The 19th century marked the arrival of Japan and China, two of the most influential and nationalistic nations in East Asia, at fateful crossroads in the respective histories. Japan, a historically isolated nation now confronted by a crumbling domestic order and the pressures of an expanding world market, was forced to make monumental decisions to shift their national policy toward a successful entry into the world community. From political upheavals to militaristic expansion and from undergoing an economic miracle to overhauling their social system, Japan took dramatic steps to construct a…
