Japanese Imperialism - 2070 Words

Imperialism in its most simplistic form can be defined by the dictionary of human geography as â€Å"the creation and or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural and territorial relationship, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination.† It is also declared by this work to be primarily a western phenomenon that utilizes â€Å"expansionist, mercantilist policies† which was demonstrated during the nineteenth and twentieth century. Japan in the earlier years of the Tokugawa reign isolated itself from the rest of the world. It was a feudal system in which each citizen was obedient and knew its place in society. However by 1914, Japan had grown to be an imperial power itself following various†¦show more content†¦Government reformation also required that privileges once granted to the feudal lords of the Tokugawa era, such as the ownership of land had to be ended and retrieved. The first European styled consti tution was established in 1889 in which a parliament was formed with the emperor keeping his sovereignty. The education system was also transformed to the French and German models. They borrowed technology, social systems, infrastructure, and educational methods from countries around the world and adapted and fitted those to their own needs and culture. They used what worked and abandoned what did not. This sudden transformation can be described as a strategy as it gave the Europeans the impression that Japan had become one of them. Japan was no longer a threat or rival but was now a docile prospective colony which in later years lowered the guards of the European powers. The state of Japan after learning of the success of European imperialism, decided to advance itself in a stage of industrialization. Japan after making observations on the European states and their economic development advanced its industries. They moved from a Tokugawan agrarian economy to a modern producer. Practicing the statement â€Å"fukoku kyokei (enrich the country and strengthen the military) Japan developed into an â€Å"optimized industrial state† whose mass production became the focus of its culture. (hyhist) After they had opened their borders to the foreign nations, they importedShow MoreRelatedCompare and Contrast Japanese and Western Imperialism in Asia and the Pacific3853 Words   |  16 PagesCompare and Contrast Japanese and Western Imperialism in Asia and the Pacific 23 October 2013 at 18:10 The Japanese pursuit for an empire in South East Asia helped changed the balance of world power away from Europe, by taking their most lucrative colonies. Soon after the Japanese defeat in World War II, most of the colonies won their independence from their European masters. 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The underlying principle to their failure was the theory of Imperial overstretch, as Hook explains, â€Å"a pattern in which great powers have consistently expanded their foreign commitments beyond their ability to remain economically solvent and militarilyRead MoreAmerican Imperialism : The Japanese Attack At Pearl Harbor Hawaii989 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican imperialism in the 1800s was the primary cause of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor Hawaii. When Millard Fillmore sent Commodore Matthew Perry to open ports of trade in Japan the clock began ticking as to when Japan and America would go to war against each other. Perry’s show of modern military armaments sent the nation that was controlled by a feudal warlord the Shogun into a state of chaos, and the eventual forced removal of the Shogunate. The subsequent infusion of militarism and modernismRead MoreJapan and The Influence of Imperialism Essay1006 Words   |  5 Pagesin 1854. 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Japan and Britain, for example, were two imperial systems that countered each other in many facets but also had strikingly similar qualities that had helped them become strong imperial powers