Meiji Era Japan by Sarah Mayer

Tokyo Bay, Japan

mcecil27 — 2024-11-26 17:37:02 UTC

Tokyo was a major city in Japan at the time and was the place where America went to force Japan to open itself for trade. This led to Japan opening to foreign ideas and would bring them to start to industrialize. As well as this, Tokyo would become a powerful city due to being opened up to international trade.

Britain, United Kingdom

kmazza27 — 2024-11-26 17:37:28 UTC

Britain was considered a major global power, known for its vast colonial empire, naval dominance, and industrial advancement. The British helped Japan modernize by sharing knowledge in industry, the military, and naval strategies. British trade and diplomacy also helped Japan grow stronger and gain global influence.

Beijing, China

apappalardo27 — 2024-11-26 17:39:30 UTC

Japan invaded Beijing because of the Marco Polo Bridge incident, where the Chinese army attacked the Japanese army. This led to Japan invading the rest of China, and was the start of many wars. China was always seen as a huge influence to Japan, so Japan beating then was like a little brother defeating their older brother.

Kyoto, Japan

smayer27 — 2024-11-26 17:40:12 UTC

Kyoto is the largest city in Japan and the capital of the country. It also used to reside the long line of emperors for over 100 years. The emperor made Kyoto his home and established an impartial court there. The city was the center of the political world in Japan and allowed for many of the arts that we associate with Japan to come to be.

France

kmazza27 — 2024-11-26 17:40:14 UTC

the French were a major European power, significantly influencing culture, industry, and military reforms. they helped Japan modernize by sharing knowledge in law, education, and the military. French advisors helped Japan build a new legal system and strengthen its army. France also influenced Japan’s culture, including architecture, fashion, and art.

Washington D.C., DC

mcecil27 — 2024-11-26 17:40:38 UTC

Washington D.C. was the capital of the United States of America which was a major power that was starting to gain more imperial control. It was the first country to attempt to open up Japan to trade, which made Japan feel the need to industrialize and imperialize.

China

kmazza27 — 2024-11-26 17:41:42 UTC

at the time China was ruled by the Qing Dynasty, which faced internal instability, including the Taiping and Boxer Rebellions. The Qing government struggled to modernize and fend off foreign influence, particularly from Western powers and Russia. they influenced Japan's culture, religion, and writing, especially through Buddhism and Confucianism. During the Meiji period, Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese War showed its growing power and need to modernize. This win helped Japan become a stronger force in East Asia.

Moscow, Russia

apappalardo27 — 2024-11-26 17:42:11 UTC

Japan and Russia went to war with Russia since they both wanted control over Korea and Manchuria. Japan had defeated Russia. This caused Japan to gain control over Korea and Southern Manchuria. Japan gained a ton of power over and had more influence over other countries.

Germany

mcecil27 — 2024-11-26 17:42:18 UTC

Germany was a new rising European power that was gaining a small imperial hold in east Asia at the time. Japan took inspiration from Germany’s strong army and used it to help quickly become a powerful imperial power.

Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

apappalardo27 — 2024-11-26 17:42:59 UTC

There was a major earthquake in 1923. The death toll was over 140,000. This caused many gas mines to be destroyed. Since there was a lot of gas that leaked, there were major fires. This slowed Japan down on their race to imperialize.

Taiwan

apappalardo27 — 2024-11-26 17:43:40 UTC

After the Meiji restoration, Japan continued its journey to colonize Taiwan. They wanted Taiwan's raw materials, and they ended up having control until 1945. Japan had shared their culture with the people in Taiwan. They modernized Taiwan's systems and economy.

Korea

kmazza27 — 2024-11-26 17:43:42 UTC

Korea was ruled at the time by the Joseon Dynasty, which struggled with internal conflicts and resistance to modernization. The country faced significant pressure from China and Western powers, leading to reforms and attempts to open up to foreign trade. Korea was an important part of Japan’s efforts to expand its East Asian influence during the Meiji period. Japan sought to modernize Korea, and its victory in the First Sino-Japanese War allowed it to establish control over Korea, leading to its formal annexation in 1910. Korea’s strategic location and resources were significant in Japan’s rise as a regional power.

Nagasaki, Japan

smayer27 — 2024-11-26 17:43:48 UTC

Indonesia was a Dutch colony. The Dutch were the only ones that Japan trusted to deal with outside trade, so the Dutch would operate in Nagasaki. They would deal with foreigners and helped aid Japan in their international relations.

Satsuma, Kagoshima, Japan

smayer27 — 2024-11-26 17:45:10 UTC

Samurai from Satsuma and Chosu became an alliance called the Satcho alliance. The Satcho alliance tried to restore imperial rule in Japan and overthrow Tokugawa the shogunate

Portsmouth, NH

mcecil27 — 2024-11-26 17:46:05 UTC

Portsmouth is a city in New Hampshire in the United States which was home to many American military bases. It was the place where the Portsmouth Peace Conference occurred to end the Russo-Japanese war. This led to the end of Russia’s expansion in east Asia and allowed Japan to annex Korea in the future.

Tsushima Strait, Japan

smayer27 — 2024-11-26 17:46:14 UTC

It is a channel that runs in between Japan and Korea. It is an important strategic location for Russia in the pacific ocean and a threat to Japan and other countries because of the access it allows Russia to those countries.

Scarsdale High School, Post Road, Scarsdale, NY

smayer27 — 2024-11-26 17:56:04 UTC

The modernization of Japan was influenced by Europe and the US. Japan adopted many Western ideas to industrialize. They were inspired by German logistics, the British Navy, the US public education system and France's education and military. Japan was able to imperialize in places such as Korea, which helped to advance the country into a global superpower. This was a difficult task, since they had to go to extreme and violent wars with Russia and China. The irony is, Japan always viewed China as a revered and powerful empire, but Japan grew strong enough to fight back and be seen as equal to them. Japan had many natural disasters such as the earthquake in Yokohama, which killed many civilians.