Info about Japan Travel
The Rich heritage of Japan
Japan is a country located in East Asia. It is situated in the Pacific Ocean, and is a neighbor to China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia. Due to its position in the East, it is often known as the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’. Japan is an archipelago consisting of 6,852 islands, the largest of which are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. These four islands account for 97% of the total land area of Japan. The population of Japan is the tenth largest in the world, with over 127 million people living in the country. Since the Second World War, Japan has established itself as a leading world power, with the second largest economy in the world as measured by GDP. It is the only Asian nation to be a member of the G8, and is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Japan has a long history, with evidence of settlers in the area as far back as 30,000 BC. A number of different cultures flourished and were replaced in Japan, with the four main islands usually ruled as separate kingdoms which each vied for dominance of the region. The medieval era in Japan is known for the introduction of the iconic Samurai warriors, who were feared across Asia. Not only Warriors, the Samurai were also the ruling class of Japan, and had great influence in Japanese politics. Japan was one of the few nations to repel the Mongol hordes, though this success was shortly followed by a century of civil war. The first representatives of Western civilization to reach Japan were missionaries from Portugal, who began commercial relations between Japan and the West in the 16th century. However, in the 17th Century, Japan adopted an isolationist strategy in which it would not have any dealings with the Western world. This era spanned for two centuries, and it was not until 1854 that Japan would once again open up to the Western world for trade.
At the start of the 20th century, Japan began a period of heavy industrialization and militarization. By joining the side of the allies, Japan was able to use World War I to increase its territorial holdings, as well as its political influence. It continued to expand its territories, which brought it into conflict with many Western powers, leading Japan to enter World War II on the side of the Axis powers. They were responsible for bringing the Americans into the War as a result of the Pearl Harbor bombings, and suffered the first atomic bomb attack in 1945, to end the war.
Since the war, Japan has grown into a parliamentary democracy, with a very high standard of living. The country is a world center for electronics, and is one of the planets’ largest exporters and importers. The Tokyo Stock Exchange is the second largest in the world, and the economy has continued to grow, only being slowed by the recent economic downturn.