lost its source of livelihood with land reform and the creation of the common people's conscript army. (Meiji Restoration/Revolution in Japan) Although the revolution was called the Emperor's Restoration,......middle of the paper......went in to start printing paper currency. The rebellion also effectively marked the end of the samurai class, as the new Imperial Japanese army of conscripts, selected without regard to social class, had proven itself in battle. Saigō Takamori was labeled a tragic hero by the people and on February 22, 1889, Emperor Meiji pardoned Saigō posthumously (Sunset of the Samurai). The modernization of Japan effectively ended the samurai social class, but brought the reforms necessary to bring Japan into step with the rest of the Western world. Some samurai found it difficult to give up the power they had previously held in Japanese culture. These selected samurai resisted the new national government. These rebellions were put down by the new conscript army, which proved effective in battle against the old school samurai army..