The reasons why Japan embarked on imperialism in the years 1894 until its downfall in 1945. The reasons were political, social and economic in nature such as security, national pride, trade, raw materials to boost her industries. The aftermath were positive as well as negative i.e Nankingi Massacre.

1. Presenters:
Ganizani Nkhambule

2.  Imperialism is the policy, practice, or advocacy of
extending the power and dominion of a nation
especially by direct territorial acquisitions or by
gaining indirect control over the political or economic
life of other areas.
 The Japanese reaction took form under the Meiji
Restoration of 1868 which saw a group of leaders
emerge in power.
 Like European countries, many in the Japanese
government turned expansion into a systematic goal,
for security, national pride, resources for
industrialization, settlement of overpopulation, and
markets for manufactured goods.
 These goals were often intertwined.

4. Japan believed that its survival as an
independent state relied on its ability to
conform to imperialism and capitalism
which dominated the world.

5. Japan wanted to display to the Western
powers that she is now a military and
economic power in Asia.
Japan initially sought recognition,
respect and territorial integrity.
Japan determined to assert itself as a
great nation and not to suffer
domination by the West as was China.

6. Ultimately, Japanese imperialism was
encouraged by industrialization which
pressured for oversea expansion and the
opening of foreign markets, as well as by
domestic politics and international
prestige.
The need for raw materials to run the
industries. For Instance,
– Korea: raw materials, farmland, and security.
– China: raw materials, market, farmland.
– Hokkaido: farmland, lumber, other resources.
– Okinawa: resources and security.

7. Japan had a dearth of raw materials and
was importing raw materials from
elsewhere in Asia and exporting finished
products.
By industrializing, Japan was able to
dominate in the sale of manufactured
goods, especially textiles, to those areas
abroad that it was closer to
geographically than were the Western
powers.

8. Japan had a growing population in the
second half of the 19th century, so she
needed overseas land to settle these
people.

9. Japan just like Western powers, was
influenced by social Darwinism in all
her expansion policies.
For instance, expansion into Hokkaido
in the Meiji era and cultural assimilation
of the Ainu, converting them from
hunter gatherers to agriculturalist.

10. Japanese expansion in Asia was
undertaken in the age of Western
expansion into China.
For instance, Russian expansion
led to the takeover of its large
quantities of Chinese territories in
the 19th century.

11. Violation of human rights.
Division of Korea into North and South.
Nanking massacre.
It engaged Japan into unnecessary
wars which draw out its resources and
infrastructure.
Earned Japan a high status as a super
power.
Economic growth and development.