Tokugawa Shogunate: The Role Of Imperialism In Japan

During the 19th and 20th century, Imperialism was adopted by many countries around the world for its modernization. Japan, for one, is a very interesting case, in which that it was able to survive under the European Imperialistic rule, but actually adopted their own form of Imperialism and was successful with it. However, because of it, many countries suffered, but benefitted Japan greatly, enabling them to emerge into the international market and an Asian superpower. By weighing the positives and negatives of the process of Imperialism in Japan as an example, we can conclude whether Imperialism had a positive or negative effect.

Many European countries held a lot of power internationally, but they were also excluded from Japan, making it even harder for the Japanese to modernize, “By 1800, however, Japan 's rulers were aware of an increasingly aggressive European presence. Sporadic encounters with Russian, U.S., and British ships that had entered

During the Meiji restoration, militarism and nationalism began to take over Japan. Unknown to the rest of the world, Japan had started focusing in on themselves. This is what initially sparked the nationalism and militarism that eventually took over Japan. Moving forward, after World War I and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, Japan had now gained control of Shandong in China. The addition of Shandong was exactly what Japan needed at the time. After focusing in on themselves for many years, Japan was now in the hunt to gather more materials for trade and wealth, which there was a plethora of in the neighboring country of China. Emperor Hirohito of Japan was counted on to continue the advancement of Japanese troops in China, but he decided to

Japan’s Tokugawa (or Edo) period, lasted from 1603 to 1867. This was the final era of the traditional Japanese government before the modern era. The Qin dynasty lasted from 221-206BC. Thought it was brief, it was very important in Chinese history. The main weakness of the Tokugawa was an internal crisis and Western intrusion. However, the Tokugawa had a great economy, commerce and manufacturing industry. The strengths of the Qing Dynasty were the ability to improve methods of irrigation, which increased farm production. However, the military was still not strong enough to protect against few invasions. In addition, the population was increasing rapidly, and the government was too weak to police and protect all of the people.

Imperialism is a policy of extending a country 's power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means (dictionary, 2017). It has changed many nations and cultures. The US’s interference on the reign of the Shogun era, gave power back to Empower Meiji and brought about changes to trade with the western world, which lead to the adoption of American education systems and government reform.

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.

All the work is done by the natives, but the foreigners take all the wealth of the colonies. Japan was isolated nation. When Japan was isolated nation, they didn’t have advance technologies and had limited resources because of their geographic feature. After 1853, they had contact with the western and they become modernized nations by adopting

Elliot Guereca & Gustavo Sanchez 6th Period Japanese Imperialism in Korea “ Japan saw itself as having to protect Korea from foreign countries” During the 18th and early 19th century the world experienced new changes in world powers with imperialist countries and countries who experienced imperialism. One example of this would be Japanese imperialism in Korea during 1910-1945, a 35 year harsh change in Korea’s culture, impacting both countries in negative and positive ways in the years to come. Everything started during the Meiji period, a period where Japan saw change within its government creating a centralized bureaucracy.

Japan, at this time, relied on fossil fuels from The United States. However, The United States cut off trades with Japan due to Japan’s obsession with becoming rich (Doerr, Paul Walker). Japan tried to cripple The United States by targeting its Navy. The United States and its Navy had the power to block Japan’s expansion in Asia (Doerr, Paul Walker).

Japan had been attempting to agree Asia all through the 1930 's and 40 's. Through this time the United States had been giving supplies to Great Britain in its battle against the Nazi 's. Which likewise began to weight the Japanese armada to stop it 's extension all through Asia ( Remembering). The on developing extension of Japan influenced President Roosevelt to move the pacific armada from California to Hawaii. Because of the ban demonstration that the United States set on Japan they made a settlement with Germany and Italy (Pearl Harbor Attack). There was one and only objective that the Japanese was attempting to accomplish and that was to assume control over the Philippines and the American

They used this as an opportunity to gain influential positions within the government. The government worked hard together with the military to gain both economic and military power (source 12). The West was against many of the methods that the Japanese used in order to obtain power, this because these methods were associated with fascism, ultra-nationalism and imperialism. The Japanese in return resented everything to do with the west but when it came to spreading her influence and invading other countries she adopted methods used by both the West and China, particularly in the case of Manchuria (source 3). Japan invaded this country in order to claim its raw materials for the economic benefit of Japan, in that these materials would stimulate production moving Japan ahead in terms of economic

By the nineteen twenties and thirties, Japan had become a strong country and their economy began to grow and develop rapidly. However, it lacked natural resources such as rubber, oil, coal, and petroleum. For this

The United States, another western country, decided to flex its influence and conquer a large portion of land from Mexico in 1848 and gain many different islands from the Spanish in the Spanish-American War in 1898. Another country who took advantage of imperialism was Japan, whom was a very recently modernized state after the outcome of the Battle of Shiroyama in 1877. Their first act was in the Sino-Japanese war in 1894 in which they conquered the peninsula of Korea from the weakening Chinese Republic. Secondly they beat the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 which game them a tremendous amount of confidence.

As soon as Japan sees that they had stopped trades with them and were limiting rights to the Japanese it gave them a shock and from then they knew they must get revenge. The Japanese have had a plan to take over the world but they had countries in the way that were stronger but soon the US started to back away from the Japanese. So why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor? Japan cannot get to take over the world with the US embargo on materials and the naval expansion act.

In the 19th century china and japan were under pressure when the west opened up foreign trade and relations. The industrial revolution created a wide gap between them and the west and left them behind in technology and the military. They both signed unequal treaties that forced them to open their ports and cities to foreign merchants. Both country's reacted very differently and this will be the topic of this essay.