Introduction
Arguably, Japan is regarded as the only country in Asia that managed to successfully build both an industrial economy and an empire. Following the Meiji Restoration, the Japanese government made a resolve to make radical changes that led to remarkable advancements. For Japanese people, the colonial acquisition was considered to be the best means of strengthening Japan as a nation. Therefore, whereas there are various factors that influenced Japanese imperialism, western ideas, and the Japanese culture, as well as ideological trends, played a very critical role.
Japan decided to provide a platform through which its citizens could interact with western forces. Besides sending scholars abroad to learn from the western nationals, Japan also welcomed visitors from the western countries to come and equip its people with different skills vital for development. As the capacity of the country grew, its requirements equally changed.
Japanese Imperialism
To many, the building of the Japanese empire is seen as an important milestone in the history of Japan. Amongst the reforms that took place after the Meiji Restoration was the introduction of a compulsory system of education that closely resembled that of French and German education systems. This involved the creation of opportunities for foreign experts to enter Japan and teach its people various skills.
Besides the western influence, imperialism in Japan was also guided by Japanese cultural and sociopolitical inclinations. After several years of concentrated westernization, the people of Japan chose to revive the spirit of nationalism and conservativeness. This was later followed by the inclusion of the principles of Confucianism and Shinto in the emperor’s worship. These principles were powerfully emphasized throughout Japan, and the government had a responsibility to ensure that they were effectively taught in all educational institutions.
Japan also had a very strong urge to have a powerful military force in place to help safeguard its people and borders. Strengthening the military thus became a top agenda, and the military was subsequently restructured and modeled after Russian and British systems. This led to the country taking sides with western powers and pretending as though they had no associations whatsoever with its neighboring countries in Asian. Ostensibly, imperialism in Japan as a means of earning respect from its neighbors, including the West, and safeguarding its people and borders. This eventually permitted Japan to grow strong as a nation and create an opportunity for other countries in Asian to get civilized.
Conclusion
Apart from the drastic changes witnessed in domestic values, the relationship between Japan and its neighboring Asian countries changed tremendously after the Meiji Restoration. Driven by fear of being attacked by foreign nations and a desire to protect its territory, Japan opened its doors for western ideologies to enter. This was accompanied by the institution of a centralized government.
As discussed in this paper, Japan encouraged its citizens to learn from others and especially those from the West. Nationals were presented with opportunities to interact with and learn from foreign experts. Besides sending its nationals to go abroad to learn from western powers, Japan also invited foreign experts to teach the locals. An important aspect of Japanese imperialism is that it created an environment for Japanese nationals to become more patriotic. In support of efforts taken by the government to promote development in the country, Japanese nationals chose to offer their full support.