What if Japan conquers Korea in 1592?

[Hansmeister]

In 1592 (and again in 1597) Hideyoshi attempted to invade and conquer Korea, but was defeated by the famous turtleships commanded by Admiral Yi. What if the invasion had succeeded and Korea had been conquered over the next decade?

There would not be an self-imposed isolation of Japan. Instead, Japan would probably seek to aggressively spread its influence into China as well as expand its naval power in the west pacific. Japan could possibly rival the great european powers in the 17th century. During the Napoleonic area Japan would take advantage of european wars by seizing the Philipines from Spain and Indonesia from the Netherlands, establishing the Asian Co-Prosperity zone 150 years early. China will have been either conquered or puppetted.

Conflict with Britain would be inevitable. How would the conflict start? How would it evolve? How would the other European powers react?

[Valamyr]

Are you suggesting that Japan develops its own parallel industrial revolution, or that they are sinking ironclads with rowboats? :P

Just kidding, obviously Japan could be successful in Korea, but i doubt theyd have the technological might necessary to compete with western powers. Only once they are beaten will they realize they have to adapt to these strange foreign weapons.

So I think any early "japanese empire" will be short lived; any european power will crush it and puppet it. Then, later, a modernized japan may rise again, though.

And im also unsure theyd stand any chance against China in the pre-industrial era.

[Hansmeister]

Originally Posted by Valamyr

Are you suggesting that Japan develops its own parallel industrial revolution, or that they are sinking ironclads with rowboats? :P

Just kidding, obviously Japan could be successful in Korea, but i doubt theyd have the technological might necessary to compete with western powers. Only once they are beaten will they realize they have to adapt to these strange foreign weapons.

So I think any early "japanese empire" will be short lived; any european power will crush it and puppet it. Then, later, a modernized japan may rise again, though.

And im also unsure theyd stand any chance against China in the pre-industrial era.

You forget that Japan not only adopted firearms during the late 16th century, they actually improved on the european designs. Japan had reached a quite high education level at that time already, their development was only retarded by their self-imposed isolation. It is not unreasonable to assume that absent that policy they would have developed to an economic and scientific state similar to europe.