Writing Homework Help

I’m stuck on a History question and need an explanation.

We tend to say that History always repeats itself. Everything’s been done before. There is nothing new under the sun. When it comes to historical trends, I would say that this is usually true in a general sense. There have always been great nations. There have always been oppressed peoples. Cultures rise and fall.

But… if I had to point to one single instance of a civilization doing something unique, it would be Meiji Japan. The transformation that Japan undergoes between roughly 1860 and 1890 is nothing short of breathtaking. Japan essentially transforms itself from a medieval society into a modern one in a single generation. This magnitude of change in such a short time is truly unprecedented.

There is so much to learn about Meiji Japan, so much history to dissect here. There is a lot that is left out of the video that I posted under “videos.”

Just the same… watch the video (in 4.3) and take a stab at the following questions.

1. Does Meiji Japan offer us a blueprint into how to revamp a society completely? What is something they did that impressed you and why? What can we learn from Meiji Japan?

2. How would you compare Japan and China’s varying approaches to modernity?