Are The Main Economic Advantages And Costs Of Having Colonies Or Spheres Of Interest In Japan

Sebastian Saker

2/12/23

ASCL 80.08

1. What were the main economic advantages and costs of having colonies or spheres of interest in East Asia for the Western powers and Japan? On balance, did imperialism "pay" for the powers?

Economic Advantages:

One major economic advantage was the ability to access and assert influence on a colony or sphere of interest’s market and resources. Depending on a nation’s geography and infrastructure, some resources were much harder to obtain relative to other nations, and in an age of industrial expansion during Meiji Japan, additional resources and energy were necessary to fuel the hungry war machine of imperialist Japan. Regarding the “real rights and interests” Japan had in Korea before the Sino-Japanese

This ability to deny other imperial powers from dominating the market of the colony or sphere of interests was of grave concern during Meiji period Japan as Meiji political leaders were desperate in establishing political and economic power to meet the foreign challenge.

Lastly, an economic advantage of imperialism in East Asia was waging war to secure indemnities and concessions. At least for the Sino-Japanese War, imperialism did “pay” for the Japanese empire very clearly. The costs of the war were ¥200,476,000 for the Japanese empire, and just through concessions alone the Chinese indemnity at ¥364,510,000 was more than one and half times the war costs. However, not all imperialist Japan’s wars would fare as well across the balance

In some regions, such as Taiwan, military investment in controlling the native population was considerable initially but stabilized as resistance decreased. On the other hand, Korea remained a significant military investment as the native population continuously rebelled and antagonized Japanese imperial forces. In addition to controlling the regions of the imperial subjects, the need to increase military spending such that an imperialist military power is competitive enough to ward off other imperialist competitors and maintain its current control of colonies and spheres of influence was another significant cost, and one that was wildly accelerating in the arms race during the turn of the 20th