Japan was closed country until the end of 19th century. And after that absolved much occidental culture and could exist as a dependent country. But what was the aspect could be that in Asia?
One of the opinions says the national literacy rate was affected. Before the end of closed policy, there were private schools, there was a kind of woodcut print news papers “Kawaraban” which was worked as business. It says about 49-54% of boy and men could read and write at that time.
If this percentage were wrong, the news paper business would not work. But this th news paper was already existed in the beginning of the 17th century. There is an original which mentions about a war at that time. It seems like, even during the war age (continued about 80 years), the importance of education was not underestimated.