Japanese Philippines and Hawaii

Could the Empire of Japan have grabbed the Philippines and Guam from Spain and annexed Hawaii during the late 19th century (say, 1880s)? If so, what would the effects be?
 
No, the Japanese are barely a regional power in the 1880s. The Philippines and Guam perhaps, but unlikely when their major rivals are much closer to them, China and Russia.

Hawaii? No. The Japanese, even in 1941, have no way to project any power meaningfully beyond the Far East.
 

scholar

Banned
It would involve having Japan continue to modernize it's nation after it's unification in the early 1600s. After that, it's a piece of cake.
 
So Japan gets the Philippines & Guam from Spain in the Spanish/Japanese war of 1897.

Following the 1898-1904 Philipino /Japanese war, Japan settles down to make the Philippines part of the Empire.

Several years later whe have Philipino Geisha Girls serving Tea to tired Businessmen in Manila
?But what other changes?.

?Do whe still have the 1905 Russian War? Japan probably still annexes Korea - but with the Army & Navy still occupied in the Philippines, ?Does Japan try for Manchuria?

?Did Japan get all Spanish South Pacific? If so ?does Japan DoW Germany in WW1?
?Does the US still request Japan send troops to Siberia? ?Will the Diet approve the request?

Without the Philippines, ?Does the US still get as involved in China?
With the Philippines, but not Manchuria ?does Japan still go after China?

?How will Japan handle the Religious Problem? ?Post WW2 Decolonization? ?Racial mixing?
 
Easy, try and build an education system and force down the Japanese language on the Filipinos. Granted, it's not easy at all. :p
 
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