Why Japan Was Able to Become a Strong World Power Again

983 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Economic development of Japan Essay

Why Japan Was Able to Become a Strong World Power Again

Beginning in the early seventeenth century, Japan went from being one of the driving forces of technological and military power in the modern world to becoming outdated, old due to a lack of technological innovation. From this Japan was able to outlast the hard times, becoming once again becoming technological powerhouse. This was because, as stated in the book, “The Lexus and the Olive Tree” by author Thomas L. Friedman, they were able to find a happy median between the Lexus and the olive tree, in other words, new ideas and technology, while still maintaining traditional values of culture and race, both politically and socially. Japan was able to rebound, and regain political, social and economic stability and prosper in each after decades of internal conflict and turmoil because they, unlike similar contemporary non-western civilizations, focused on balancing new reforms with older, more historical governmental traditions.

Japan, a once prosperous country, was one of the leading countries in technological, economical and social status until the early 1600s, becomes the victim of many forced, unequal trades by western countries, similar to the other, advanced non-western empires such as China and the Ottoman Empire. After man attempted reforms by the shogun’s chief advisor, Mizuno Tadakuni, had failed, led to the downfall of his reign in office. In 1844, western lands, Britain, France and the United States of America, pushed for Japan to establish political and economical trade relations with other countries. This persistence continued until 1854, when a commodore from the United States of America, Mathew Perry, forcefully makes Japan agree to the Kanawaga treaty,...

... middle of paper ...

...ause they, unlike similar contemporary non-western civilizations, focused on balancing new reforms with older, more historical governmental traditions. This profound adjustment was a great change of life from earlier times in Japan, thus proving that the reason that Japan regained its overall stability because it was able to balance the old traditions of the country, along with new ideas, pointing back to Friedman’s, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, showing one of his assertions of there having to be a combination of “Lexuses” and “olive trees”, linking them to one of Friedman’s primary examples.

Works Cited

http://www.iun.edu/~hisdcl/G369_2002/meijiconstitution.htm

http://www.pbs.org/empires/japan/timeline_1800.html

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/japans-about-face/timeline-japanese-military-history/1168/

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2130.html

Show More
Related

  • Saburo Ienaga's Impacts Of The War In The Pacific War

    1437 Words  | 3 Pages

    Japan led a ruthless assault in the Pacific for fifteen years. This small island was able to spread imperialism and terror to neighboring countries through means of force and brutality. Japan even attempted to combat and overcome European and Western countries such as Russia and the United States. Even with an extreme militaristic government, Japan was unable to achieve the glory it was promised and hoped for. The Pacific War analyzes Japan’s part in the war and what the country could have done to prevent such a tragedy.

    Read More

  • European Imperialism of China and Japan

    402 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the early 1800’s, Japan had blocked off all trade from other countries. Foreign whaling ships could not even reload or repair their ships in Japan territory. This offended many other countries. In 1852, Matthew Perry was sent to Japan to negotiate open trade. Japan felt threatened by the United States, and gave in to their demands. Japan was frightened by their stipulations, and immediately began to reform. They developed a new education system that was similar to America and Europe’s. They also developed a Western style judiciary system.

    Read More

  • Essay On What Role Did The West Play In The Downfall Of The Shogunate

    1123 Words  | 3 Pages

    Western influence played a significant role in the downfall of the Shogunate. The arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry in 1853 and the signing of the ‘unequal treaties’ lead to further discontent in Japan’s Feudal Structure and rebellions against the government. Although in the lead up to the arrival of Perry, there were already problems within the Feudal structure of Japan, it was the response of the Shogunate to Western influence that ultimately lead to an alliance, which sped up the downfall of the Shogunate.

    Read More

  • Commodore Perry: A Hero Or Hero?

    565 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the years of 1853 to 1868, the people of Japan experienced major changes in all aspects of their lives. This era, known as the Bakumatsu signified Japan’s change from the traditional Edo period to a modernized Meiji dynasty. This change can be attributed to an American naval officer by the name Matthew Calbrath Perry whom ultimately changed the complexity of Japanese culture. In the eyes of an American, Commodore Perry is seen as one of the greatest influential figures in international history. However, what most people don’t understand is how the very own citizens of Japan perceived Commodore Perry. There are many ways in which, the Japanese may have perceived Perry. However, a fascinating aspect to think about is if he was perceived as a hero or a villain.

    Read More

  • Breaking Open Japan, by George Feifer

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    Feifer, George. Breaking Open Japan: Commodore Perry, Lord Abe, and American Imperialism in 1853. New York: Smithsonian Books/Collins, 2006. pp. xx, 389 p.: ill., maps; 24 cm. ISBN: 0060884320 (hardcover: alk. paper). Format: Book. Subjects: Japan Foreign relations United States /United States Foreign relations Japan.

    Read More

  • Comparing Britain To Japan

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1900 Britain was in many respects the world’s leading nation, enjoying a large share of world trade, a dominant position in the international money market, and possessing a far flung empire supported by the world’s most powerful navy. Japan was a complete contrast, sharing with Britain only the fact that it too was a nation of Islands lying off the shore of a major continent. Until the 1860s it had possessed a social and economic structure more akin to that of feudal, rather than twentieth century, Europe. By the 1990s, the positions were almost reversed. This paper sets out to examine the contrasting democratic political systems of the two nations and to explore the social and democratic consequences of the changes that have occurred.

    Read More

  • Japan's Attack on Pearl Harbour

    1016 Words  | 3 Pages

    Japan was a country of contradictions in the early 1900's. Her growth in industry was a major factor for influencing her growth of power; whilst at the same time their structure was a very traditional political one. The Japanese Emperor Hirohito was right in the centre of the Japanese government. The emperor made Japan very militaristic and the military had a very strong influence in Japan. Japan's growth in industry had risen greatly since in the preceding 50 years and still it continued to grow.

    Read More

  • Opening Trade with Japan: Treaty of Kanagawa

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    After Japan agreed to open trade with the United States, Commodore Matthew Perry wanted a treaty to protect the agreement that Japan made with the United states. The treaty would allow Americans go to Japaneses ports for trade. “Perry exploited his advantage by demanding a treaty similar to the liberal agreement that the united states had negotiated with china in 1844. The final terms concluded in the Treaty of Kanagawa which was signed on March 31, 1854 were less inclusive” (Powell 889). Perry wanted to exploit any benefit for the United State but failed to recognize the impact it would have on Japan. “The agreement did not provide for the establishment of coaling facilities or for extraterritorial right for the American citizens but contain an article ensuring that the United States would be offered any future concession that might be offered to other powers” (889).

    Read More

  • Nakae Chomin’s Discourse

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...feat of Japan in World War 2). With the changes of the nature of power, Japan by balancing out aggressive economic policies and a quiet military buildup, was able to build herself up to become a prominent player in the international sphere today. In closing, while Japan’s policies today in general have been skewered towards the arguments of the ‘Gentleman’, increasingly Japan has considered more realist concerns of security in the escalation of tensions of the East Asian geopolitical sphere. Chomin’s Discourse has nonetheless served as a prophetic blueprint for more than a century of Japan policy-making.

    Read More

  • Meiji Ishin Research Paper

    1735 Words  | 4 Pages

    These treaties, such as the ‘Treaty of Amity and Commerce’ (1858) with America, were forced upon Japan, and saw her become exploited with harsh trade deals and forced to open her ports. Young Mutsuhito (posthumously famed as Meiji), and his backing band of elites saw this weakness in the Shogunate; and saw the imperative need of modernisation for the survival and ending of the exploitation of Japan. Ultimately, this lead to the 1868 reinstating of imperial rule, which forced the last shogun, Yoshinobu Tokugawa, to ‘abdicate’ out of threat of violent overthrow. It is due to this ‘revolutionary action’ of forcing an ‘abdication’, alongside the immediate and long term effects on all aspects of Japan, that the Ishin can be perceived to be a ‘true revolution’, and thus is validated in being called a ‘true

    Read More

  • Essay On Attack On Pearl Harbor

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    Japan had always been an ally of the United States. Japan tried to collect their share of treasure from Versailles. Japan ran into some troubles, Woodrow Wilson. Wilson rejected Japan’s claim to German concessions in Shantung. Duan Qirui, a Chinese warlord and politician had borrowed money from Japan to make China’s army stronger. Japan used that loan and wanted it to be repaid by getting the concessions in Shantung. In 1921, at the Naval Conference the US pressured the Britain’s to end their 20 year alliance with the Japanese. Japan was now isolated, Stalin’s unhappy empire to the north, t...

    Read More

  • Comparison of Tokugawa and Manchu

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Chinese and Japanese faced much internal conflict, but while China faced a combination of economic setbacks and political weakness, the Japanese were riddled with wars along their countryside. First, the Chinese emperor was too weak in comparison to his bureaucracy, which ended up making most of the decisions for the last Ming dynasty emperor. This was due to the emperor’s realization that having a title as Son of Heaven did not mean he had all the power of the empire. Instead he lived a laid back life where the bureaucrats vied for power and wealth amongst themselves and he merely managed them. Like the Chinese, the Japanese also saw elites battling it out for power, but this time on the battlefield with armies of samurai. These battles put Japan in a period much like the Warring States period in early Chinese history, where families fought and fought for power almost endlessly. The political weakness in China contributed to its economic failure as well. With no force to manage to seas, pirates were free to raid trade ships and villages along the coast line, weakening the Chinese economy that relied on a transport system to supply the country. These two major forces led to China’s fragmentation and eventual takeover by the Manchu. In contrast, the battles happening in Japan were not harmful to the economy as much as they were in China. This is due to the fact that the Japanese daimyos were independent...

    Read More

  • Japanese Identity

    3661 Words  | 8 Pages

    Throughout its history, Japan has striven to define its national identity not by its own means, but by those predefined by foreign, and most recently, Western powers. Despite legends of the island archipelago being created by the sun goddess Amaterasu, Japan seems to have consistently maintained a indecisive self-image with respect to its neighbors. In the past, China had represented the pinnacle of culture and technology and had tremendously influenced other surrounding countries in Asia and in the world. Indeed, Japan owes its written language to imported and adapted Chinese characters. Without question, China remained for a long time the most influential force upon Japan. However, island nation maintained a rather precarious self-identity: How could a country like Japan, which was supposedly created by the gods and therefore a divine nation, consider itself the apex of the world, given China’s tremendous influence and power? Could Japan truly consider itself the greatest land in the world if China, or Chugoku in Japanese, literally meant “the central country?” For this reason, Japan never truly accepted a position of “belonging” to Asia. That is, despite a considerable amount of imported culture, Japan was still somehow inherently different from other Asian countries.

    Read More

  • The Manchurian Crisis

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...high power status, Japan had to have a self-reliant industrial common ground and be able to move all human and material resources (S,195). Through the Shogun Revolution of 1868, the abolition of Feudalism in 1871, the activation of the national army in 1873, and the assembly of parliament in 1889, the political system of Japan became westernized (Q,3). Local Labor and commercial assistance from the United States and Europe allowed Japan’s industry to bloom into a developed, modern, industrial nation (Q,3). As a consequence production surplus, and food shortage followed (Q,3). Because of how much it relied on aid of western powers, Japan’s strategic position became especially weak. In an attempt to break off slightly from the aid of the west Japanese leaders believed that it would be essential for Japan to expand beyond its borders to obtain necessary raw materials.

    Read More

  • Reflection of Modern East Asia

    895 Words  | 2 Pages

    Our preliminary class gave a brief, yet detailed outline of major events affecting the East Asian region. Within that class, prompted by our limited geographical knowledge of Asia, we were given a fundamental explanation of the geographical locations of the various events taking place in the region. In subsequent classes, we were introduced to the major wars, political shifts, and economic interests which shaped Japan, China and Korea to what they are today. We examined the paradigm of pre-modern Japanese governance, the Shogunate, and the trained warriors which defended lord and land, Samurai. In addition, we examined the socio-economic classes of Medieval Japan, which included the Samurai, peasants, craftsmen, and the merchants. We also examined pre-1945 Japan’s policies toward foreign entities, notably the Sakoku Policy, which sought to expunge all foreign presence and commerce in an effort to protect its borders and culture. 1945, however, saw ...

    Read More

More about Why Japan Was Able to Become a Strong World Power Again

Open Document