the Meiji restoration begun when Japan opened its borders after the Tokugawa Shogunate closed Japan's borders to the foreigners at the start of the Tokugawa Shogunate. it all started when the emperor tried to bring back all its powers from the Shogunate.then those events leads to the Boshin War which was won by the Emperor and the start of the restoration and the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate.