In the 19th century, Japan's samurai era ended, and the country transformed from a secluded feudal society into a modern industrial superpower. From sweeping political reforms to rapid industrialisation, this is the story of how Japan reinvented itself in just decades and emerged as a formidable global power. Joining us is Dr Chris Harding, a cultural historian of Japan and India from the University of Edinburgh. 0:00 Introduction 1:08 The Tokugawa shogunate and Japanese isolation 2:41 Early trade relations and the Dutch at Dejima 4:45 Military stagnation and the role of the emperor 6:08 External pressures and the end of stability 7:58 Commodore Perry and the arrival of the black ships 12:25 Internal conflict and the fall of the shogunate 17:03 Strategic modernisation and unequal trade deals 21:02 The birth of the imperial army and the Meiji restoration 24:08 Global fact-finding and the pick-and-mix reform 36:39 Japan as a global power and the Russo-Japanese war Senior producer is Mariana Des Forges. Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Matthew Wilson & the channel manager is Vilde Øksnes. You can find more Dan Snow's History Hit on the audio podcast here: https://podfollow.com/dan-snows-history-hit/view Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds. #DanSnowsHistoryHit #HistoryPodcast #Japan