China and Japan were both confronted by western nations that were stronger militarily and technologically and were forced to sign unequal treaties because of their weaker state. The realities of their defeats and setbacks led to the initiation of movements aimed to strengthen their respective states. But in less than half a century after beginning, Japan was able to successfully restructure and modernize its government, economy and culture. On the other hand, despite various self-strengthening movements, China was unable to transform its society with the same success. The two largely different results of the Meiji Restoration and Self-Strengthening Movements were due to the different attitudes towards modernization, including the different ways they treated traditional values in the face of new western ideas, the two different political institutions and the role they played during reformation, and the different methods that each country used to foster modernization.
Like China, Japan adopted a policy of isolation under the Tokugawa Shogunate. This changed, however, after Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Japan from the United States with a small squadron and demonstrated the military and technology of the Western nations. Following this incident, more and more Japanese ports were opened, and like China, Japan seemed to be on its way towards foreign control. However, young, vigorous leaders seized control of the government and after a series of conflicts, the emperor eventually reassumed the throne, with the daimyo and young samurai in power, while the shogunate was abolished. The transformation did not end here, following their Charter Oath, the Japanese searched for new political, economic and military models around the world to adapt to their needs. They sent their students to study abroad, while foreigners were also brought and employed in the country. As the picture on page 585 and 586 in the textbook World’s History depicts, the emergence of...