Why Imperialism In Japan?

In order to understand why imperialism started in Japan in the first place, it is necessary to talk abaout Japan`s geographycal features. Note in the picture that Japan is a very small coutry compared to it's population, it has a very montanious territory consequently it has very few natural resources, but it is strategically located because of its connection to America and several Islands of Southeast Asia through the Pacific Ocean, and its access to mainland Asia through the Sea of Japan.

Japan's expansion was the result of emulation of, which is the effort or ambition to equal or surpass another, and conflict with the Western nations.

Japanese goverment turned expansion into a systematic goal which were often intertwined, for security, national pride, resources for industrialization, settlement of overpopulation and markets for manufactured goods.

Japanese expansion was also fueled with Social Darwinism and racism. Social Darwinism states that only the strongest ones are the ones who adapt and survive, this created in Japan a need to ruthlessly protect itself and even side with the Western powers; but despite Japan's civilization, Western countries, because of racism, treated it the same way as other Asian countries. So the last chance for Japan to win Western respect and ensure security and survival as a nation, and even bringing civilization to other countries in Asia was imperial expansion.

As a conclusion, Japanese imperialism differed from European civilization because it was the first non-Western imperial power that rose to imperial status after facing colonization by the West.