In 1868,the Meiji Restoration in Japan began a fundamental shift in Japan’s conception of its place in the world.[i] This shift was catalyzed by the gunboat diplomacy” of Commodore Matthew C. Perry, who demonstrated the power of the U.
S. Navy to secure expanded trading rights between the United States and Japan.[ii] The Meiji Restoration was characterized by an effort to modernize and globalize Japan economically and militarily in order to ensure that Japan would not be subjugated by a foreign power.[iii] Shimazu Nariakira, and a powerful feudal lord during the period,stated that “whether we rob the initiative, we can... Read the rest of this entry »
Source: navalhistory.org