AHC: How Helpful is France

scholar

Banned
Of "crazy militarism, nationalism, and desire for a colonial empire", only the first can been said to really have existed before full-on contact with the West.

As for nationalism, the Japanese had a shared culture and emperor but it wasn't really nationalism until they started modding Shinto heavily and indoctrinating everyone with the kokutai ideal, which started in the late 19th century.

As for colonialism, you might say that the 16th century invasions of Korea count, but that was but one ruler, not a major trend in Japanese history.
Japan had a form of pseudo-nationalism. Weaker than Korea and China's, but certainly noticeable.

Ryukyu Kingdoms and Hokkaido. Japan was only in a position to do more (invade Korea) in a very small window of their history and their defeat and subsequent civil war in regards to it highlighted why it should be avoided in the later administration. As soon as that administration was overthrown, Japan once again sought a colonial empire.
 
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