Turning Point - Sekigahara: Toyotomi's Global Expansion and its Consequences

Phase 18 - Japan Becoming Imperialist

. . .

Subsequently, the Opium War that occurred in 1840 became a turning point for the Japanese.

Initially, the Japanese thought that the British had started a foolish war. They believed that Britain might be able to win at sea, but not much more than that.

However, when Japanese observers went to monitor the war, they were astonished by what they witnessed. The relatively lightly armed steamship Nemesis of the British East India Company sank Qing Dynasty warships almost effortlessly, as if it were a shooting gallery.

Upon receiving this report, the Japanese Navy and government were deeply shocked. As an emergency measure, they began to purchase a large number of high-speed steamships from private sources and converted them into makeshift cruisers with added armaments, initiating a revolution in naval equipment. Simultaneously, the ongoing construction of sailing warships was largely halted, and design modifications were made to incorporate steam (paddlewheel) propulsion into new ships. Existing vessels were also gradually updated to steam power with convertible structures.

This significant transformation of the navy required a substantial budget, and temporary coal imports were even arranged to meet the surging demand for coal. However, the fact that Japan acted faster than most European countries other than Britain had some value. At the very least, Britain, realizing the extent of Japan's capabilities, did not pose a threat.

Around this time, the Japanese government received some good news.

In the mountainous regions of the southeastern part of Australia, enormous coal mines, and high-quality ones at that, were discovered. Additionally, in the northwestern part of the continent, giant iron ore mines were found. Combined with Japan's already substantial copper production, this meant that Japan had overcome most obstacles related to industrial materials for advancing the Industrial Revolution.

Moreover, from the 1840s onwards, extensive railway construction took place throughout Japan, particularly in Australia. This would significantly advance heavy industries such as steelmaking and machinery production. Railway construction would also be carried out in colonial territories like Taiwan and Java later on, creating a system through which vast resources, food, and luxury goods flowed into the Japanese archipelago.

These scenes resembled what was happening in Western European regions, with one key difference: it was taking place within a single ethnically homogeneous nation-state. Japan had not yet established official diplomatic relations with the nearest neighbor, the Kingdom of Joseon, which was still enforcing a policy of maritime exclusion. Although Japan had once sent envoys to Korea after the formation of the new state, Korea's response was, "It is indeed delightful that the Toyotomi Dynasty has fallen, but we cannot establish diplomatic relations with a nation that recognizes the Emperor of Japan as its monarch." Despite its defeat in the Opium War, the Qing Dynasty continued to look down on Japan in its diplomacy. On the other hand, in Japan, there was growing disappointment with neighboring countries among the populace.

At that time, Japan's top priorities were achieving its own industrial revolution and the success and development of its colonial endeavors in Australia, the Shinkai Islands, and Hokkaishū. With Britain finally prying open the door to China, Japan had to prioritize strengthening its own defenses.

. . .

The development of Australia began with the Gold Rush of the 1650s, and by the 1670s, permanent settlers, mainly farmers, had already appeared. Furthermore, a significant number of Japanese people who were exiled as part of the policy of banishment from the Osaka Regency and "abandoned people" policy had been flowing into Australia until the early 18th century. When the indigenous population suffered a sharp decline due to epidemics introduced by the Japanese and their domesticated livestock, it created opportunities for extensive development. However, development primarily concentrated on the eastern coastal regions of the mainland, with some settlements in the vicinity of the Masuzu River in the southeast. Native inhabitants who resisted assimilation were ruthlessly expelled using military force, leaving behind untamed lands.