Question

Explain how and why Japan escaped western imperialism in the middle of the nineteenth century.

Answer 1

When Europeans spread their colonies around the world, Japan sought to separate itself and curb imports as a way to protect Japanese culture from dilution or Western conquest. Once American Admiral Perry sailed into Edo Bay (modern Tokyo) and surprised Japan with America's superior naval engineering and arms, Japan finally opened its borders. Perry requested that Japan open its ports to American trade; other nations were less fortunate, and European powers colonized them. Japan was not colonized, however, but saw no alternative but to open its borders for trade with other nations.

Westernization eventually helped Japan. While some cultural components, such as the samurai warriors, were made obsolete, other facets of Japanese culture flourished with Western goods and ideas.
The restauration of Meiji preceded the start of Japan's isolation. The state was recentralized under the Meiji government and the feudal period ended. Samurais were bureaucrats studying under Western thinking schools of economics and politics. The Japanese military, which did not match the ships of Admiral Perry, imposed conscription, where every male served in the army for at least 5 years.

It essentially eliminated the samurai class as it no longer required trained warriors. Rapid industrialization was funded; in terms of technology and trade, Japan wanted to catch up with the West. Japan also participated in colonialism like Western Europeans, taking over Korea and later China's Manchuria region. The Japanese population boomed with improved technology and food from globalization, conquest, and industrialization. Unlike other countries, without a major social change, Japan managed to industrialize, making westernization exceptional to Japan.

Imperialism in the West had an influence on Japan. Until the 1850s, the Japanese were open to world trade. Under Commodore Matthew Perry's orders, the United States helped open Japan to world trade. While the Western imperial powers never colonized Japan, they knew they would be foolish in resisting the Western desire to open their country to world trade.
In opening up their country to world trade, Japan was really helped. Japan understood that if it wanted to be a world power, it had to become more modern. Japan has become an industrialized nation, and finally it has become a power of the world. Japan has benefited from the imperial powers of the West.

Japan was disappointed with some of the Washington Naval Conference's performance. Japan did not like the Five-Power Naval Limitation Treaty because for every five which Great Britain and the United States were permitted to have, Japan was allowed to have only three warships. Japan felt it had been regarded with the terms of this treaty as an oppressed second-class citizen by the Western imperial powers. In the 1930s, it helped motivate Japanese hostility.