The American revolution inspired the idea that a country should secede and gain independence if they believe that the ruler of the country is a malevolent tyrant. The Civil War inspired hte idea that the country needs to remain unified even if the people don't agree and that we can always find a way to keep it together. They are opposite and at the time when they were created they suited the needs of the people.
The other areas to greatly impact Japan were the regions of Korea, which was the closest culture to Japan and therefore the main point of contact between Japan and Asia. Through Korea, the major Asian religion Buddhism traveled from China to Japan and became a major influence on Japanese culture. Hope this helped :)
