Final answer:
During the Meiji era, Japan undertook Westernization, focusing on military modernization and industrialization to avoid Western colonization and to build an empire akin to those in Europe, successfully emerging as a significant power.
Step-by-step explanation:
Starting in the Meiji era, Japan pursued Westernization linked with military modernization and growing industrialization. In an effort to protect its sovereignty and avoid colonization by Western powers, Japan initiated extensive reforms in various sectors, including the military, economy, industry, and technology. Influential events like the opening of Japan in 1854, the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and the subsequent Meiji Restoration catalyzed the nation's rapid transformation to align more closely with Western powers. This transition involved state-sponsored developments, such as building railroads and investing in shipbuilding, and extended to imitating Western imperialism through the acquisition of territories like Korea and Manchuria, signaling the onset of the Japanese Empire.
The modernization efforts also encompassed the adoption of Western education, government, and cultural practices. Japan dispatched scholars to study abroad and invited Western experts to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology, essentially leapfrogging to catch up with the Industrial Revolution that was already reshaping Europe and North America. As a result, Japan emerged as a formidable economic and military power by the early 20th century.