Invasion Of Britain: Similarities Between Japan And Britain

Among the industrialization and imperialistic growth of Japan and Great Britain, we are guided to effects on these two nations. Great Britain and Japan are both island nations with limited resources. As a result, each nation grew with its particular geographic location and limitations.

Two ships can arrive at the same destination; however that does not necessarily mean that they used the same route on their journey. Such is the same with the industrialization of Britain and Japan. Both rose to become the two great pioneers of the modern world; however the paths they took to success were different. This paper will compare Japan and Britain, exploring the causes of its industrialization, and how the countries drastically changed because of it. What sets Britain’s industrialization process apart from Japans is that it did not have a role model to base its development on; it was the first industrial nation. Therefore the cause of its industrialization must have much

Although Japan changed in many ways from 1853 to 1941, there were also many factors that remained the same throughout the history of Japan. One such continuity was the maintained existence of a figurehead ruler controlled by other political authorities. The feudalistic emperor of Japan was the supposed “highest, most powerful authority” in the land, but was actually controlled by the military leaders- the shogun. Similarly, the militaristic emperor of Japan decades later continued to remain a figurehead ruler controlled by military and government officials. In addition, Japan continued to remain reliant on exports in order to maintain its economy. As a result of Japan’s small geographical size, the island nation had few natural resources and was forced to rely on exports to survive economically. The nation also grew increasingly reliant on other nations to provide materials and supplies that it could not provide for itself. This complete reliance on other nations was seen illustrated when the Japanese military was provoked to attacking another superpower- the United States, in response to the 1940 United States embargo

Japan and Great Britain are two geographically isolated countries that have risen to greatness despite many challenges. Both nations have overcome their relative seclusion and grasped power, despite consequences for neighboring areas. Though Japan and Britain have an abundance of similarities, differences abound as well. While Great Britain has used its location central to Europe to gain allies and form trade deals, Japan has been less than diplomatic in grasping its power from neighboring countries. Though Britain has been an example of progress and modernity for eons, Japan has pulled itself into modernity more recently.

The British Empire was able to aid Japan by providing Japan with the following: changing the layout of cities, building railroads, joining the Industrial Revolution, providing a stronger education, and making Tokyo the capital of Japan. These advances in the Japanese culture led to Japan becoming an imperialistic nation by invading the Ryukyu Islands and later Korea and Taiwan. Japan was driven by nationalism in the early 1940s and this led them to commit many war crimes that would lead to the demilitarization of the Japanese. This affects the political aspects of Japan because a flashpoint near Japan is North Korea that could theoretically spring an attack at any moment causing tremendous devastation in Japan. Japan’s government is very bureaucratic because of the many organization that have high influences on the government.

Ultranationalism in Japan began once the global markets collapsed in 1930. Difficult times and a growing need for national glory led to increased militarism. In 1937, Japan invaded China and expanded its empire from the Korean peninsula to Indonesia. However, Japan’s

Japanese and European feudalism shared a number of similarities—both in political structure and in social values.

Japan, as known today, is a world powerhouse in technology and innovation. It currently ranks third in GDP, bringing in over $4.9 trillion dollars per year. However, this has not always been the case. Japan is well known for its period of “Sakoku,” a Japanese word literally meaning “closed country.” From 1600-1850s, that is indeed what Japan was; Japanese citizens were not allowed to leave the country and no foreigners were allowed to enter. The country was completely isolated from the rest of the world, even in regards to trade. This was changed in 1854 by Commander Matthew Perry and his Navy squadron. With the Kanagawa Treaty, Perry ended Japan’s period of isolationism and pushed them into their future as a world power.

After centuries of living in seclusion to the outside world, the government knew that they needed the technological advancements that the West offered. The Industrial Revolution and growing urbanisation in Japan had intended to and succeeded in mimicking Western growth. Moreover, the Japanese were well-known for their diligence, discipline, perseverance, and hard work – this resulted in substantial economic development including increased shipping of commodities and a significant expansion of trade and handicraft industries. However, the political elite pocketed most of the profits through influence and corruption. Workers and farmers found it unfair that their patriotic and back-breaking labour only received a little wage in comparison, but with a state-controlled media and education system, they couldn’t make their voices heard. So overall, this collective and nationalistic open-mindedness for communal prosperity was beneficial for Japan as a whole, but the common people were disadvantaged with no access to basic human rights and a fair

Before an American naval commander “opened” Japan, the country was extremely isolated. Interaction with other nations was limited. Trade was discouraged in society due to Neo-Confucian

Showa: The Japan of Hirohito, edited by Carol Gluck and Stephen R. Graubard, seeks to find the answers to many questions that are commonly asked about Japan and its history. As stated in the title, this book focuses on the Hirohito era in Japanese history from 1926 to 1989. In the Introduction, Gluck states that there were two main issues for Japan in the twentieth century, “how Japan came to aggressive war and then to macroeconomic might” (xi). The unstable relationship between Japan and the United States is also an underlying theme of the book. The three chapters to be examined in this paper are, “The Useful War,” “The People Who Invented the Mechanical Nightingale,” and “Japan Meets the United States for the Second Time.”

The Japanese economy had changed immensely as it became a place of free trade and importations from being a place where there was little to no foreign interactions a century ago. The japanese had implemented this closed door policy due to the unruliness of the Europeans in the 17th century and felt complacent in their situation. Although the Japanese government implemented a closed-door policy from 1639 to 1854, their rapid economic development after this period was due to their similar geographical conditions to England. Their location allowed them to reap the benefits of being imperialized because they were able to westernize and set up the foundation of a good economy. They had been able to live peacefully while absorbing technology and culture from the Eurasian countries, this help them develop their ‘foreign acceptance’ as they were used to taking technology from other countries.

The foundation of Japanese imperialism, which eventually led to World War II was in the Meiji Restoration of the 1870’s. At that time, pro-war sentiment and desire for national strength and growth arose as the national attitude of the Japanese people. Certain groups, which advocated return to the traditional Japanese ways, began to grow in power. Shinto, the traditional religion of Japan, was revived with a new emphasis on emperor worship. By the time Emperor Hirohito assumed power in 1926, the nation was ready for a second restoration.1

In 1868, provincial rebels overthrew the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan and the new leaders called the regime the “Meiji Restoration.” This was just the beginning for soon-to-be modernized Japan. A stronger military, new ideas, technology, and laws would be all used to transform Japan into a modern industrial nation. Because of these, modernization had a great effects on Japan’s society and the nation as a whole from 1850 to 1950. One effect modernization had was strengthening international presence and relations for Japan as a whole. This helped to keep them active on global terms and impacted them in a positive manner. Another effect modernization resulted in was the transformation of the internal society of Japan. The changes in the society all provided great benefits for Japan.

     Over the past fifty years Japan has seen significant changes in all aspects of its society and the way it interacts with the outside world. For example, despite suffering a defeat in World War II, Japan soon became one of Asia’s greatest economic powers. In Japan in Transformation, 1952 - 2000, Jeffrey Kingston focuses on various aspects of change in Japanese society and politics in the period after World War II. These include the effect of the US occupation, analysis of postwar politics, the economic boom, changes in demographics, the treatment of women, and foreign policy and security issues.