Japan before Meiji vs Qing Dynasty have many similarities:
1/ both are agrarian based economy that is not industrialized as western peers at the time
2/ both faced challenges and threats from the west. Qing has the Opium Wars from the 1840s; Japan encountered Perry’s Black Ships in 1853–1854.
3/ both had a structured military class – Qing with 八旗 and Japan with samurai. Both had become partly hereditary status groups living on state stipends. Many were no longer effective soldiers.
The Meiji Restoration 明治维新 and 百日维新 Wuxu Reform / The Hundred Days Reform are similar and usually compared together.
The results are vastly different though.
Why?
Shogunate is politically easy to target. Reformers can support the Emperor Meji. Meji and Tokugawa are separate.
However, Guangxu, the Qing Emperor had “invisible enemies” inside – Cixi or other Manchu noble.
The political situation difference had another profound impact – the support of armies.
Meji had key army support from Satsuma 萨摩, Chōshū 长洲 which are clearly anti-shogunate.
Guangxu didn’t have army. Guangxu had Kang Youwei who had ideas but no real power.
Military forces at that time were still loyal to the Qing court on the surface. Whether it’s 袁世凯 or 湘军/曾国藩 or 八旗, no one is clearly anti-Cixi. People could be dissatisfied but Cixi was still the powerful core of Qing court.
Yuan was likely the most possible choice for Guangxu back then, but Yuan chose not the take the risk / help a coup etc.
Yuan Shikai 袁世凯 did not have a clean, rightful banner to be openly anti-Cixi.