Question

How does internationalism contribute to economic success and/or stability of Japan? Could to answer this with links to Japan opening doors to the west after isolationism?

Answer 1

Japan came under the pressure of the west to open foreign trade in the 19th century.In the 19th century Japan was behind in technology and could not compete with foreign nations. However in the 19th century Japan gave in to western pressure and opened trade with western countries.Japan opened its ports to the western nations.Despite isolation ,Japan had full knowledge of what was happening abroad.Japan could see what had happened to China when they refused to give in to western pressure and so decided to open international trade. As a result Japan was able to modernize and in course of time became industrial power.Foreign technicians were brought to Japan and people from Japan went to get trained in foreign countries .Western innovations were taken in Japan . As a result infrastructure and institutions like banks and railroads were adopted from western countries . Japan also changed its political system on western lines.The most important factor is that the Japanese always wanted to learn from western world.So Japan gained a lot from western culture and innovations. In Japan the elite reformists who were in power, wanted to reform Japan on western lines so that the country benefits.The factor which also contributed to the success of Japan was the pluralistic nature of Japan's government.The clan system existed but the control was in the hands of a centralized authority.Economic competition between different groups existed because of the not so rigid political system.Thus Japan's open to learning attitude from western world,the open to reform elite who ruled Japan,Pluralistic political system were responsible for modernisation and stability in Japan.