It is not to be denied that Japan in Meiji period, which represented itself as being 'civilized', desired to assimilate into the powerful countries of Western Europe, and it has been pointed out that this attitude was discriminatory.
明治日本の「文明」日本という自己表象に、西欧列強との同化願望があったことは否定できず、その点で差別主義的であったことは夙に指摘されている。