How did western imperialism affect China and Japan?
Neither was ruled or divided by Eurpean empires. Japan had extensive contacts and Jesuits were advisors to the losing side in the civil war which resulted in the Tokugawa shogunate. This restricted access to Japan to through the Ryokos and with the Dutch in Nagasaki. After the Opening of Japan, European and Western residents were for a time subject to Western courts rather than Japanese courts. Most importantly, the European empires served as an example for Japan which came to feel that it needed an empire to thrive economically. WIth the defeat of Russia in 1905-6, it acquired Korea, the first step in building the Co-Prosperity Sphere which ultimately led to its devastating defeat in WWII. China lost the Opium Wars to Great Britain. These were fought when China tried to restrict the importation of opium which the British used to balance their trade deficit with China. Although China was not partioned. it granted exclusive trading zones to European powers. Hong Kong and Macao were cede
