Abstract
Proximity of the basic tectonic change in modern history, represented by the Meiji Restoration, reinforces the impression of a break between mostly feudal bakuhan system and the new, modernizing government. Despite seemingly inflexible and incompetent shogunate policies, both bureaucrats and scholars were watching closely activities of the western powers in the ambient seas and countries, gathered information within the limited reach and tried to get prepared to the looming changes.
In my article, I trace the growing effort of institutions and individuals to adapt to radically changing conditions. Beyond the visible political stage, some important deviations from traditional bureaucratic performance occurred inside the shogunate and in domainal administrations.
Given the too great distance between shogunate as an institution and ordinary samurai, many individual patriots started to envision new institutions and new cultural symbols and redefined the key ethical and political value - loyalty. These issues changed irreversibly the domestic power relations.