Japan's population and early industry clustered close to ports, allowing ships to substitute for an extensive land network. Imported machinery and raw materials could enter through ports and finished goods could move onward without waiting for dense road, canal, or railway systems. Korea had similar geographic potential because its mountains made overland movement difficult while much of the country remained accessible from the sea. China's much larger territory and threatened land borders made the same coastal shortcut less capable of supporting nationwide modernization.
Chapter · 39:08-41:34
Coastal shipping as an industrial advantage
Japan and Korea could use coastal shipping to move imported machinery and industrial output where weak roads and canals constrained inland transport.