Which of the following best describes Japan's process of developing a modern economy and political structure?
A) Modern economic and political development came through centuries of grassroots industrialization and local democracy.
B) Modern economic and political development came primarily through a popular revolution in the sixteenth century that created one of the world's first democracies.
C) Modern economic and political development occurred in a rapid,top-down process forced by elites in the late nineteenth century.
D) Modern economic and political development was a product of post-World War II Japanese emulation of Western European states.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Japan's modernization process was primarily led by the Meiji government in the late nineteenth century, which undertook a series of rapid reforms to modernize Japan's economy and military. This top-down approach was supported by Japanese elites and involved significant borrowing and adaptation of Western economic, political, and social models. While there were some grassroots efforts at industrialization and local democracy, these were not the primary drivers of Japan's modernization.

Which of the Following Best Describes Japan's Process of Developing