Were The Effects That The West Had On Japan Positive?

Were the effects that the west had on Japan positive?

Do you think change is a good thing to have in your life or the absolute worst? Well the decade of the 1890’s in Japan came along with many drastic and important changes to the country. Japan saw a transition from a country that was an inward-looking, intellectual society that was isolated for hundreds of years, that became a country which developed as a democracy and saw the coming of industrialization before it moved into a period of supreme nationalism. The influences on Japan from the west were a big deal and they changed the whole country, and made it better, they solved problems that had been there for as long as Japan was known, and they had a lot of new, better benefiting ways
of life. The nation went through a lot of big changes and somehow still came out on top, that shows a country with willpower and desire to succeed.(Yamasaki, Yoko.)

The western traditions had an effect on Japan that was unchangeable once it had begun.
The word unchangeable sounds bad but it could not have had a more positive effect. There were new factories and cities, there were new jobs, many reforms were made on programs like the military or administrators, there was even new art and architecture which gave the country a fresh change. It was in the beginning of modernization, during the Meiji ruling, that Japan's new leaders embarked on a plan for radical reform. By these means they wanted to transform a country that was weak and backward into a strong, modern and industrial nation. They started out fast, borrowing absolutely anything they could from the west for around 20 years. That may seem silly to us, but without following the rapid industrialization they could not be a strong country. This new Japan would be capable of dealing with Western powers on equal terms and of throwing off the humiliating and unequal treaties that had been imposed while Japan was
learning about the new advancements. They improved everything that there was to improve. They came out with more new factories that had better working conditions, before the industrialization they only had about 420 running factories, now they have thousands, placed all over Japan and the new cities formed in that time period.(The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition). They found ways to incorporate people from other countries, who probably did not have a job, they gave jobs to people from France, England, Germany, and also America. Many people did not think this job distribution was going to work out but it gave the country culture, and more efficient ways to do things.They also upped their military status and got the upgraded weaponry and technology that the west used against them. The nation needed to upgrade everything in order to be able to compete with other countries and become great.(Perren, R.)

This turning point solved a lot of problems for the Japanese people. There had been similar problems as to the ones in America, the problems with labor wages, working conditions for the people working in factories and even women's rights. After the Industrial Revolution in America, and the influence from the west in Japan, those problems were brought to the attention of all people and they were soon resolved. Women began to try to get their own rights to vote and be involved in political decisions like the men were. They gained some respect and their voices began to get heard by others. The working class in Japan was also resolved, now the working people have more limited hours and the conditions are a lot safer and better to be in on a daily basis. Also people were recognized more, the government figured out that the highest authority figures were not the only people who should get a say. Everyone was beginning to get a voice. At first they were not taken seriously due to their lack of knowledge and skill compared to the other countries, but they soon caught up and were as good as any other country, maybe even better.(Perren, R.)

According to the opposing side of the world, this turning point had a negative impact and Japan should have stayed in isolation for the rest of eternity.
They had become an isolated country that knew nothing about the outside world, other than what the Dutch told them occasionally throughout the years. They began to get pressured and threatened by other the other countries who were in need of Japan’s ports for trading and the restocking of ships. Even though the Dutch fed them information about the advances in technology and other aspects that were changing in the world, they were not prepared when black ships began to show up and demand their ports open to all countries besides just the Dutch. I do not understand how these people believe that more problems were caused, then there were solved. So what that there was a shortage of better housing for those who were in need, that there was an increasing use of the automobile,that the public transportation systems were overcrowded, or that there was a shortage of open space for recreation due to the new buildings, and there was the constant worry of earthquakes and floods. All these problems can be easily solved and not all were caused from deciding to come out of isolation and become modernized. You could easily build new housing, or make more space for public transportation. Almost everywhere that you go will have a risk of floods or earthquakes, it is an inevitable risk on this earth. There was more good done then bad to this
country,and the benefits completely outweigh the 2 or 3 possible problems that were caused.

Japan went through a lot of different stages on its way to the kind of country it is today, powerful and superior to others. It needed the modernization to take it to this place. They solved long term problems, and brought new traditions and ways of life into the nation. There may have been some bumps and problems, maybe there is still certain things that could be better for Japan but overall, Japan’s birth into a new nation was a good thing that should not be criticized against.