Of all the places in the world where the UK could do reparations and return stolen shit, they chose Japan?
Didn't the British famously have very little to do with Japan's contact with the west? I seem to remember mostly the Portugeese and Dutch being the first to make contact, and when they got kicked out, the Americans showed up with big ass cannons to force Japan open.
the British built (or advised?) the railways and car-roads which is why they drive on the wrong side. Brits and other Euros were involved in the organisation of capitalism & the imperial army and navy there too.
i don't know too much about foreign investment and exploitation during Meiji and later but the British were definitely very present, even if they weren't the one's who 'opened' up the country. They also had tried to open it before.
Of all the places in the world where the UK could do reparations and return stolen shit, they chose Japan? Didn't the British famously have very little to do with Japan's contact with the west? I seem to remember mostly the Portugeese and Dutch being the first to make contact, and when they got kicked out, the Americans showed up with big ass cannons to force Japan open.
the British built (or advised?) the railways and car-roads which is why they drive on the wrong side. Brits and other Euros were involved in the organisation of capitalism & the imperial army and navy there too.
i don't know too much about foreign investment and exploitation during Meiji and later but the British were definitely very present, even if they weren't the one's who 'opened' up the country. They also had tried to open it before.
the british were very involved during the meiji and taisho periods, which is why their schools and train system are more british than american.