Question

What caused nationalism to become an important part of Japanese culture by 1910?

Answer 1

There were a number of factors that encouraged nationalism in Japan from changes to its educational system to establishing Shinto as a state religion, to the growing power of the military and their form of bushido. In the late 19th century, Japan saw itself as behind the rest of the world and decided to rapidly industrialize and militarize itself in order to catch up -- at the same time, those efforts would also promote a "Japan first" policy that would sow the seeds for nationalist sentiment.