Why was Japan able to industrialize? After the Tokugawa shogun stepped down in 1867, new emperor Mutsuhito took control of the government and set up Meiji Era which had lasted for 45 years. In order to counter Western influence, Mutsuhito chose to modernize his country. The decision of modernization had also led to Japan Industrialization. Japan soon became the first Asian country that had been through the stage of industrialization at that time. Japan started to industrialized during the Meiji Era which is about 1868 to 1912, Japan was able to industrialize because government encouraged businesses and trade, social order was reorganized and people began to accept western technology while some began to expertise. Government encouraged new businesses and trade by giving support on capital needs, they also sent diplomats to Europe and North America to study Western style of culture. Social order was reorganized by creating a large middle class of businessman, at the same time, unemployment was also resolved. The idea of westernization first started during the Tokugawa era and then slowly spread throughout the country. Japanese government imitated …show more content…
Manga was a kind of Japanese comics that were greatly influenced by English and French political comics during the Meiji Era. The great amount of profit made by selling manga related things eventually turn it into a new industry in Japan. Many Japanese architectures were based on western style of buildings which were originally built by Western architects. Tokyo station was a perfect example of Western style building in Japan. Western style of music was another kind of art that had influenced Japan greatly. Shoka and gunka were two kinds of major form of music that developed during this time (Beech, n.d.). Western classical music has a strong presence in Japan, meanwhile, orchestra that perform this kind of music was also introduced to