Meiji Restoration

The Meiji Restoration is invoked by Rick as a historical reference in a conversation about onsen and gender separation. The passing allusion connects the etiquette of a contemporary Japanese bath to a period of historical change, while also revealing Rick’s habit of collecting and recalling obscure information.

Historical Reference

Rick explains that some onsen describe themselves as nonsexual, then adds that gender separation has existed since the Meiji Restoration opened Japan to the West. The reference supplies the historical frame for his claim about bathing customs; the passage offers no further account of the Restoration or its wider consequences.

Role in the Conversation

The historical detail arrives in an intimate exchange in which Rick and Ever are immersed in an onsen. After Rick’s sly clarification about the baths, Ever asks how he knows so much, calling him Boy Wonder. Rick answers that he reads everything and remembers all sorts of useless things. The Restoration thus serves both as context for his observation and as one example of the wide-ranging knowledge that distinguishes him in the moment.