Reasons for the Emergence of Japan as a Great Power
Introduction At the beginning of the 20th century, Japan was one of the most destroyed
countries following the aftermath of the first and second world wars. However, the country
organized and restructured itself following an astute practice of democratic governance and a
stable dualism economy that eventually saw it clinching the position of one of the world's
greatest power economies1 . Ideally, the rise of Japan to be a world great power nation can be
attributed to many factors which include but not limited to the technological and scientific
advancements that made the lives of the general populace in the country to change significantly.
In the period between 1870 and 1945, there was a significant restructuring of the country's
economy as well as both social and political orientation and these instilled the spirit of growth
and advancement taking the country a notch higher in the rank of the greatest power economies
of the world. With succinct steadfastness, some of the reasons or factors that account for this
phenomenon is as discussed below.
Reasons for the rise of Japan as a Great Power in the World.
The emergence of socio-political stability after second world war Japan an opportunity as a
country to reorganize and restructure herself for growth and prosperity. Ideally, a significant
proportion of the country’s citizenry adopted and were motivated by the “Just In Time” (JIT)
strategy that spurred the significant multisectoral growth leading to significant scientific and
technological advancement that changed the pace of economic growth and development in the
country.The country was culturally homogeneous in thought and actions and avoided any form
of rebellion and resistance that affected most countries such as China and Korea at the time
giving her a due advantage over many nations in the world. Additionally, Japan was a major
outlier of education and literacy in the world and significant part of the Asian continent, a factor
that did not only encouraged scientific research and education but also enhanced the general
understanding of the labour markets and employment structure and prospects by the majority
of the citizens leading to its faster growth in a relative global scale.
Other than having the stable socio-political economy and structure, Japan also embraced the
demilitarization policy that gave her a great opportunity to emerge as a world great power.
Through an active and complete implementation of the demilitarization policy, the country's
economic surplus was directly involved in nation-building and reconstruction agenda. This
boosted the economy of Japan and made it very stable . By adopting and using strategies such
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as those used in the restoration of Meiji which involved the breaking up of the Tokugawa
military facilitated the release of many elites into the country’s economy. This included
military personnel, engineers, scientists as well as a significant number of working-class
employees who were initially employed by the military factories. This was a significant move
that added a significant surplus into the country's economy and consequently leading to its
economic growth and development of the GDP at a faster rate of approximately 8.3% annually
between 1956 and 1973.
The presence of high labor productivity was also a major factor leading to the emergence of
Japan as a great world power. Following the deployment of the military personnel who were
formerly absorbed in the country's navy, the economy of Japan was eventually provided by one
of the most disciplined workforces in the entire globe. This, together with the presence of a
significant number of elites, there was a significant indulgence in and adoption of scientific
agriculture and dominantly long working hours in the employment sectors. This resulted in an
increase in the productivity of labor and eventually boosting the labor competitiveness on a
global scale relative to those of close competitors like Germany. Eventually, the economy of
Japan was boosted immensely leading to its emergence as a great power in the global scale.
Japan also grew steadily to become a great power in the word due to the timing of its
demographic dividends . Through an impeccable timing of the dividends from the workforce,
it was possible to create a high demographic transition based on the country’s population ratio
of the workers. This led to the reduction of the dependency ration making the country’s
economic and development prospects grow steadily to become the top in the world.
The restoration of the Meiji between 1868-c and 1890 also set Japan on its industrialization
path. This restoration led to the introduction of many political as well as social reforms that the
government later introduced making Japan to rise greatly in terms of economic strength.
Ideally, much of the concentration of the government shifted towards the construction of heavy
as well as strategic industries. These included roads, railways, merchant marine, mining,
modern techniques of agriculture, munitions as well as stable navy. Each of these achievements
had significant impacts in the industrialization journey of Japan making it a great power in the
world. For example, through the establishment of stable transport and communication network,
there was an increased rate of transportation of people and industrial goods to and from the
factories . This improved the steady growth of industries and this consequently boosted the
economic growth and development of the country. Additionally, the introduction of the
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merchant marine and the adoption of modern agricultural techniques opened the Japanese
economy to outside world increasing the revenue generated from the sale of finished Japanese
products and thereby increasing the country's Gross Domestic Product and subsequently the
per capita income per head. This raised the living the living standards of most Japanese citizens
and their ability to work and to contribute towards additional labor input in the country’s
economy improved immensely.
The restoration of the Meiji was done with the steadfast maintenance of the Japanese character
nevertheless. This made the country remain focused on the realization of its development goals
making it rise to a great world power economy. The adoption of the western style of political
and social reforms helped the country to achieve a desired and conducive environment for the
creation of industrial as well as military modernization in Japan. The restoration of the Meiji
Government also took a leading role in the destruction of the retrogressive feudal structure of
Japan. This was primarily achieved through the destruction and replacement of old provinces
in Japan and subsequently replacing them with the creation of seventy-two more districts.
The creation of these new districts across the country facilitated the abolition of class
distinctions among the citizens of Japan. Consequently, a number of policies were introduced
that enhanced the realization of the goals of infrastructural modernization as well as improved
industrialization. One such policy was the introduction of the policy of mandatory public
education. This came in handy in ensuring that both girls and boys were educated to provide a
skilled workforce that would later help in instilling the spirit of nationalism in them. Besides,
the Meiji Government also formed the European-style parliament that exercised real power.
The making of Shinto the head of state religion by the emperor would later increase the
Japanese loyalty in their country making them remain focused in their fight towards the
achievement of development goals of modernization and industrialization as required.
The Japanese were driven by a culture which was programmed to succeed in the realization of
their industrialization and modernization goals. The aggregate national character for most of
the citizens influenced the direct realization of the country's economic growth. This culture
emphasized much on the application of Japan's Hofstede 6-D culture scores making it remain
quite relevant in as far as the achievement of such industrialization goals were concerned8 .
The Japanese culture in itself was a desirable factor that enhanced their emergence as a great
world power. Ideally, in the Hofstede’s 6-D culture score, the country scores high in relation
to aspects such as masculinity and avoidance of uncertainty. The presence of a stable masculine
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gender in Japan and a subsequent present of low individualism enabled Japan to become a
highly competitive society and this encouraged the culture of hard work against other world
communities and eventually gave Japan an opportunity to advance its economy steadily at the
expense of other world economies.
Japan as a nation together with its citizens was quite ready in their willingness to emulate other
western countries in their development agenda and this made them rise and emerge as a great
power country in the world over a very short period of time 9 . Following a series of both
domestic as well as international advances in technology and scientific innovation, Japan was
well placed in a position where it could copy and emulate what kind of economic, social and
political developments occurred in the other western countries. Through this strategy, the
country harnessed its infrastructure and instituted new literacy standards within the country.
This did not only increase its realization of the desire to get industrialized but also gave it desire
to focus on the development and strengthening of proto-social as well as the industrial
distribution of its networks.
This is a significant factor that facilitated the distribution of finished manufactured products
from Japan industries to other parts of the world thereby commanding a significant share of the
market for its finished goods. One of the first products that Japan copied from the western
nations was the production of additional sources of energy such as coal and other inorganic
fossil fuels. The development of this stable organic economy was essentially one of the key
pillars that led to the emergence of Japan. This was primarily because of the sufficient supply
of energy which would be used to propels and turn industrial machines and also be used by
travel vessels such as vehicles and train. Eventually, the world economic markets became a
global village to most Japanese producers and this is how Japan emerged to be among the
world’s greatest power economies.
Finally, the introduction of massive reforms in both transport, finance, and education sectors
gave the country an upper hand in ensuring that it becomes a world great power. There
extensive introduction of the support industries such as banks and cooperative societies which
availed finance to the investors who were present in the country at the time of industrial
revolution. Ideally, the Finance Ministry of Japan created the Bank of Japan in the year 1882
and this was the primary factor behind the laying of a stronger foundation that would give the
country a stable financial base and encourage private banking systems that were quite attractive
to both domestic and international investors10. Additionally, other than the introduction of
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compulsory primary education to all citizens in Japan, there was also a significant adoption and
diffusion of the best-practice agriculture, a factor that led to the ultimate decline of the number
of cases of feudal fiefs that were introduced by the retrogressive governance of Tokugawa.
This move significantly monopolized the taxation authority of the government of Japan and
ensured that the agriculture that was emulated by the west could be diffused to different parts
of the country and eventually help in the establishment of a stable economy based on
agriculture.
Conclusion.
Based on an in-depth and critical analysis of evidence, it can be stated with certainty that the
emergence of Japan as one of the greatest world powers characterized by sound and stable
economy, proper political and social system was not accidental11. Rather, it was as a result of
hard work and emulation of a culture that was focused on the realization of modernization and
industrialization agenda. Without any iota of doubt, Japan stood as a world power due to the
culture of hard work embraced by the citizens through the adoption of the “Just In Time”
national philosophy. This saw the country make significant strides in as far as the restructuring
of the political arena, the destroyed economy following the aftermath of the first and the second
world wars, and eventually the ability to adopt the use of both organic and inorganic sources
of energy. These, together with other significant factors mentioned above made Japan emerge
as a great power in the entire globe notwithstanding.
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