Was forced modernization ultimately good for Japan?

Was Japan better off being pushed to modernize and abandon its feudal past?

Japan probably would have industrialized and modernized eventually, but foreign warships removed its choice over the pace and form of change.

Japan probably would have industrialized and moved away from its feudal order eventually. Foreign warships accelerated that change while denying Japanese leaders and society the chance to choose its pace and shape. A merchant-led approach with limited naval backing might have reduced the sense of humiliation, although entrenched elites would still have dominated any internal process. Material gains cannot settle the question of whether the coercive method was good for Japan. Agency and memory remain part of the assessment alongside later economic success.