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Western Imperialism In Japan

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Japan 's march toward militarism started soon after the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogun ate and the beginning of the Meiji Restoration in 1868, with the Meiji oligarchs ' adoption of a policy of Fu koku kyôhei (rich country, strong military). Although the Meiji oligarchs showed restraint in outward expressions of militarism and imperialism in the first half of the Meiji period from 1868 to 1890, this does not mean they disagreed with the goals of foreign expansion and military build-up, but rather they first focused more on modernization and economic growth to catch up with Western industrial powers before they took significant steps to expand Japan 's influence in foreign matters. The Meiji oligarchs ' handling of Saigô recommendation to …show more content…

The Meiji oligarchs ' early leanings toward militarism and imperialism can be seen by the Conscription Law of 1873, which required all males to serve active duty in the military for three years and reserve duty for an additional four years, and by several small territorial acquisitions in the 1870s, such as the Ryûkyû Islands, Bonin Islands, and Kurile Islands. Japanese militarism and imperialism steadily developed for five principal reasons. Western imperialism played an integral part in Japan 's aggression toward foreign countries. Aspiration for Western-style Imperialism The Meiji leaders sought to make Japan a first-rate nation (ittô koku), which included the prestige and power associated with foreign territorial possessions. Even after Japan had been building its military for several years, Japanese leaders realized in 1895 that the country still had not reached the same level as the imperialist Western powers. Security Concerns Japan 's militaristic attitude intensified as government leaders recognized the need to ensure the defense of the country against Russia and other Western powers. Control over Korea represented an essential element in the protection of Japan against Western countries due to the two countries ' geographical propinquity and due to Korea 's having borders with both China …show more content…

Belief in Asian Leadership Role In the late 19th century, many Japanese leaders came to believe that their country had a "manifest destiny" to free other Asian countries from Western imperialist powers and to lead these countries to collective strength and prosperity. In 1905, Japan became the first Asian country to defeat a Western power, namely Russia in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-5, which bolstered Japan 's belief in its destiny to lead Asia and encouraged leaders in other Asian countries that they had a chance to stand against Western imperialist designs. Several ultranationalist groups and writers, such as the Black Dragon Society and Kita Ikki, gained increasing popularity with their views that Japan should take leadership in Asia to expel foreign powers by means of a righteous war if necessary. Provocation by Western Powers A series of coercive acts, insults, and provocations by Western imperialist countries from the 1850s to the 1930s caused great anger to fester among the Japanese people. Strong racial prejudice by Westerners toward Japanese, in addition to Chinese and other Asians, led to several severely insulting incidents for the Japanese people. Economic Interests With Japan 's heavy dependence on foreign trade, the world depression that began in 1929 caused great economic hardships for the

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The Japanese were in desperate need to strengthen its military force to meet their goal. Japanese is expanding so it took control of other countries [Doc A] “Manchukuo is its Reservoir and East Asia is it 's Paddy field. And after that they set a new order with China and since China

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Japan didn’t open to foreigners until the mid-19th century. Japan quickly realized the situation and began to modernize and westernize as fast as possible. Japan wanted to be strong enough to resist domination of western imperialists who wanted Japan for their own. Japan also wanted to become the strongest Asian country. Japan’s tactics of rapid modernization succeeded, and kept the country and government independent of foreign control.

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The Russo-Japanese war was a brief war that lasted for approximately one year that was stimulated from Russia’s desire to expand into Asian territory. The growth of the Russian empire specifically posed a problem for the Japanese because both Russia and Japan desired to obtain the same territory. On February 8, 1904, the rivalry between Russia and Japan over dominance in Korea and Manchuria became evident when the Japanese launched a surprise attack and siege on the Russian naval squadron at Port Arthur. The war continued with attacks on Russian territory in the Liaotung Peninsula, Mukden, Fu-hsien, Liao-yang, etc. The majority if not all of the battles were won by the Japanese military because Russia suffered from poor and corrupt military

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Japan had first created a plan to bring new order in Asia of 1938 (Doc.C). Time went by and in the beginning of 1941, Japanese high schools and colleges were required to teach about the new world order idea to help everyone understand the process (Doc. A). Japan believed that the old order of both the Europeans and the American controlled systems was crumbling. They believed that their new order led by their emperor would take over and replace the old order (Doc. A).

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Japan’s economic development had been shaped in various ways, including Japanese internal forces, and external forces from other countries. Although during the Tokugawa era, the Japanese were very closed off from the world for 250 years, once Commodore Perry and the rest of America threatened Japan with war Japan was forced to open ports for trade. Due to the Japanese lack of weapons the trading environment was very biased on the side of America with unequal trade. The shogun was once a Samurai and is now almost in control of Japan.

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Throughout the history of Japan from the twelfth century until the nineteenth century, the military was comprised of samurai. The samurai were equivalent to European knights; both warrior classes fought for honor, wealth, and self-interest. The samurai gained status and were well respected in the Japanese society where leaders rose to power through military superiority. Japan had relied on the samurai as their military force for seven centuries, and yet the Meiji leaders, facing the challenge of foreign military threat, decided to abolish the samurai class. That was because the Meiji leaders took over the Tokugawa during a time when Japan was combatting superior foreign military forces, and the Meiji perceived that their current military force

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Toyotomi Hideyoshi influenced the Japanese society in many ways One of the biggest ways Toyotomi Hideyoshi changed society is that he unified the whole of Japan. But where it all stared was when he was sent out of his home when he was a boy and became a page to a retainer of the daimyo in the province Tōtōmi. Toyotomi Hideyoshi first rise to power was when he overthrew two powerful daimyos and became the lord of Nagahama. This was a key part to his life because if he didn’t overthrow the daimyos he would still be a page. He then went on to invade the Bitchū province, which gave him a massive place to set up his empire.

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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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This caused rifts between the two, which would have more serious consequences for Japan in the future. It was during the dominance of the Hojo Clan that Kublai Khan began sending emissaries to seek for Japan’s cooperation which the Mongol Empire, meaning the Mongols wanted the Japanese to submit to them, else face a war. The people in the Shogunate rebuffed the great Khan’s proposals, angering him in the process. Knowing that war was inevitable, the Japanese began readying their fiefdoms for defense against the Mongols. For the first time in Japan’s history, its people were not preparing to wage war against one another, but rather, to wage war against a foreign enemy.

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Federalist Precis A group of like-minded men who are considered to be the “Founding Fathers” of America, made up of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, wrote and published a group essay so to speak, under the pseudonym “Publius” (which refers to one of four roman aristocrats who overthrew a monarchy) full of their collected individual essays and entitled the collected group works “The Federalist” (1787). The 14th essay, a work of Madison, is deemed to be of particular importance in which Madison argues against critics that claim America is too large to be governed as a republic, and explains the concept of central government in the interest for the people, by the people. Madison furthers his argument by explaining the benefits of unity, and that a republic in the mold of America has never been seen before and requires the utmost unity for it to be successful. Madison effectively argues by addressing the counterargument in the opening paragraphs, which allows the audience to consider all the points of views and thus see the logic in Madison’s argument as he explains by saying:

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The following events caused the tensions to raise between Japan and The United States of America which led up to the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Internment of Japanese Americans. They are the Rape of Nanking and the sudden stop of U.S exports to Japan. In the 1930s Japan, had become very nationalistic, militaristic, and desired for more land to expand the population. So, Japan went to China and conquered Manchuria, Northern China, then most of China, and eventually Southeast Asia. This help Japan get out of its economic crisis but soon a very tragic and horrendous even took place.

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Because of these reasons, Japanese started to look for better and safer countries.

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Imperialism in Japan Background: Japan prior to the Meiji restoration was ruled in a hierarchy very similar to other European countries. The hierarchy was that of lords, samurai and then peasants. The Japanese equivalent to a king at the time was a military dictator called a shogun. During this time the capital was Kyoto and the shogun was part of the Tokugawa clan. That is why this period is referred to as the Tokugawa Shogunate.

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It was only later when Japan isolated themselves from any foreign trade, under the successors of Ieyasu. The Tokugawa period lasted for about two hundred and fifty years. Tokugawa Shogunate was a Militaristic way of government that feudal Japan adopted after Tokugawa was victorious in battle of Sekigahara and Ieyasu was named Shogun. The heads of the government were shoguns and each member had the name of Tokugawa and all these Shoguns were ruling from Edo castle. Many year later under the government of Tokugawa Shogunate, the name had changed to the Edo

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As Japan modernized in the Meiji Era, their military system also developed. The contents in this essay are why Japan needed a strong national military, and the ideas Japan borrowed from other countries as they create a new military model. In the Edo period, Japan isolated themselves from the outside world, but as the Edo period ended, Japan didn’t want to be seen as weak and powerless. A strong centralized army of obedient and disciplined soldiers would strengthen the government.

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