Japan

Author: China Central Television Station "Rise of a Great Nation" Program Group
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: Over 150 years ago, under the coercion of four American "Black Ships," the island nation of Japan, which had long been isolated, chose to open up without fighting. External pressure became the driving force for internal reform. Fifteen years after the arrival of the Black Ships, the Meiji Restoration officially began in 1868. Guided by the reformist slogan "Seeking Knowledge from the World," Japan sent the Iwakura Mission, composed of high-ranking government officials, to observe and study various Western and Eastern countries. After that, Japan began its national industrialization: Okiura Komei promoted the development of industrialization and enlightenment through a policy of "borrowing and adapting," establishing numerous state-owned factories and vigorously supporting private enterprises. The legendary story of, the father of modern Japanese business, abandoning his official career to engage in commerce, became a symbol of that era. Okiura Komei's successor, Itō Hirobumi, responded to the calls of the domestic freedom and rights movement and formulated the Japanese Constitution to consolidate the achievements of the Meiji Restoration. However, the introduction of the imperial system into the "Constitution of the Great Japanese Empire" sowed the seeds for the rise of Japanese militarism. ... Like all nations that, the mushroom cloud of the atomic bomb ended Japan's militaristic dream. After World War II, Japan, based on the "Peace Constitution" and with the support of the United States, experienced rapid economic development. In 1968, the centennial of the Meiji Restoration, it became the world's second-largest economic power after the United States and the Soviet Union. ... The entire book takes Japan as its subject, showcasing the country's journey to becoming a strong nation at different stages. It is divided into twelve parts, including Independence, Overthrowing the Shogunate, Restoration, Military Strengthening, Industrialization, Enlightenment, and Constitution, among others.