Final answer:
Japan's adaptation to Western technology and military practices enabled it to avoid colonization and compete on equal footing with Western countries, ultimately altering international power dynamics and facilitating its rise as an imperial power in East Asia during the Meiji Restoration.
Step-by-step explanation:
Japan's adaptation to Western ways, particularly after the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry in 1853, helped to balance its relationship with Western countries by embracing industrialization and modern military practices. This adaptation was a response to the threat of Western dominance, as illustrated by Perry's 'gunboat diplomacy,' and it allowed Japan to rapidly develop its own industrial and military capabilities. The Meiji Restoration, beginning in 1868, marked a period of rapid westernization, with Japanese officials learning from abroad and Western advisers imported to facilitate progress. By aligning themselves with the technological and industrial advancements of the West, Japan not only avoided colonization but also managed to compete on equal footing, thereby changing the power dynamics in international relations. Ultimately, Japan's military and industrial patterning after the West, coupled with their strategic diplomacy, provided them a leverage to broker better terms with Western nations and to pursue their regional expansionistic plans, leading to the establishment of the Japanese Empire in East Asia.