India, Feb. 20 -- Japan has resoundingly elected as its first-ever female prime minister, an iron-willed conservative with a fondness for heavy metal and fast cars. Sanae Takaichi's sudden ascent and colourful personality may astonish observers, but it ought not to surprise Indians aware of the paeans their forefathers sang for Japan. To them, Japan was admirable for being conservative when possible and radical when necessary. But in this remarkable dualism, they also noticed a wrinkle that deserves our to be remembered.

When the "makers" of modern India came of age in the latter half of the 19th century, they initially sought to learn from Italy and Germany, the other latecomers to nation-building. Romantics rehearsed Mazzini's orations...