Why Japan Resisted the Open Door Policy

Japan did not readily accept the U.S.‑proposed Open Door Policy (1899/1900). It feared:

• Western powers would use "equal access" to partition China, threatening Japan’s sphere of influence in Manchuria/Korea.
• Its own trade privileges in China would erode under multilateral competition.

Japan later imposed its own "closed door" in Manchuria after the 1905 Russo‑Japanese War, demonstrating its opposition to the principle in practice.