After making its debut in the world 150 years ago, Japan has been aiming "up the hill" and became one of the Five Powers after the First World War. Focusing on four themes that have held Japan's fate since the Meiji era (1868-1912) as it attempted to compete with the Western powers: "Asia," "The Emperor and the Constitution," "Trade," and "Military," the program examines from a global historical perspective why Japan, once a "first-class" country, became isolated and burnt to the ground in the international community.