What was the immediate cause of the end of the samurai era?

The immediate cause of the end of the samurai era was the Meiji Restoration, which began in 1868. This period marked the shift from feudal rule under the samurai class to a centralized imperial government focused on modernization and westernization. The abolition of the samurai's privileges, such as stipends and the right to bear sWords, along with the establishment of a conscript army, contributed to the decline of the samurai's traditional status and power in Japanese society.