Liang Qichao’s earliest exposure to the works of Bluntschli was also through his teacher, Kang Youwei. As discussed in Chapter 1, Kang developed an interest in Japan’s rapid modernization when he was in his twenties. In his book The First Petition to the Emperor, Kang had already proposed to the Qing Emperor to learn from Japan’s reform experiences. He continued to closely follow and study Japan without relent, and by Guangxu 22 (1896), he had accumulated a considerable number of Japanese books, many of which were purchased through intermediaries from Japan.