Final answer:
Japan's transformation in the nineteenth century was revolutionary as it rapidly modernized and industrialized under the Meiji Restoration, seeking to prevent foreign domination by becoming competitive with the West, and eventually emerging as a world power.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nineteenth-century transformation of Japan was truly revolutionary in several respects. Under the Meiji Restoration, starting in 1868, Japan embarked on a rapid modernization and industrialization process. Following the forced opening of Japan by Americans led by Commodore Matthew Perry in 1853, Japan recognized the need to prevent foreign imperialism and possible colonization by becoming industrially and militarily competitive with the Western powers.
Japanese reformers like the Meiji officials proactively sent scholars abroad to learn from the West and invited Western experts to Japan. They studied the British model of industrial development, laying out efficient transportation systems and organizing industries. This era saw the birth of modern Japanese art forms such as Yōga and Nihonga, reflecting the same energy characterizing Japan's overall modernization.
Japan's efforts culminated in asserting itself as an emerging world power by successfully defeating non-industrialized China in the Sino-Japanese War of 1895, and then Russia in 1905. This period also saw Japan's expansion as an empire, with the annexation of territories like the Ryuku Islands, Taiwan, the Marshall Islands, and the Korean Peninsula, and securing its position in the international system. These successes were indicators of Japan's successful transition from a feudal society to a modern industrialized nation.