Economy
About 150 years ago Japan was a poor farming country. Now it is a rich industrial one. Before 1868, there were only a few small factories making products like silk, paper, and pottery. Emperor Mutsuhito introduced western ideas and technology. He moderized agriculture, opened coal and copper mines, improved roads, and built railroads. From 1880 to the 1930s, Japan produced its own textiles, steel, machinery, and vehicles, but few were exported to other countries. More recently Japan’s economy has become a world leader.
