Global Connection

JAPAN OPENS TO THE WEST

Consider the options available to the Japanese when faced with growing Western pressures.

Notice how quickly the Japanese "westernized" as a measure of self-defense.

"Put Yourself There" online assignment: "The Zen of Battling with Cultural Intrusion"

Imagine yourself a Japanese aristocrat with your country facing declines and the threat of incursions of western trade vessels, during the waning days of the Edo Period. What reforms might you propose, and why, as part of what will become known as the Meiji restoration?

Today's Connection:

How westernized is today's Japan?