Don Bailey

Westernization
5/8/13
Professor Zhu
Westernize Now, or Demoralize Eventually
A nation should be concerned about its future, above all else. There are times in history when a
country has to choose between its past, present, and future. If you look at India, they stood up against
the British, and chose to further their education and culture. They did not regress, and did not hold onto
the past by living in a conservative manner. Greece is another example. The freedom of education, study
of practical studies, and advancement of their culture led them to be one of the most successful nations
in history. In order for a nation to grow, it must establish an identity for itself. Japan does not have a
great one. It holds on to Confucian principles and ignores the rapid advancement occurring in the West.
It deems itself more civilized than the West, and in fact, any other nation. Japan holds on to the
teachings of Confucianism and fails to educate the general public on practical knowledge. It even fails its
people by restricting them from voting for representatives in the government. Japan needs change, and
it needs change sooner than we think. Due to the lack of education, semi-developed status in civilization
and lack of representation in government, Japan needs to be westernized now. A nations national
identity is constructed on the basis of the political ideology, culture, and historical experience of a
nation. Before the Meiji restoration, Japan looked down upon the barbarians of the West as
uncivilized and uneducated. However, as Japan adopted ideas from the West as time went on, they
would eventually come to the realization that they were the barbaric nation they once despised.
We all hear about how crucial education is to society. Many have said that education is the key
to not only success and fortune, but also to enlightenment. Learning about multiple subjects will allow
an individual to be competent in multiple areas. This is common sense that Japan fails to recognize. A
well-educated man can outperform and be more efficient than an uneducated man. This is why the
education system needs to follow the Western principles. Under the Western education system, the
goals of education would be a lot different from the mostly Confucian goals of loyalty and filial piety that
Don Bailey
Westernization
5/8/13
Professor Zhu
had been put into the curriculum in official schools during the Tokugawa period. According to Fukuzawa,
whom I strongly agree with, self-improvement, training for individual success in life, and the equality of
opportunity for all people were to be made the primary goals of education in Japan. It is strongly a
utilitarian idea. He rejected traditional learning and focused more on the new ideas coming from the
West. He believed that learning does not consist of impractical pursuits of studying obscure Chinese
characters, reading ancient texts that are difficult to understand or enjoy, and writing poetry. He also
didnt think that this method of education should be viewed as highly as the Confucians and Japanese
scholars have esteemed it since the olden days. There is no practical value in it and it will not serve the
daily needs of a regular Japanese citizen. Fukuzawa believed that such studies should be placed in a
secondary position as a subsidiary. He believed that education should be devoted to helping better the
students practical skills. Skills such as accounting, letter writing, how to handle weights and measures,
geography, history, economics, and ethics. He believed that by grasping the practical matters of each
science, which vary in subject matter and content, the student can search for the truth of things and
make them serve his/her present purposes. The whole idea is to make the citizens of Japan a better-
rounded group of individuals. Not only will they be more virtuous, but they will also now be educated in
all topics. They can have the choice to pick what they are truly functional and good at, instead of
following what their parents did or what they are told to do.
Japan has been thinking of itself as a civilized nation for a long, long time. In fact, it viewed the
West and other parts of the world as barbaric nations. The Iwakura mission changed this mindset, and
would open the eyes of many prideful Japanese individuals. The culture and advancement of the West
was hard to ignore now, and many in Japan realized that the West was now the civilized one, and that
Japan was now the one that needed to be more civilized. Just as Fukuzawa pointed out the flaws of the
Japanese education system, he also pointed out the fact that Japan was not fully civilized yet. Unlike the
Don Bailey
Westernization
5/8/13
Professor Zhu
West, Japan has many areas to work on in order to be a fully civilized nation as they thought themselves
to be at one point. Fukuzawa pointed out that there were three tiers of civilization. The tiers were, in
order; primitive, semi-developed, and civilized. The primitive nations were Australia and Africa. The
semi-developed nations were China, Japan, and Korea. Finally, the civilized nations consisted of the
West. There is a reason why Fukuzawa deemed Japan to be semi-developed. It was Japans failure to
adopt change. A nations spirit, according to Fukuzawa, is what makes it civilized. A nations spirit is
based on the amount of virtue and knowledge it has attained over the years. Japan has always had
virtue, but it lacked knowledge in areas such as science, geography, accounting, and
weights/measurement compared to other civilized nations. Therefore, Japan must first admit to the fact
that the West is no longer to be perceived as the barbaric, but rather as an example of prosperity. The
West should be what Japan aims to be. The industrial capabilities of the West, the education system, the
governmental participation of citizens, and the quality of living of the West should be what Japan wants
to have. The Iwakura mission proved this, and men like Fukuzawa have explained this many times. Japan
needs to be looking up to the West instead of looking down upon it.
The people of Japan are growing restless. Japan can no longer ignore the booming voices of its
own people, and continue down a path where it only hears those who it wants to hear. Japan should no
longer be a nation that shows favoritism to a select few, and treats the general population, which is the
majority, like they dont even exist. The government of Japan, after 1889, was structured as of the
government of Germany. Japan wanted to keep the emperor in power, but also have the power
somewhat shared with the parliament-like structure which was called the Diet. The Diet is made up of
two sectors. One is the House of Lords, and the other is the House of Commoners. The names of these
individual sectors pretty much sums up the role each sector plays in government. The House of Lords is
made up of wealthy individuals in Japan, who run the government according to their own personal
Don Bailey
Westernization
5/8/13
Professor Zhu
agenda. It is also made up of ex-samurai and nobles. The House of Commoners is the only house in
which the people can vote for representatives in government. The emperor picks the prime minister,
and also picks the ministers in the cabinet as well. The emperor also has control over the Army and
Navy. He also appoints members in the Diet as well. The Diet had limited power, and basically just
modified the government budget. This form of government has failed its people and has caused the
hope of its citizens to vanish. There was a time when Japanese citizens looked to the future of Japan
with promise. However, now that they cant vote unless they own property, or even have a voice in the
daily processes in their own government, the citizens of Japan are no longer optimistic. False hope has
given way to disappointment and the people of Japan have realized that the crooked politicians in the
government have failed the people. As Itigaki said, it is important to establish a representative
government now. The people are paying taxes to a government that is not recognizing their issues and
concerns. Japanese government officials are influenced by their own personal problems and they could
make changes to all laws by fixing them. A representative, westernized government would end the
heedlessness shown to the Japanese people by this corrupt government. By allowing the people to vote
for the officials, and by allowing the people to voice their concerns, Japan can move forward in a
positive way. By establishing a council chamber filled with voted officials, there would be a channel of
communication between the people and the government. As of now, that channel is blocked.
The Meiji constitution was modeled on the German constitution. It could be argued that
adopting a constitution in itself was a measure in Westernization. However, the Meiji Constitution was
not at all democratic or even for the people. It was a way for the government of Japan to settle down
the tense Japanese civilians. The identity of Japan after the Meiji restoration was one of utter denial.
The denial of the fact that the West was the token example of a civilized nation. Fukuzawa said many
Don Bailey
Westernization
5/8/13
Professor Zhu
times that Japan should look upon the West with admiration, and take heed in their ways of living.
However, there were many that disagreed with Fukuzawas way of thinking.
There were individuals in Japan that feared the West and looked upon them as predators that
would eventually destroy Japan and ruin its future prosperity. Aizawa Seishisai, a Japanese nationalist
thinker of the school of Mito during the late shogunate period, was one of the men who despised the
West and their ways of progression. And the weakness of some for novel gadgets and rare medicines,
which delight the eye and enthrall the heart, have led many to admire foreign ways. If someday the
treacherous foreigner should take advantage of this situation and lure ignorant people to his ways, our
people will adopt such practices as eating dogs and sheep and wearing woolen clothing. And no one will
be able to stop it. Aizawa Seishisai has a point in this statement. The adoption of different ways of living
and thinking form foreign nations could benefit Japan in the short term. Their inventions and reformed
ways of thinking are beneficial to society and could benefit the people of Japan. However, there is the
threat that the adoption of these foreign principles could eventually ruin Japan in the long run. There is
a chance that, in Aizawas own words, that Japan could nurture barbarians within its own territory.
However, it is just the fear that is holding Japan back. The fear of change and progression is holding
Japan back from achieving a true identity. If a nation desires to prosper, it must learn from the mistakes
and successes of other nations. The West has obviously established an identity for itself that has
benefitted them in a positive manner. Japan has held on to its identity as a virtuous nation that will not
part ways with its traditional past for too long. If Japan continues to disregard the successes and
achievements of the West and keep allowing the pride of its nation to block out any progressive change,
there will be no future for Japan.
Japan is a virtuous nation that has endured for hundreds of years. It is a nation that bases its self
on honor and virtue. However, honor and respect will not preserve the nation forever. As more nations
Don Bailey
Westernization
5/8/13
Professor Zhu
advance and progress as time goes on, Japan cant afford to sit around idly. The time for Westernization
is knocking on Japans front door, but pride is preventing it from opening the door to progressive
change. It is time to drop the semi-developed status they currently have and move on to become the
fully civilized nation they can be. It is time to provide education to everyone and provide practical
knowledge instead of useless material. It is time for the people of Japan to be heard by their
government. Westernization is needed now, more than ever, to avoid the ruin of Japan. Now is a perfect
time for Japan to seek Westernization, due to the fact that there is a perfect example of a civilized
nation out there in the world. The West is that perfect example. Due to the lack of education, semi-
developed status in civilization and lack of participation in government, Japan needs to be westernized
now. The identity crisis of Japan needs to be settled by finally coming to the conclusion that Japan is not
a clueless victim of harsh conditions, but an experienced nation that wills itself to find a way to survive
in any setting. Japan has endured its share of hardship, and also caused many nations heartaches as
well. Japans history can depict its identity perfectly. It is a nation of survivors that learn as they make
mistakes. Before the Meiji restoration, Japan looked down upon the barbarians of the West as
uncivilized and uneducated. However, as Japan adopted ideas from the West as time went on, they
would eventually come to the realization that they were the barbaric nation they once despised.







Don Bailey
Westernization
5/8/13
Professor Zhu
Works Cited
1. WM Theodore De Bary, ed. Sources of Japanese Tradition Vol. II Columbian University Press
1958
2. De, Bary William Theodore. Sources of Japanese Tradition: 1600 to 2000. Vol. 2. New York:
Columbia UP, 2005. Print.