Matthew Perry's arrival also had worse effects, as the Japanese society did not want to come in close contact with the countries in rest of the world. The oil embargo placed on Japan by the US threatened Japan's expansion plan for its empire, so while they made diplomatic efforts to get the embargo lifted (on terms to still be allowed to take over desired territories), they prepared for war. The arrival of the American warships was sought as a shock to the Japanese society because the Japanese wanted to stay in isolation with countries or rest of the world. They viewed Europe's power through their massive empires, and they emulated by invading and conquering other Asian countries. Because of its very limited resources, Japan realized it needed natural resources to industrialize and compete with the West. With the arrival of Perry, Japan realized they were behind the Western world (Europe and America), and from the start of the Meiji (Enlightenment) Era in 1868, Japan began sending people to Europe and America to learn everything they could in order to catch up with the West. Perry demanded Japan to open to trade with the West. Perry arrived on Japan's shore in 1853, Japan had been a mostly closed country for the previous 250 years, strictly regulating interactions and trade with foreigners. Japan was fully aware of America's power.
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