Understandable even for middle schoolers! "Why was Japan the only country in Asia not colonized?" Lecture by Mr. Haibara

◆Character Introduction◆

• Kei Haibara: A high school teacher who teaches Japanese history and international affairs. He has a mysterious atmosphere and sharp analytical skills.

• Sota Sato: The class genius, a theorist who values numbers and data. He is quick to ask, "What's your source?"

• Momo Tanaka: A history nerd who tends to go off-topic. Her catchphrase is, "So, what happens to Japan!?"

• Daigo Yamamoto: A smooth talker interested in economics. He immediately asks, "So, are we going to make money?"

■ Why was Japan not colonized?

One day in class.
"Alright, today's theme is this."

Mr. Haibara wrote on the blackboard.

"Wait? Teacher, Thailand wasn't colonized either, right?"
Sota Sato points out immediately.

"Oh, sharp. Thailand wasn't colonized either. However, Thailand was used as a 'buffer zone' between Britain and France.
In contrast, Japan avoided colonization through its own unique strategy."

"Wow, I'm interested!"
Momo Tanaka opens her notebook.

■ Reason 1: Rejection of Christianity and National Isolation

"First, let's talk about the Age of Discovery in the 16th century. To expand their colonies, Europe first sent Christian missionaries."

"Christianity?"
Daigo Yamamoto tilts his head.

"Yes. For example, the Philippines fell under Spanish rule. The reason was that as the number of Christians increased, Spanish influence grew, and eventually, they were conquered by military force."

"But there was a time when Japan accepted Christianity, right?"
Sato presses on.

"Yes. Francis Xavier arrived in 1549 and missionary work began. But Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the Tokugawa Shogunate saw it as a danger, andissued a ban on Christianity in 1612, adopting a policy of national isolation.
With this, they eliminated the influence of European countries and closed the path to colonization."

"Whoa, that's an incredibly fast decision!"
Yamamoto is surprised.

■ Reason 2: The existence of the Samurai and military power

"Next, let's talk about Japan's military power."
The teacher continues.

"At the time, Japan had a fighting group called the samurai, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, they look super strong!"
Yamamoto is very interested.

"In fact, during the Sengoku period (1467–1615), there was constant warfare within Japan. Because of that, the level of the soldiers (samurai) was incredibly high. Furthermore, when guns were introduced to Tanegashima in 1543, Japan mass-produced them in a short period and gained the ability to manufacture its own weapons."

"So, you mean if they tried to attack carelessly, they'd get counterattacked?"

"Exactly! In fact, in a report sent to his home country by a Spanish missionary, it was written that

"Japan is amazing!"
Momo Tanaka's eyes sparkle.

■ Reason 3: Modernization through the Meiji Restoration

"But teacher, that alone wouldn't be enough to escape colonization by Western powers in the 19th century, right?"
Sato raises a question.

"That's a good question. In fact, Japan was also forced to open its doors when Perry arrived in 1853. The shogunate was forced to sign unequal treaties with the United States, right?"

"Yeah, Japan was in trouble too, right?"
Yamamoto leans forward.

"That's right. But Japan then carried out the "Meiji Restoration (1868)" and rapidly pushed forward with modernization."

"In what way?"
Momo Tanaka asks.

"For example, they did things like this."

• Established a judicial system based on French law

• Organized a modern army modeled after the German military

• Introduced British railway technology

• Advanced diplomatic negotiations on equal footing with the West

"In other words, to avoid becoming a European colony, they actually learned from Europe."

“I see... that’s clever!”

■ Reason 4: Victory in the First Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars

“So, what was the decisive event that prevented colonization?”
Mr. Haibara asks.

“Um, war?”
Yamamoto answers.

“Exactly! The First Sino-Japanese War in 1894, and the Russo-Japanese War in 1904.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of those!”

“By winning the First Sino-Japanese War against Qing (China), Japan forced them to recognize the independence of Korea. Furthermore, in the Russo-Japanese War, Japan defeated Russia, one of the world’s strongest powers, making Western nations recognize that ‘Japan is a strong country.’”

“So, does that mean the Great Powers stopped looking down on Japan?”

“That’s right. Conversely, Qing (China), which lost the war, ended up in a semi-colonized state under the Western powers.”

■ Reason 5: Skillful Diplomatic Strategy (Building International Relations)

“Actually, Japan avoided colonization not just through war, but also through diplomacy.”

“Huh? What do you mean by diplomacy?”
Sato tilts his head.

“The Meiji government focused on revising unequal treaties to build an equal relationship with Western powers. For example, in 1894, they signed the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Commerce and Navigation, and Japan was recognized as an ‘equal nation’ by the West.”

“In other words, they appealed to the West by saying, ‘We’re one of you too!’?”
Yamamoto summarizes.

“Exactly. And the ultimate move was the Anglo-Japanese Alliance of 1902. By joining hands with Britain, Japan gained a position where it could stand up to Russia. This diplomatic success was also in the background of the victory in the Russo-Japanese War.”

★Revised! 5 Reasons Why Japan Did Not Become a Colony★

1. Rejection of Christianity and National Isolation → Blocking foreign influence

2. The existence of Samurai and military power → A strong country that was difficult to invade

3. Modernization through the Meiji Restoration → Catching up to the West

4. Victory in the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars → Demonstrating strength to the world

5. Skillful diplomatic strategy → Formed the Anglo-Japanese Alliance and established its status in the international community

"Teacher, does this still influence Japan's diplomacy today?"
"Of course. History repeats itself. That is precisely why Japan must value international relations in any era."

"I see... so history is connected to the present!"

—And so, Mr. Haibara's class left something in the students' hearts again today.