In 1853, four American warships sailed into Japan’s Tokyo Bay. They were led by Commodore Matthew Perry. He was a high-ranking Navy officer. Perry wanted Japan to change its views on trading with other countries.

For 200 years, Japan had closed off its national economy. There was little trade with outsiders. But Americans were making pots, cloth, and other goods. They needed places to sell these products. American businesses saw Japan as a great new market. It had a huge population. Perry’s move was not actually an act of war. Still, bringing warships into Japan’s harbor was risky.

Did Perry’s bold move work? Check out this Japanese poster from 1887. It gives an idea of how Japan responded to the forceful action. The poster teaches Japanese translations of “fashionable English words.” Japan in the late 1800s was already one of the most literate societies. Now, they were learning English. This shows that they truly cared about international business.

The Tokugawa Shogunate

So why now? Before 1868, Japan had been ruled by Tokugawa shoguns. Tokugawa Japan lasted for about 700 years. There was an emperor, but he had little power. The shoguns were military leaders who ruled over certain areas. Their job was to keep society stable in their region.

Japan also had a rigid class system during this period. Peasants were at the bottom. Above the peasants were farmers and makers, or artisans. Above the farmers and makers was a class of soldiers. These soldiers were called samurai. The samurai served regional lords called the daimyo. Remaining stable was important, so the lines between classes were drawn very clearly. However, people were still able to move between classes. In fact, some peasants became important lords!

Japanese society highly valued culture and intelligence. Poems and literature had great importance. New art, writings, and early forms of comics were created. Japan had more people who could read than most of the world. However, Japan cut off contact with the outside world. The Tokugawa shoguns only let Europeans trade at one port: Nagasaki. (That is what made the arrival of Perry’s warships in Tokyo Bay extra shocking.)

But Tokugawa Japan had an economic problem. The shoguns relied on taxing agriculture goods. The tax helped the shoguns to stay in power. The regional daimyo lords and samurai had to be paid too. Over time, this tax did not produce enough money. There was only one way to get money. The government raised taxes on the peasants. As a result, the poor got increasingly angry. Their unrest weakened the government of Japan.

Perry tried to force Japan to “do business.” Japan’s leaders feared a future takeover. Nearby, China was being torn apart by European states. Europeans were forcing the Chinese to buy Western products. One example was the drug, opium. Opium had bad effects on Chinese society. The Japanese worried that something similar could happen in Japan. So, it seemed they should modernize.

Japan’s leaders demanded military and industrial changes. This would prepare for defense against Europe. But these changes made existing problems worse. Unrest had already been bubbling up within Japan. Peasants and samurai classes were still angry. Soon came a period of political troubles. Many Japanese people argued against copying the Europeans and Americans. They wished to preserve the Japanese way of life.

In the mid-1860s, a brief civil war broke out. The reformers wanted a modern society. Eventually, the reformer group won and took power. They were called the Meiji.

Meiji

The new government tried to gain support quickly. It took control of the emperor’s palace. Japan’s new leaders claimed to be restoring the emperor’s power. But truthfully, they were creating a new government. That is why this event is often called the Meiji “Restoration.” Really, though, it was more of a revolution. This government promoted new forms of national art and literature. Such material is called propaganda. Messages were handed out praising the new government, the emperor, and modernization.

The Meiji studied European and U.S. political structures. But their ideas were not total copies. Japan’s leaders mixed Western industrial styles with their own traditions and needs. They built schools. They trained people to work in and run factories. They re-organized and trained the army. Soldiers got new weapons.

Meiji Japan quickly industrialized. Soon its rulers saw Western countries as dangerous opponents. The West’s impact on places like China made Japan nervous. Some Meiji leaders argued Japan could only protect itself by industrializing. This idea is often called “defensive modernization.”

Unfortunately, Japanese businesses had another problem. The island country lacked many raw materials. For example, it did not have coal. Coal is a source of fuel. Japan was able to sell some goods to other countries. However, these goods were given high tariffs from other modern countries. These tariffs, or import taxes, were costly for Japan.

Still, Japan hoped its industry would grow as fast as possible. So the nation made major changes. Business leaders entered the government. Tax money funded industrialization. Japan aimed for new markets for their goods. The leaders also looked for new places to get resources. Like other powerful nations, they forcibly took some colonies. Korea was an early target. It had many natural resources. The Korean population was also fairly large. Koreans could become future customers.

Today, Japan is still an industrial power. However, its industrial economy remains focused on very large companies. Many companies are closely tied to the country’s government. The Industrial Revolution created a new model of producing and shipping out goods. However, Japan does not totally fit into that wider model. Its particular place within this system is unlike other states.