Japan rejected the Western ways of life as it feared that it will become just another colony, so instead it focused on becoming a colonial power itself.
Explanation:
During the Meiji Restoration, Japan clearly and openly rejected the Western values, and it also cut off any Western influence. The main reason for this was the fear of the Western powers, as Japan was witnessing colonization of the neighboring areas, and it didn't wanted to be colonized.
In order to achieve this, Japan focused on industrialization, strengthening its economy, and militarization, so that the country is as powerful as possible and to let the Western powers know that they are not an opponent they would want to mess with. This worked perfectly for Japan and its ideals. Not just that it didn't became a colony, but it become so powerful that the Western powers started to fear it, and it became a colonial power itself.
