Answer:
Explanation:
Well, they were basically forced to. Or rather they did not see much choice in the matter. However, there was still strong opposition to doing so, which led to a brief civil war and a total change of government.
Japan was not totally unaware of advances in Western technology, since they had ongoing contact with the Dutch even during their period of isolation. But when the black ships (what foreign vessels were called) showed up on their shores, especially U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry’s fleet in 1853, to ask (or demand) that Japan open its ports to trade and restocking of ships from other countries, it was a huge shock to many people just how advanced the technology was, especially in shipbuilding and weaponry.
