How Private Individuals Created Modern Japan

An Era of Seclusion and Stagnation

Skoll | From Trauma to Solidarity: How Healing Intergenerational ...

In the mid-19th century, Japan was a nation largely isolated from the world, ruled by a Shogun who enforced consummate seclusion. During the so-called "Great Peace," economic life was heavily dictated by the Shogunate’s policies that inadvertently stifled growth and innovation, leaving Japan oblivious to the sweeping industrial changes in the West.

The Turning Point

The arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry from the United States signaled a stark end to centuries of isolation. Under the specter of naval dominance, Japan begrudgingly entered into treaties with the Western powers, catalyzing the internal forces that brought an end to the Shogun's rule and the ushering in of the Meiji Restoration—a pivotal era of rapid modernization and reform.

The Advent of the Meiji Era

The Meiji era marked a profound transformation, as Japan reckoned with its comparative underdevelopment and sought knowledge and innovation through the first-hand experience of the wider world.

The Stimulus of Exposure

EU-funded Baladiyati programme launches new interventions to ...

The influx of foreign trade and the profound impact of witnessing technological advancements firsthand stirred Japan. The travels of influential figures abroad acted as a powerful conduit for change, bringing back the knowledge and a desire to act that would reshape the economy.

The Unseen Work of Private Enterprise

Contrary to common narratives, it was not mainly government policy, but the resilience and ingenuity of private individuals and enterprises that spearheaded Japan's transformation. With barriers removed, local entrepreneurs took the helm in industries like textiles, which made substantial contributions to the economy without much government aid.

Privatization and Entrepreneurship

Private banking and joint-stock companies flourished, as entrepreneurs outperformed government projects. Privatization and private initiative fueled the commercial revolution and the expansion of international trade, proving indispensable to Japan's economic boom.

The Ethics of Business

In Cold Blood—IV: The Corner | The New Yorker

The period also marked a cultural shift toward valorizing commerce, with pioneering figures advocating for the moral imperative of business and helping to legitimize entrepreneurship as an honorable endeavor.

The Backlash of Forced Openness: A Military Nation

Japan's initiation into the global trade system was not without consequence. The forceful opening of the nation evoked a powerful nationalist response that, coupled with newfound prowess, manifested as military expansionism—leading Japan down a path toward wartime devastation, a stark contrast to the peaceful commerce of the Meiji era.

Conclusion: A Lesson in Growth

In the end, the story of Japan's meteoric rise in modernity offers a compelling lesson on the effectiveness of private initiative and peaceful commerce in driving transformative growth. It was the undirected but vigorous curiosity of private individuals and their international endeavors that fundamentally remolded Japan.

The Role of Travel in Japan's Transformation

Integral to the tale of Japan's progress was travel—both physically with individuals visiting foreign lands to gain knowledge and inspiration, and commercially as entrepreneurs embraced the movement of goods to broader markets. Today, the legacy of travel and trade lives on. As modern travelers visit Japan, they often stay in hotels that embody the fusion of Western conveniences with traditional Japanese hospitality—a testament to the cultural and economic exchange that has enriched Japan's history and continues to color its evolving narrative.