In the 19th Century, and sucessfully?
been thinking for the last couple of days about the several reasons why Japan succeded in its rapid industrialization duing the Meiji Restoration, and the just as several reasons why it can't be done in [inset country], but is it truely unique in Japan (and if so is it mainly due to geo-political issues or social issues or?) or could it be pulled off somewhere else (with how many butterflies if any?) ?
In the 19th Century, and sucessfully?
And by a non-Western state?
Yes.
As others have said, the outcome has as much to do with Japan's unique geographic and political structure in the period as anything else; if nothing else, not having any land borders (paradoxically) allowed Japan the peace to actually develop its economic, military, and naval strength to "Western" levels that just was not possible for a continental non-Western (Asian or African) power that had unpleasant neighbors. The British precedent is pretty strong...
Likewise, the fact that once the conflict between the center and the periphery was won in Japan by the centralizing "imperial" power structure, going forward with building a nation state was (relatively) simple. There are several examples of nation states in this period where the same sort of internal struggle slowed growth significantly.
The fact Japan was a long way from anywhere the expansionist powers wanted to lay claim, and had strong demographics, helped as well.
Favorable geography may not be destiny (personally, I pretty much think it is, but I'm a
Annales School type of guy, anyway), but it sure helps...
Best,