How Japan became a modern state

[Khaemwaset]

 

[Idilinaa]

When i see videos like that they border on historical mythology because they are devoid of any economic or structural analysis. It's more for entertainment i guess than being educational.

A better video is this one. Japan was still stuck in the middle ages during the early-to mid 1800s and was pretty feudal. Until the Meji revolution which abolished the medieval feudal structure and tried to modernize it.


Reforms that made Japan a modern state:

- Set up large industrial state enterprises in key sectors.

- Modern educational system , universal education was promoted leading to a more skilled and knowledgeable workforce capable of supporting industrial growth.

- Infrastructure development, roads, ports, electricity, communication lines

- Legal institutional and reforms to support economic and industrial development.

- Selective Westernization: Japan actively studied and adopted Western technologies, administrative practices, and industrial techniques. Japanese officials and scholars were sent abroad to learn from Western countries, and foreign experts were invited to Japan to help establish modern industries and educational systems.

- State capital was initially gained from agriculture, taxation , banking credits and postal saving schemes, becuase they didn't lack substantial capital they mainly used foreign loans to finance infrastructure projects such as ports, railroads and telegraph lines.

- They sold off state owned enterprises to private entrepreneurs after developing them into profitable ventures, which made the government recoup their loans and initial investments and kept the money inside their economy.