Modernization in Japan

End of Japan’s Isolation

In the beginning of the 19th century many western countries like: Britain, French, Russia, and America wanted to convince the Japanese to open there ports to trade again and often stopped and anchored at the Japanese shores but the Chinese and Japanese refused to receive them. Until 1853 that an American commodore named Matthew Perry took four ships to the Japan shores, and the Japanese surprised by this big black, steam powered, and with big cannons, realized that they had to accept them in the shores and to accept the letter by the U.S. president Millard Fillmore.
-Luis Restituyo

Meiji Period

Now that Japan had come out of its isolation, it was on the verge of modernization. The new government of Japan was aiming for a democratic state with equality among all its people. The boundaries between the social classes of Tokugawa Japan were gradually broken down.The reforms also included the establishment of human rights such as religious freedom in 1873.The education system was reformed after the French and later after the German system.

After about one to two decades of intensive westernization, a revival of conservative and nationalistic feelings took place: principles of Confucianism and Shinto were increasingly emphasized and taught at educational institutions.Catching up on the military sector was, of course, a high priority for Japan in an era of European and American imperialism.

In order to transform the agrarian economy of Tokugawa Japan into a developed industrial one, many Japanese scholars were sent abroad to study Western science and languages, while foreign experts taught in Japan. The transportation and communication networks were improved by means of large governmental investments. The government also directly supported the prospering of businesses and industries, especially the large and powerful family businesses called zaibatsu.

Erialbania Lopez


Imperial Japan

" Japan attacks China "

In 1876, Japan forced Korea to open 3 ports to Japanes trade. This confidence was caused because of the recent modernization Japan went through, were it gained military,political and economic strength.These two powers shared aninterest in Korea, so they decided sogned an agreement in 1885, which implied that neither would send their armies there. Unfortunately, it was broken. The Korean king needed help in order to stop some rebellions, by asking China for aid. The Japanese got mad, and sent troops to fight the Chinese troops, which were eventually drove out. Not only did they gain Korea, but they also took Manchuria.In 1895, China and Japan finally signed a peace treaty, which gave Japan it's first colonies, Taiwan and the neighboring Pescadores Islands.

Since the Japanese had no contact with industrialized world during their time of Isolation, they were behind but they still continued their trading with Dutch. Japan ended its isolation when it started industrializing itself. They opened two ports for the American to trade with them, life free trade. They admired Germanys form of centralized government matter of fact they used it for its constitution. After Japan modernize paid off. By 1890, the country had several dozen warships and 500,000 well trained, well armed soldiers. It had become the strongest military power in Asia. Making them become imperialist and end their isolation.

-Jonathan Vargas

"Russo-Japanese war"
the world"s balance of power changed its way when Japan won China. now Japan and Russia were the major powers, although enemies, in East Asia. later on they both went to war over the possession of manchuria. in 1903 Japan negotiated the idea of giving up Manchuria to them if they stood out of Korea, the Russians didn't like the idea and so rejected it. in 1904, Japan launched a surprise attack on the Russians, giving beginning to the Russo-Japanese war. impressive as it sounds, Japan took russia out of Korea and even took part of their lands. they also destroyed Russia's Baltic fleet.
later in 1905 Japan and Russia began a peace treaty negotiation. the U.S. president, Theodore Roosevelt helped them write the treaty, Treaty of Portsmouth. this treaty gave Japan the captured territories and it also made Russia secede from Manchuria and from Korea.
-gabriela j

Way back in the 17th century, Japan had isolated itself from nearly all foreign contact. For this reason, Japan joined, ever so late, the race of industrialization. Having no contact with the industrialized world during its period of isolating, albeit its occasional trading with China and the Dutch merchants of Indonesia and its diplomatic contract with Korea, it was ultimately astounded when, in 1853, U.S commodore Matthew Perry took 4 ships into what is now Tokyo Harbor. These massive black wooden ships powered by steam utterly bemused the Japanese, especially the ship's cannons. Unlike in the past, Japan hadn't dared refuse to receive Perry. Perry had brought had with him a letter from the U.S. president Millard Fillmore which politely asked the shogun to allow free trade between the U.S. and Japan. On top of that, Perry had threatened to return with a larger fleet to receive Japan's reply the following year. Having no other choice the Japanese agreed and the result was the Treaty of Kanagawa of 1854. Under the treaty's terms, Japan was to open two ports at which U.S ships could bring in their goods. This began to attract other Western powers so that by 1860 Japan had granted foreigners permission to trade at a couple treaty ports and extended extraterritorial rights to many foreign nations.

The Japanese were infuriated with their shogun for giving into the foreigners' demands and so as a result they turned to Mutsuhito, Japan's young emperor, who seemed to be the epitome of the country's pride and nationalism. Almost immediately Mutsuhito took control of the government. He decided that the only way to counter Western influence was to modernize. He sent diplomats to North America and Europe to study their Western ways. They would then choose what they believed was the best aspects Western civilization had to offer and accommodate them to their own country. The Japanese then joined the climb of industrialization and it strove to make it to the very top. By the late 1800s Japan had become in league with the Western nations. Mutsuhito's reign became known as the Meiji era or the "enlightened rule", which lasted 45 years.
-Genesis A. Landestoy

Imperial Japan

By 1900, the country had several dozen warships and 500,000 well-trained and well-armed soldiers. Japan had become the strongest military power in Asia. By this time Japan's race to modernization had paid off.
Japan sought to eliminate the extraterritorial rights of foreigners once they had gained military, political, and economic strength. The Japanese foreign minister assured the foreigners that they could rely on a fair treatment in Japan. This was because their law and codes were similar to those of the European nations. This conclusion was convincing and by 1894 foreigners powers accepted the abolition of the extraterritorial rights for their citizens living in Japan. This made a feeling in Japan of strength and equality with the Western nations.
-Kenny R. Gomez

Japan's End of Isolation its New Imperialistic State

In the !7th Century, Japan shut itself off from almost all contact with other nations, and underwent a state of isolation. It had no contact whatsoever though with the new industrialization process, yet continued to trade with China and Dutch merchants from Indonesia. Yet this, by the 19th Century, started to undo itself. The Japanese populations realized they needed to advance, but they weren't all that convinced. The Westerners tried to convince the Japanese to open their ports, but the Japanese refused to do so. The Americans thus, decided to take this upon their own hands and took four ships to Tokyo Harbor. These massive machines powered by steam engines left the Japanese in awe, and so then, sent to the Japanese, for more convincing, the Treaty of Kanagawa, which threatened the Japanese that they would go back to Japan with a lager fleet. The Japanese were left with no other choice but to open 2 more ports for trading.
Later, Japan started to become more industrialized, which paid off hugely. They now had several dozen warships and 500,000 well-trained, well-armed soldiers, and it became the strongest military power in Asia. They gained military, political, and economic strength, and with this strength, eliminated the extraterritorial rights of foreigners. They later attacked China after the Chinese came in their way of controlling Korea. They also went into war with Russia, and after they defeated Russia in what was the Russo-Japanese War, they seeked to attack Korea in vengeance. Japan's imperialism was now seen in other nations to have brutal results.

-Betsy Rodriguez

Japanese occupation of Korea

After defeating Russia in the Russo-Japanese War, Japan occupied Korea, and made it a protectorate in the 1905 Eulsa Treaty. The Korean king was unable to recruit international support for his regime, so in 1907, he gave up containment of the country. After that, the imperial army of said country was broken up and in 1910 Japan imposed annexation on Korea, making it a country under Japan's control once again.

The downside to this annexation was the following: The Japanese were quite discordant rulers. Some of the unfair activities which took place were replacing Korean language and history with that of the Japanese, they shut down journalism centers, took over schools and farming land. The world began to perceive the harshness of Japanese imperialism, however did nothing about it.

- Lily Sanchez

Modernization in Japan

Japan, as China, has entered isolation since it was feared that their people would be influenced by foreign cultures. This ended when they realized how modernized Europe was, and how they were threatened by them. They had to open some ports afterward to major nations. The Japanese were angry that their shogun had done this, and turned to their young emperor, Mutsuhito, who later took control. He thought that the best way to counterattack was to modernize Japan. He sent people to study the Western civilization. The used Germany's constitution, adopted the American system o education, and admired the German army and British navy. He also brought industrialization to Japan. They became the strongest military power in Asia.

-Gaby H.(:

In the early 17th century, Japan had put down the lid above itself from almost all communications with other nations. Underneath the ruling of the Tokugawa shoguns, Japanese the public was very securely ordered. China andJapen struggled to deal with foreign influence and to modernize.

China and Japan Confront the West

China Both Japan
remains committed to traditonal values Have well-established tradional values Considers modernization to be necessary
Loses numerous territorial conflicts Initially resist change Borrows and adapts Western ways
Grants other nations spheres of influence within China Oppose Western imperialism Strengthens its economic and military power
Finally accepts necessity for reform Becomes an empire builer

-Priscilla Franjul
