The Latecomer Industrial Revolution in Japan marked a transformative period in the country’s history, characterized by unique factors distinct from the Western experience. Unlike the gradual evolution of industry in the West, Japan’s industrialization was a compressed and rapid process, occurring primarily during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Central to this transformation was the government’s active role in promoting modernization through policies such as the Meiji Restoration, which aimed to catch up with Western powers. Additionally, Japan’s social and cultural context played a significant role, with a strong emphasis on collective effort, discipline, and education fostering a conducive environment for industrial development. Moreover, Japan’s relative isolation prior to the Meiji era enabled it to selectively adopt Western technologies and practices, adapting them to suit its unique circumstances. Furthermore, the availability of abundant natural resources, coupled with a burgeoning population and a skilled workforce, provided a solid foundation for industrial expansion. Thus, the Latecomer Industrial Revolution in Japan was characterized by a convergence of strategic governmental intervention, cultural values, selective adoption of Western ideas, and favorable socioeconomic conditions, setting it apart from the Western experience of industrialization.
Tags: History of the world.
Decoding the Question:
- In Introduction, try to give a brief introduction on the background of Japanese Industrial Revolution.
- In Body, mention how the Japanese Industrial Revolution differs from western Industrial Revolution.
- In Conclusion, try to show that, even being a ‘latecomer’, how it helped Japan become a global power.
Answer:
Japan made rapid strides to industrialize after the Meiji Restoration of 1868, boosting its transportation and communication networks and revolutionizing its light industry by the turn of the century. But the Japanese Industrial Revolution (IR) had many factors that were different from the western Industrial Revolution.
Different Factors Involved in the Japanese IR from the Western IR:
- Scientific discoveries and inventions were the focal points in western IR, whereas the Japanese IR mostly depended upon the reverse engineering of the technologies.
- The western world had a huge number of raw materials and energy resources available to them (Coal, iron, etc.), but Japan had to import the raw materials as they had significantly less resources in comparison.
- Western industrialisation had a strong background of agriculture revolution and commercial revolution before the IR, Japan did not have these advantages before the Industrial Revolution.
- In the case of western industrialisation finance used to come from colonies, landholders, and businessmen voluntarily. In the case of the Japanese revolution finance was forcefully collected from the agriculture sector by the state. Japan did not depend upon colonies for financial assistance.
- The Japanese Industrial Revolution was state-led, whereas the western Industrial Revolution was private sector-led.
- Quality wise western products were better than the Japanese products. Western products, unlike Japanese products, were sold worldwide. The Japanese products did not find any markets to sell their products outside the country, especially in Europe.
Though the Japanese Industrial Revolution can be termed as ‘latecomer’, as it began approximately after three decades of the IR in the west, it can also be termed as the first among the Asian countries to raise the flag of the Industrial Revolution. It helped Japan modernize their army and industry to an extent that it could stand toe to toe with the major European powers.
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