Reactions to Imperialism in Asia

Japan’s attitude toward foreign domination changed drastically over the years. Since the early 1600s, during the reign of the Tokugawa dynasty, the shogun made every effort possible to enforce a rigid isolation policy. He closed all ports except for one to foreigners. Anyone who left the country or allowed foreigners in were sentenced to death. However, by the mid-1800s, Japan began to reconsider their seclusion from the rest of the world. In 1850, Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Japan, accompanied by a small naval squadron of American merchants and diplomats. He wanted to work out a trade agreement with the shogun. When he refused to accept Perry’s terms the commodore left, only to return a year later with a much larger, highly intimidating fleet of steamships. He gave the shogun two options: either the shogun could open up Japan to diplomatic and trade relations with the United States or Perry would attack. Knowing that they did not have the resources, technology, or military might to defend themselves against such an attack, they reluctantly agreed to accept the terms of the Treaty of Kanagawa. The treaty ultimately ended Japan’s isolation foreign policy. It opened up the country to Western influence and forced the Tokugawa government into accepting trade agreements that were not in their favor. The noblemen in Japan observed the shogun’s inability to stand up to the West and that, combined with the unequal terms of the treaty, fueled a civil war. The noblemen believed they needed a more powerful government that would not allow Japan to be bullied by the West. In 1868, the daimyo put aside their differences and came together to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate and reestablished the Meiji government. The Meiji took an entirely different approach to Western domination. They were eager to modernize and they did so rapidly. Japanese officials traveled to the West to study their methods of industrialization, as well as their health, financial, and