In the political realm, Meiji reformers were well aware of Anglo-American ideas and institutions, but deliberately turned to German models because they were deemed more suitable to a country with an emperor. The lesson that Japan teaches the rest of the world is not simply that an Asian country can compete, but that after a century and a half of globalization, it is possible to adapt while preserving a unique culture.
在政治领域，改革者们熟知英美的想法和机构，却有意走德国的路子，因为他们认为一个君主的政治体制更适合日本。日本给世界其他国家上了一课，不仅在于它告诉世界亚洲国家同样具有竞争力，还在于在一个半世纪的全球化之后，日本是可以适应世界，同时保有自己独一无二的文化的。