Meiji Restoration: How Japan Became a World Super Power and History of Japan

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:34 Japanese Seclusion
02:35 The Opening up of Japan and The End of the Shogun era
04:17 The Meiji Restoration to modernize Japan
06:21 The Emergence of Imperial Japan
08:11 Japan after WWII and till today
In 1543, a group of Portuguese traders on a Chinese boat drifted to the island of Tanegashima, becoming the first Europeans to set foot on Japan, and also initiating direct commercial and cultural exchange between Japan and the West. This period of trading was called the Nanban trade period, during which matchlock firearms, galleon-style shipbuilding, and Christianity were introduced to Japan. When the Warring States period ended, fear of the extensive influence of Christianity in Japan and a threat to his power from the Western countries, Tokugawa issued the Sakoku policy (“closed country”) that isolated Japan from the outside world.
In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry of the United States Navy arrived south of Yokohama, putting an end to Japan’s 220 years of isolation. Under threat of force, in 1854, Japan had to sign the Treaty of Kanagawa bringing a plethora of unfavorable agreements to Japan itself. After Emperor Komei died, and his son was crowned Emperor Meiji, civil unrest continued, making it hard for the new ruler Tokugawa Yoshinobu to maintain his power, leading to his resignation in November 1867. In 1868, the Boshin War and the subsequent fall of Edo finally overthrew the Shogunate, marking the end of this Tokugawa military dictatorship and the beginning of the Meiji era.
After taking the throne in January 1868, Emperor Meiji had implemented a comprehensive reform called “Meiji Restoration”, which was followed by an era of major political, economic, and social change in Japan, leading to its modernization and westernization. By 1871, the administrative reorganization successfully dismantled the old feudal system, abolished feudal class privileges and replaced feudal domains with a system of prefectures. During the Meiji period, Japan underwent a rapid transition towards an industrial economy. Besides significant changes in politics, education and economics, the modernization and enlargement of the Imperial Japanese Army played a key role in Japan's expansion abroad.
The Japanese invasion of Taiwan under Qing rule in 1874 in response to the Mudan Incident of 1871 marked the first overseas deployment of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy. By the 1890s, the Imperial Japanese Army had grown to become the most modern army in Asia, bringing Japan dozens of glorious victories.
After consolidating its control over Hokkaidō and annexing the Ryukyu islands, Japan began its territorial expansion. After the First Sino-Japanese War, Taiwan was ceded to Japan. The Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) was another victory for Japan, giving the country control over the southern half of Sakhalin. Korea, following the Japanese invasion of Korea, was also annexed to Japan in 1910.
In the early 20th century, the Taishō era marked Japan’s increasing expansionism. In 1940, Japan joined the Axis powers formed in response to its ally with Germany and Italy through the signing of the Tripartite Pact in Berlin.
As part of Japan's ambition to dominate the Pacific, in 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on a U.S. naval base on Pearl Harbor, followed by other campaigns targeting British armies in Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong triggered the outbreak of World War II.
Although World War II which culminated in the Soviet invasion of Manchuria and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 ended with Japan being occupied, giving all its colonies to Allied powers and losing millions of lives, Japan has revived phenomenally from the ashes of this bloody war.
During the post-war recovery period, Japan recorded a period of high growth which transformed the Japanese economy and society significantly. From an isolated nation, Japan had emerged as the most developed and modernized nation in Asia and as an industrialized world power.
Do you think what is the decisive factor for the development of Japan?
And how did Japan recover so quickly after World War II?
Tell us in the comment section below.
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#Japan #worldPower

[@mastervz4806]

Japan is a resilient people. They’ve taken two nuclear bombs and still bounced back.

[@Scriabinfan593]

They bounced back because the United States invested a lot so that Japan wouldn't fall to communism.

[@user-gs5pi3rf2g]

@@Scriabinfan593 also keeping Japan and Germany under their control

[@esosaiyamu2581]

They sold their freedom to America for prosperity

[@izharfatima5295]

No it is a wrong statement. Humans are adaptable. If bombing Japan with nukes was wrong so was the inhuman treatment of Chinese, Koreans and others by Japan. If, they had nukes would have used mercilessly as Americans that is what humans are only see themselves as the central piece.

[@rahulchakrabarty9083]

Japan is very interesting. They lived over 200 years in isolation just to emerge as a world power in "a very short time". Then it took a couple nukes to stop them and recovered in "a very short time". Again the Japanese say anything crafted in Japan takes a century to master. Feels like they have mastered growing in a short time.

[@o-wolf]

40 yrs. that's all it took. forty. years. that's unimaginable when u consider what they had going on at the time.. they went from culturally rich third world nation to a first world superpower.. in 40 fricking YEARS.. as an amateur historian that shit still amazes me.

[@jonaspete]

The big advantage is their centralised geography.

[@dathunderman4]

Wasn’t exactly the nukes that stopped them, they were already losing the war before that, and in fact American bomber strikes did exponentially more damage than both nukes combined

[@jhonyrhian3146]

This video deserves more recognition

[@fksksos123]

Ehhh how does this not have more views and likes? The animation's neat, the explanation is short but thorough

[@HieuNguyen-op6ud]

Japan is interesting, they organize the Tokyo 2020 Olympics very well

[@miloslye8464]

Thank you! i have a 2000 word essay due by midnight and this video allowed me to extend my 1300 word essay a full 600 more! i haven't even started my third body paragraph or conclusion! This video was a savior!

[@GigaMonke156]

This needs more views and likes, great video!

[@sherizawadhwani]

This is such an incredible video! Using this with my Y9s tomorrow, thank you!

[@eren_yeager9927]

A comprehensive and highly detailed video, how does this not have more views?

[@hark4330]

Yeah I was shocked this only had 20k views

[@ell9175]

no cuz you literally explain my whole history textbook, even more clear

[@user-bp7vt6bc6w]

It is very helpful video, to know Japan's history in a short time.

[@neptune9238]

Japan could be a superpower if you think about it, they have the third largest economy which is growing, and the 5th strongest military which is also growing. They might not be a superpower, but maybe the third power or second power.

[@user-gs5pi3rf2g]

Japan is not the 5th strongest army , they don't even have an army.

[@adw6894]

"superpower". Sounds so cringe

[@soil80]

You're right but they have a huge problem because of demographic decline and limited migration. The population is declining year by year.

[@Anonymous_world5000]

Japan is the most technologically advanced country in the world. Military wise not so much, after WW2. I think they have the 11th largest military. I'm not worried about the population decline because it's normal to go through cycles like that, after world war 2 in Europe no one was having babies but then they encouraged people and they started having kids again. Populations go through periods like this, I'm sure Japan will start having a population growth again. I love Japan 🇯🇵❤️😊

[@wrestlinginfodude2644]

They are economicly superpower for long time but not on military due to their Pacific stand

[@IsabelRodriguez-nv2ue]

Your educational videos are of excellent quality! Thank you so very much for creating them. They are very well organized and structured with excellent animations and pace of the explanations.

[@KOROZUMILuz-zf9be]

The most beautiful Japan is their culture, especially through the unique Anime series, there are no words to describe! If you have the opportunity to come to Japan, you must remember that this country has a lot of fireflies!😊

[@junrokugatsu2362]

2:46 Highlighted area is Chiba prefecture, not Yokohama/Kanagawa pref.

[@aman23t]

Relished this slice of history . Greetings from India.

[@subrankurbhattacharjee6198]

Thank

[@user-sm1it7yj1w]

2:55 this area is Chiba.Yokohama is west at Tokyo.

[@Greenkamegemu]

確かに

[@hieunt1643]

Wowww.. This video very useful, i love that. please make more good videos 😝

[@BladesDark]

I want to visit Japan 🗾😏🙏

[@TheBigkal201]

Montana is bigger then Japan.....WILD fact I recently learned

[@flyingdragon6275]

US is massive

[@darkflamemaster6541]

7;49 Correction, Japan still not invaded the Philippines until the attack on Hawaii, the Philippine was include in the US territory that time

[@sunnytai7534]

7:00 Sakhalin

[@vinuthashetty6760]

Which led to the rise of Japan as a world power ? Is this your answer will match to my question because i have exam tomorrow , i got confused 🥺

[@KOROZUMILuz-zf9be]

Start and end times?

[@user-wy8cs2dk1h]

Population, hard work, and good hands. Above all, there is less corruption.

[@MJBrentCanonMeiji]

Also Meiji of Japan have an idea to participate in industrial revolution era when he gain power due to European's involvement because of himself so average quality of life in a Japanese civilian is more better and livable and also more worth what a great achieve to people that's why Japan is futuristic today so he restore Japan in a better place and without him in first place Japan are still shogunate society and will never be involve into an specific civilization of technology. : he is the one of the most greatest leader who ruled Japan in Japanese history

[@sallyyang5824]

I need help with an assignment on "struggle for identity" What were the threats to Japan's identity? must be only from 1860-1900

[@analyticalmindset]

Sounds like their whole identity was remade to fit the capitalist industry of western modernization

[@user-uu8kh8zo1g]

👍

[@TheBigkal201]

They built one of the best navies b4 they even started invading?? What did they even trade? To build an awesome navy? Did they basically TOP out economy wise? And figured the only way was to kill and steal?

[@u2lover10]

Why don't you develop the whys of the economic isolation of japan? and why US force them to open their economic ?

[@BarnoRenfro]

Did Japanese people came from Kazakhstan?

[@tsouya]

I heard that DNA-wise, they're closer to Central Asian people than to Chinese or Korean people.

[@BarnoRenfro]

@@tsouya thank you

[@d.jmamba7237]

What a load of crap. Do not post shit online you're not sure if they're true. There are multiple theories on the Yamato but most agree Japanese are a mixed piece of jomu ainu and possibly another race from southeast Asia possibly

[@BarnoRenfro]

@@d.jmamba7237 you talking about theories yourself and I post shit 😂 do you even know what southeast Asian people look like? Kazakhs look more proper japanese.

[@pipoypipoy9761]

They are human race.

[@Changon88]

That's a very interesting video. I wrote a book titled "Why did Japan go to war?" I think it will be useful to you, so please read it if you like. Details are posted on the KZbin page. 

[@raintessshop8329]

Sejarah jepang mengenal senjata api kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKCbpH2an8p0Z6M

[@user-nn9wb9mp8h]

reserch again yokohama is not in chiba prefecture

[@Vatronn]

Eeee

[@koklinda5406]

Ddddddon

[@jayashreepatil6250]

If Japan didn't fight USA then it would be better

[@gdawg1585]

If the USA didn't force Japan to open its boarders then it would've been better

[@claydredsbroadhead7763]

​@gdawg1585 are you serious? Japan went from a feudal society in the 1850s to a industrial power by the turn of the 20th century. They were able to beat the Russians in 1905 and by the 1980s had become the second biggest economy in the world.

[@Scriabinfan593]

I love how everyone in the comments are either ignorant or choose to ignore the disgusting war crimes Japan committed during WW2.

[@analyticalmindset]

By that time they had all become different people, taught by the West to subjugate and imperialism

[@seminpark4528]

not relevant to the video.

[@Scriabinfan593]

It's extremely relevant. This period of rapid development is what allowed Japan to commit all the nasty war crimes they did. @@seminpark4528

[@user-dfgcxxsdfd4rt]

because mostly not true it’s started by korean and chinese propaganda 😂

[@Scriabinfan593]

@@user-dfgcxxsdfd4rt it’s 100 percent true. The U.S. government literally helped hide it because they didn’t want the Russians to get their hands on research for biological weapons. The U.S. has this recorded.

[@bielaggs]

pronounciation is terrible with this one

[@marioavgherino8383]

Your animations are FULL of errors, not to mention that your pronunciation of names is absolutely horrible..

[@user-bd4hn2pw8g]

From now on, Japan is headed toward extinction.

[@KOROZUMILuz-zf9be]

Why?

[@user-gs5pi3rf2g]

@@KOROZUMILuz-zf9be population shrinking

[@JamesMurphy-tr7iq]

Good riddance

[@gregorygranger6481]

⁠that’s a little harsh what makes you think that the people deserve to die I can’t tell if your racist or something else cause you saying good riddance sounds very wrong

[@MissJIF]

The repeated mispronunciation of names, especially city names, is throwing me. Japanese is a phonetic language. Question the accuracy if the narrator can't even say "Edo" or "shogunate" correctly. Is it an AI generated voiceover?

[@JamesMurphy-tr7iq]

A ticking time bomb…..