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The Impact Of United States Opening Of Japan In 1854

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In order to understand the impact the United States’ opening of Japan in 1854, had on Japanese society, one must have basic knowledge of it before foreign disruption (Hayes, 149). There were strong nationalistic tendencies, fueled by the 250-year isolation period Japan had previously gone through (Hayes, 146). This isolation, and active deterrence of foreign influence, led to a nation that largely developed on its own, barring the earlier influences from Chinese and Korean interaction (Hayes, 143, 147). In 1825, the shogun, the military leader who ruled the nation by the authority given to him by the emperor, even went so far say “Western ships approaching the coast of Japan should be fired upon and driven away," (Hayes, 148). This was in support …show more content…

From 1868-1889, the Meiji Restoration period transformed the ‘backward’ nation of Japan and created the groundwork for a modern nation (Campbell). This government signed the Charter Oath in 1868, which committed them to modernization with clear Western influences, such as political participation from all classes, freedom to choose jobs without historical constraints, and permission for public discourse. Emperor Meiji and his progressive leadership also strove to advance Japan’s technology, to ‘keep up’ with Western prowess, particularly with the military. Similar to the Western ambitions of colonialization and expansion, Japan also adopted a new form of imperialism to expand its influence throughout East Asia (Hayes, 151). China and Korea were engaged for this purpose, with their biggest success being the Korean annexation. Their annexation was contested by the Russians, resulting in a military success for Japan, indicating that their efforts of modernization and technological advancement were successful (Campbell). This made Japan an internationally recognized power and gave them the ability to withdraw from previous treaties that allowed foreign domestic encroachment (Hayes, …show more content…

Due to Japan’s rapid development, its society was in turmoil as it had to rearrange itself with the rationalization of jobs through industrialization, and a population boom ("Emperor Meiji & the Meiji Restoration Documentary"). Tightening their grip on the disheveled society, the Japanese government implemented the Public Peace Police Law, and the Special Higher Police in the early 1900s (Hayes, 155). They were meant to suppress new reformist movements, that went against the current government, targeting labor unions and intellectuals. Upon Emperor Meiji’s passing in 1912, the government’s urge for foreign and domestic control increased dramatically (“Emperor Meiji & the Meiji Restoration Documentary”). This increase in nationalism among the governing officials led to the attempt to annex China through the twenty-one demands in 1915 (Hayes, 156). Domestically, the people experienced increased government control and the rise of fascism in the 1930s. The military leaders disobeyed the wishes of civilian leaders in the Manchurian Incident, as they continued engaging upon being told to disarm (Hayes, 157). Led by their convictions of Japan’s superiority, all those who opposed within their ranks and civilians alike were removed (Hayes, 158). Attempting to assert themselves internationally, they not only aggressed against China but also entered World War

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There are many nations that are continuously changing. Japan is one of the nation that is continually changing not only economy, but also the culture. According to the book, “the Western world was increasingly impinging upon Japan..” which result isolation from Europe and American. In the document 19.1 it stated, “We have issued instructions on how to deal with foreign ships on numerous occasions up to the present”. This have shown that the Japanese have isolated from foreign.

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In 1938, Japan announced its plan to constitute a new order in East Asia (Doc C). In this new order, the rule of the Japanese emperor would be drawn-out over Earth. This was a driving force for Japan’s invasion because of their ambitious desires. By damaging an American naval base, it gave Japan the ability to also occupy China and Manchuria leading to a rise in their military power (Doc C). Japan’s presence in more of East Asia brought them one step closer to expanding their authority.

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Before this industrialization in 1968, was the Boshin war, which was directly responsible for the Meiji Restoration, due to the fact that after the war, Japan wanted to have one central power, which resulted in Japan’s government wanting to become like an already successful government with one central power, America, however they did not want America’s culture, but merely the style of government, which resulted in Japan becoming much more western. Then after the war, the Meiji Restoration started, which was the new government taking over Japan, this started a westernization movement in Japan, and during this westernization, industrialization started, and then it settled all throughout Japan, building factories, and machines. Similar to this, Russia experienced the Crimean war, which was essentially a wake-up call for Russia to industrialize after it’s terrible loss to both Britain and France, to add to the losses, after that, Japan and Russia fought, and Russia lost horribly, which shocked the entire

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Some historians believe the Ottoman Empire and Japan were relatively different from c. 1750 to 1900 due to the differing political structures, including the stability of each country’s government and means of operation in response to enlightenment philosophy and industrialization. However, due to both countries’ thriving economic structures because of similar reform changes and social resistance against conforming to modernization ideals, their development from c. 1750 to 1900, during which industrialization faced both countries, is drawn to be very similar to each other. To begin with, the adoption of western ideals and enlightenment principles widened the gap between the Ottomans and the Japanese. Not only did the Ottoman Empire suffer massive corruption in the 1800s, prompting its rapid decline, but it also experienced civil unrest across the country as a result of ethnic nationalism, resulting in a weak central government.

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Japan believed that the United States was a country that would interfere during the commencement of their “new order”, which lead them to an attempt to eliminate the US. The document from The Way of the Subjects states, “[a]n old order…(European and American)...are now crumbling” (Document A). Japan wants the given ability to be seen as a country that can be recognized as a world power that could have the ability to intimidate the old world order. The Emperor of Japan would be the leader that would be empowered of the “new order”, whose overall goal is to spread the ideals and beliefs of the Yamato race across the world (Document A). Continuing the commencement of Japan’s plan, they launched an attack on China and gained control of the country’s Eastern coast, as well as the an affair with Manchuria(Document B, C).

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When related to Immanuel Wallerstein’s “World Systems Analysis”, the Meji Restoration developed Japan into a core country. As a dominant power, they took advantage of periphery countries for labor and every opportunity to become a world

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In return, Germany and Italy recognized Japan’s right to establish a new order ‘in greater East Asia.’” (Axis Alliance in World War II) Japan saw this as a pivotal decision in order to achieve their goal of conquering Asia, and destroying the United

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Japan's conquest of Asia lasted from the early to mid 1900s. During their time invading the receiving countries felt oppressed. Their cultural identity was suppressed and there was non stop forced labor. Not only that but there was an unrelenting amount of rape such as the Rape of Nanking (or Nanjing).

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Though many goals and objectives were set, the most important was to demilitarize Japan and establish a democracy. The new constitution was the most noteworthy step forward in changing the ways of their current government. This “Postwar Constitution”

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A series of events show that fascism and Japanese imperialism was continuously demonstrating its aggression against the other weak countries of the world. One of the example was Japanese invasion in China is one of the major example of fascism from Japan. The events result in thousand of causalities and Japanese force did “no mercy” shoot for civilian Chinese who were already in state of crisis. The democratic government was having conflict with one of opposition party of fascist. Japanese took advantages of internal problems of China and Japanese military launched a military invasion in one of the province under the British colony, without informing there government (Ultimate Channel.).

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This is seen in the Meiji Constitution, where the first topics of discussion are on the emperor and his right to lead the nation based upon “[ascension to] the Throne of a lineal succession unbroken for ages eternal” (Meiji Constitution 1). While many things changed for the Japanese empire during this time, by returning their emperor to power, the Japanese leaders chose to value the ways of their ancestors. Although before the Meiji Constitution, the Charter Oath was read aloud in 1868, painting a very different picture of the government than the Tokugawa regime. The Charter Oath drastically changed the society of Japan in many ways. By abolishing the class system, the Japanese people were viewed by the government as being equal.

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“To guard against external influence, they also worked to close off Japanese society from Westernizing influences, particularly Christianity. When the Tokugawa shogunate grew increasingly weak by the mid-19th century, two powerful clans joined forces in early 1868 to seize power as part of an “imperial restoration” named for Emperor Meiji.” This restoration was the beginning of the end of feudalism, or the way of structuring society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour, in Japan. The Tokugawa regime acted to exclude missionaries because of suspicion of foreign intervention and colonialism. Eventually, they issued a complete ban on Christianity in Japan.

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The samurai, who were “the members of the elite of the old regime”, attacked “the old order.” Unlike other Asian countries, “Japan’s leaders embraced the new age frontally, driving their land toward modernity and world power status in a half a century.” The Meiji leaders adopted two slogans: “kuni no tame, “for the good of the country,” and fukoku kyohei, “rich country, strong

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In Meiji Japan it was a thing called the Meiji Restoration it was a turning point for the Japanese history. It started when the last shogun was defeated and the emperor believed direct control over the nation. During the Meiji Restoration Japan would open the West and the form a strong centralized government. The reform was a chain of events that reestablished imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. In 1931 Japanese conquer Manchuria and created “Manchukuo.”

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But also change within the military occurred with the replacement of Samurai authority. Trying to be equal competitors in world power as their Western neighbors. Japan had gotten imperialist ideas from 1853 when the U.S. black ships steamed

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