With the arrival of Commodore Perry, Japan's political elites realized that the U.S., as well as many other nations of the world, were vastly ahead in terms of military technology. Some advocated for shutting the doors even tighter against foreign influence, but others saw the writing on the wall; Japan’s only way ahead was modernization.
The Japanese government was also painfully aware that China, hitherto a great power in East Asia, had just been humiliated by Britain. These sudden shocks and upsets to Japanese society would insight a civil war.
In 1866, the daimyo of two southern Japanese domains, Hisamitsu of Satsuma Domain and Kido Takayoshi of Choshu Domain, formed an alliance against the Tokugawa Shogunate. On February 3rd, 1867 Mutsuhito ascended the throne as the Meiji Emperor, but his throne wouldn’t be secure until the conclusion of the Boshin War against Shogunate resistance that lasted until 1869. Now, with his power was secure, the Meiji Emperor set about refashioning Japan into a powerful modern nation.
The emperor issued the Meiji Constitution, which made Japan into a constitutional monarchy modeled on Prussia. Not only did Japanese people adopt a western style government, they adopted western clothing, haircuts, and an interest in a share of the Chinese pie. With the Japanese Empire's triumphs in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894 to 1895) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904 to 1905) marked its debut as a true world power.