ABSTRACT
Japan in the mid-nineteenth century was an 'underdeveloped', or at least non-industrial, country, abruptly brought into contact with an international economy dominated by the industrial might of the developed Western world. In this respect, therefore, its situation resembled that faced by many post-war developing nations, and the problems encountered and solutions sought can be described in very much the same terms as might be used in the analysis of development strategies in today's Third World.
