The Japanese had almost no contact with the industrialized world during this
time of isolation. They continued, however, to trade with China and with Dutch
merchants from Indonesia. They also had diplomatic contact with Korea.
However, trade was growing in importance, both inside and outside Japan.
The Demand for Foreign Trade Beginning in the early 19th century,
Westerners tried to convince the Japanese to open their ports to trade. British,
French, Russian, and American officials occasionally anchored off the Japanese
coast. Like China, however, Japan repeatedly refused to receive them. Then, in
1853, U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry took four ships into what is now Tokyo
Harbor. These massive black wooden ships powered by steam astounded the
Japanese. The ships’ cannons also shocked them. The Tokugawa shogun realized
he had no choice but to receive Perry and the letter Perry had brought from U.S.
president Millard Fillmore.
Fillmore’s letter politely asked the shogun to allow free trade between the
United States and Japan. Perry delivered it with a threat, however. He would
come back with a larger fleet in a year to receive Japan’s reply. That reply was
the Treaty of Kanagawa of 1854. Under its terms, Japan opened two ports at
which U.S. ships could take on supplies. After the United States had pushed open
the door, other Western powers soon followed. By 1860, Japan, like China, had
granted foreigners permission to trade at several treaty ports. It had also
extended extraterritorial rights to many foreign nations.
Meiji Reform and Modernization The Japanese were angry that the shogun had
given in to the foreigners’ demands. They turned to Japan’s young emperor,
Mutsuhito (moot•soo•HEE•toh), who seemed to symbolize the country’s sense of
pride and nationalism. In 1867, the Tokugawa shogun stepped down, ending the military dictatorships that had lasted since the 12th century. Mutsuhito took control of
the government. He chose the name Meiji for his reign, which means “enlightened
rule.” Mutsuhito’s reign, which lasted 45 years, is known as the Meiji era.
The Meiji emperor realized that the best way to counter Western influence was
to modernize. He sent diplomats to Europe and North America to study Western
ways. The Japanese then chose what they believed to be the best that Western civilization had to offer and adapted it to their own country. They admired Germany’s
strong centralized government, for example. And they used its constitution as a
model for their own. The Japanese also admired the discipline of the German army
and the skill of the British navy. They attempted to imitate these European powers
as they modernized their military. Japan adopted the American system of universal
public education and required that all Japanese children attend school. Their teachers often included foreign experts. Students could go abroad to study as well.
The emperor also energetically supported following the Western path of industrialization. By the early 20th century, the Japanese economy had become as modern as any in the world. The country built its first railroad line in 1872. The track
connected Tokyo, the nation’s capital, with the port of Yokohama, 20 miles to the
south. By 1914, Japan had more than 7,000 miles of railroad. Coal production grew
from half a million tons in 1875 to more than 21 million tons in 1913. Meanwhile,
large, state-supported companies built thousands of factories. Traditional Japanese
industries, such as tea processing and silk production, expanded to give the country unique products to trade. Developing modern industries, such as shipbuilding,
