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Hey aspirant, welcome back to our captivating “Know your Country” series. This time, we invite you to join on an exploration of the remarkable country that is an authoritarian country. Japan is a fascinating country that seamlessly blend tradition and innovation. 

Japan is known as “Land of Rising Sun”. The country is famous all over the world because of its advanced technology. Japan is an island country in East Asia. It is in the northwest Pacific Ocean and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north toward the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, and Taiwan in the south. Japan is known for everything from onsen hot springs and kabuki baths to all-night neon-lit dance parties, anime, and sushi boat restaurants, all of which are decidedly more modern. Before looking at different aspects, one must know the country symbols of the particular country. The country symbols of Indonesia are:

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:300px">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2" style="text-align:center">Japan</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Official Name
			</td>
			<td>
			Land of Rising Sun
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Capital
			</td>
			<td>
			Tokyo
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Continent
			</td>
			<td>
			Asia
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Prime Minister
			</td>
			<td>
			Fumio Kishida
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Currency
			</td>
			<td>
			Japanese yen
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Language
			</td>
			<td>
			Japanese
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Religion
			</td>
			<td>
			Shinto and Buddhism
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			National Flag
			</td>
			<td>
			<img loading="lazy" alt="National Flag of Japan" src="https://study.kdcampus.live/admin/assets/uploads/ckeditor/National Flag of Japan.webp" style="height:100px; width:200px">
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			National Anthem
			</td>
			<td>
			Kimi Ga Yo
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			National Game
			</td>
			<td>
			Sumo wrestling
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			National Bird
			</td>
			<td>
			Phasianus versicolor
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			National Tree
			</td>
			<td>
			Japanese red cedar 
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			National Flower
			</td>
			<td>
			Cherry blossom
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			National Animal
			</td>
			<td>
			The green pheasant 
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

 

<img loading="lazy" alt="Japan" src="https://study.kdcampus.live/admin/assets/uploads/ckeditor/Japan.webp" style="height:280px; width:400px">

[Source: Men's Journal]

So now, let’s move on the first aspect of the blog i.e. History of Japan.

<h2 id="content-id-31668-0">History of Japan</h2>

Japan was settled about 35,000 years ago by Paleolithic people from the Asian mainland. At the end of the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, a culture called the Jomon developed. Jomon hunter-gatherers fashioned fur clothing, wooden houses, and elaborate clay vessels. Japan's feudal era was characterized by the emergence and dominance of a ruling class of warriors, the samurai. In 1185, following the defeat of the Taira clan by the Minamoto clan in the Genpei War, samurai Minamoto no Yoritomo established a military government at Kamakura.

<h3>Ancient Period:</h3>

The United States Navy sent Commodore Matthew C. Perry to force the opening of Japan to the outside world. Arriving at Uraga with four "Black Ships" in July 1853, the Perry Expedition resulted in the March 1854 Convention of Kanagawa. Subsequent similar treaties with other Western countries brought economic and political crises. 

The early 20th century saw a period of Taishō democracy overshadowed by increasing expansionism and militarization. World War I allowed Japan, which joined the side of the victorious Allies, to capture German possessions in the Pacific and in China. The 1920s saw a political shift towards statism, a period of lawlessness following the 1923 Great Tokyo Earthquake, the passing of laws against political dissent, and a series of attempted coups.

<h3>Medieval Period:</h3>

In 1947, Japan adopted a new constitution emphasizing liberal democratic practices. The Allied occupation ended with the Treaty of San Francisco in 1952, and Japan was granted membership in the United Nations in 1956. A period of record growth propelled Japan to become the second-largest economy in the world, this ended in the mid-1990s after the popping of an asset price bubble, beginning the "Lost Decade".

<h3>Colonial Period:</h3>

After victories in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), Japan gained control of Taiwan, Korea and the southern half of Sakhalin. The Japanese population doubled from 35 million in 1873 to 70 million by 1935, with a significant shift to urbanization.

<h3>Independence and Beyond:</h3>

<img loading="lazy" alt="History of Japan" src="https://study.kdcampus.live/admin/assets/uploads/ckeditor/History of Japan.webp" style="height:273px; width:400px">

[Source: Steam Community]

Japan remains independent due to the Reign of the Meiji Emperor a powerful army and navy. Japan had regained complete control of its foreign trade and legal system, and, by fighting and winning two wars (one of them against a major European power, Russia), it had established full independence and equality in international affairs. After signing the San Francisco Peace Treaty with the Allied Powers in 1951, Japan once again became an officially independent nation in 1952, and was granted membership in the United Nations in 1956. At its peak, in 1942, the Japanese Empire ruled over two hundred million people across thirteen modern-day countries, and it did so through extraordinary violence.

Before going further we will get discuss about The events of the country:

<h3>Here is the timeline of some key events of Japan:</h3>

<ul>
	<li>1945: World War II; war in China followed by invasion of Southeast Asia.</li>
	<li>1940: Japan joins the Axis powers.</li>
	<li>1941: Pearl Harbor brings United States into war in the Pacific.</li>
	<li>1945: First atom bomb is dropped on Hiroshima, the second on Nagasaki. </li>
	<li>1947: Japan strictly protect the "peace" constitution </li>
	<li>1952: Allied occupation of Japan; democratic party government restored; women gain legal equality and right to vote.</li>
	<li>1989: Prince Akihito succeeds to the throne.</li>
	<li>1991: The Gulf War ignites controversy over Japan's role in the international community. </li>
</ul>

The timeline showcases Japan as a rich and diverse history in a simple way. Let’s move on to the next aspect of this blog i.e. Geographical Aspects.

<h2 id="content-id-31668-1">Geographical Aspects of Japan</h2>

Japan is located in the Circum-Pacific "ring of fire", Japan is predominantly mountainous - about three-fourths of the national land is mountains - and long mountain ranges form the backbone of the archipelago. The dramatic Japan Alps, studded with 3,000-meter peaks, bisect the central portion of Honshu, the main island. 

<h3><img loading="lazy" alt="Geographical aspects of Japan" src="https://study.kdcampus.live/admin/assets/uploads/ckeditor/Geographical aspects of Japan.webp" style="height:260px; width:400px"></h3>

[Source: Japan Experience]

<h3>Demographical Aspects:</h3>

According to the Statistical Bureau of Japan, the population of Japan as of July 2023 is at 124.631 million, including foreign residents. The population of Japanese nationals only was 123.8 million. Japan ranks number 12 in the list of countries by population. The population density in Japan is 338 per Km2. 

Japan is in the fifth stage of the demographic transition model meaning that their birth rate is decreasing, their death rate is low and their rate of natural increase is negative. Japan population is equivalent to 1.53% of the total world population. 

<h3>Soil and Vegetation:</h3>

The soils of Japan are customarily divided from northeast to southwest into a weak podzolic zone, a brown earth zone, and a red earth zone. There are some local variations. Red soils are developed from various parent materials such as igneous or sedimentary rocks as well as Pleistocene unconsolidated sediments under humid, warm to temperate

<h3>Climate in West Japan:</h3>

The widespread reddish soils are generally regarded as the products of a former warmer, more humid climate. Immature volcanic ash soils occur on the uplands. In southern Japan are many broad-leaved evergreens, such as chinquapins and evergreen oaks. As one moves north, beeches and nonevergreen oaks become common. Forests in Hokkaido in the northern part of the country often consist of conifers like the Yeddo spruce and Sakhalin fir. 

<h3>Climate and Weather:</h3>

Japan has four distinct seasons with a climate ranging from subarctic in the north to subtropical in the south. Conditions are different between the Pacific side and the Sea of Japan side. Northern Japan has warm summers and very cold winters with heavy snow on the Sea of Japan side and in mountainous areas. The cities are hot and humid, with heavy rainfall occurring across the country in June & July, except for Hokkaido.

Now, let’s look at the Political aspects of Japan.

<h2 id="content-id-31668-2">Political Aspects of Japan</h2>

Politics of Japan are conducted in a framework of a dominant-party bicameral parliamentary constitutional monarchy, in which the Emperor is the head of state and the Prime Minister is the head of government and the head of the Cabinet, which directs the executive branch. 

<img loading="lazy" alt="Political aspects of japan" src="https://study.kdcampus.live/admin/assets/uploads/ckeditor/Political aspects of japan.webp" style="height:305px; width:400px">

[Source: Time]

<ul>
	<li>Legislature: The national legislature of Japan. Under the Meiji Constitution of 1889, the Imperial Diet was established on the basis of two houses with coequal powers. The upper house, the House of Peers, was almost wholly appointive.</li>
	<li>Judiciary: Japanese feudalism was a blend of the elaborate administrative system borrowed from the Chinese and the clan society indigenous to Japan. The positive law of feudal Japan was a blend of the codified law of China and the customary law of the Japanese tribes. </li>
	<li>Executive: The executive branch is led by the Prime Minister, who is nominated through a Diet resolution followed by official appointment by the Emperor. The Prime Minister's office is supported by the Cabinet.</li>
</ul>

Politics in Japan in the post-war period has largely been dominated by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which has been in power almost continuously since its foundation in 1955, a phenomenon known as the 1955 System.

So now, let’s look at the Culture of Japan.

<h2 id="content-id-31668-3">Culture of Japan</h2>

Japan contains a collectivist society in which the group, especially the family, is value more than its individual members. Japan is enjoy sharing life with their family and friends and are quick to offer help to those in need. Japan is are generally dedicated to their culture and state.

<h3>Language:</h3>

The most widely spoken language in Japan is Japanese, which is separated into several dialects with Tokyo dialect considered Standard Japanese.

<h3>Cuisine:</h3>

The traditional cuisine of Japan is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes; there is an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. Seafood is common, often grilled, but also served raw as sashimi or in sushi.

<h3>Festivals:</h3>

Gion Matsuri is perhaps Japan's best-known festival and possibly the largest as well. It has a long history and lasts the entire month of July, culminating in a parade of floats the Yamaboko Junko on July 17th.

<h3>Performing Art:</h3>

The three major classical theaters in Japan are Kabuki, Noh, and Bunraku. All three of these performance types have been listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages. Kabuki is a Japanese classical theater art form that can be traced back to the Edo Period.

<h3>Sporting Culture:</h3>

Sports are an essential part of the Japanese culture. While Western sports like baseball and football are well-accepted in Japan, traditional Japanese sports such as sumo, judo, kendo and some other martial arts are also popular. 

<h3>Art and Craft:</h3>

Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture, ink painting and calligraphy on silk and paper, ukiyo-e paintings and woodblock prints, ceramics, origami, and more recently manga and anime.

<h3>Cultural values:</h3>

Japanese values are cultural goals, beliefs and behaviors that are considered important in Japanese culture. In Japan, some of the core values are thinking of others, doing your best, not giving up, respecting your elders, knowing your role, and working in a group. 

<h3>Multiculturalism:</h3>

Japanese multiculturalism, often referred to by the term tabunka kyosei, has been criticized for ostensibly celebrating cultural diversity, while doing so only under tightly circumscribed conditions; for being limited to the regional level; and for one-sidedly focusing

<h3>Indigenous Heritage: </h3>

Japan's native belief system and predates historical records. The many practices, attitudes, and institutions that have developed to make up Shinto revolve around the Japanese land and seasons.

<h2 id="content-id-31668-4"><img loading="lazy" alt="Culture of japan" src="https://study.kdcampus.live/admin/assets/uploads/ckeditor/Culture of japan.webp" style="height:282px; width:400px"></h2>

[Source: Wikipedia]

<h2 id="content-id-31668-5">Education of Japan</h2>

In Japan, higher education starts upon the completion of 12 years of education elementary education and secondary education. An organized and targeted curriculum, Compared to most other nations, the Japanese have given more attention to the specifics of the national curriculum and have ensured that it is really taught. International students in Japan can engage with Japanese culture, cuisine, and language. Japan is widely considered a safe country for students, with efficient public transportation. The country offers low-cost tuition and many professional opportunities.

<h2 id="content-id-31668-6">Economy of Japan</h2>

The automotive industry in Japan is one of the most prominent and largest industries in the world. Japan has been in the top three of the countries with most cars manufactured since the 1960s, surpassing Germany. The service sector has come to dominate the economy in terms of its overall proportion of the gross domestic product and of employment. The emphasis on trade stems from Japan's lack of the natural resources needed to support its industrial economy, notably fossil fuels and most minerals.

Japan was an industrialized nation even before the WW2 which destroyed their economy. They were and still the top experts in structural engineering before they were devastated. They were also the top experts in mechanical power transmissions. 

<img loading="lazy" alt="Economy of Japan" src="https://study.kdcampus.live/admin/assets/uploads/ckeditor/Economy of Japan.webp" style="height:261px; width:400px">

[Source: Medium]

Now, let’s check out some Interesting facts about Japan.

<h2 id="content-id-31668-7">Interesting Facts about Japan</h2>

Japan is an archipelago, or string of islands, on the eastern edge of Asia. There are four main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. There are also nearly 4,000 smaller islands! Japan's nearest mainland neighbors are the Siberian region of Russia in the north and Korea and China farther south.

<ol>
	<li>Onsen hot spring: In Japan, an Onsen is defined as “hot water, mineral water, water vapor and other gas gushing out from the ground and having the temperatures or substances listed in Annex 1” by a law named the “Hot Springs Act”.</li>
	<li>Kabuki: It is a classical form of Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with traditional dance. It is known for its creative and symbolic use of props. A paper fan, a popular Kabuki prop, can be used to represent a tray, a sunrise, the wind, rain, cutting with a knife, drinking, and much more.</li>
	<li>Mt Fuji, Yamanashi: Japan's crown jewel and arguably the most beautiful place in the country, Mt Fuji is a must for any visitor. There are plenty of places to see the grand mountain, but the views from Arakurayama Sengen Park. </li>
	<li>Hiroshima: A Tale of Rejuvenation Reflect on the tragic history of Hiroshima and witness the city's remarkable resilience. Visit the peace Memorial Park and Museum, pay tribute to the victims of the atomic bomb.</li>
</ol>

<img loading="lazy" alt="Interesting facts of Japan" src="https://study.kdcampus.live/admin/assets/uploads/ckeditor/Interesting facts of Japan.webp" style="height:258px; width:400px">

[Source: World Travel Guide]

Japan is that one place that can take your breath away both with its natural beauty as well as its very urbane and contemporary charms. This is a country that blends both together, with a very generous pinch of its zen way of living. Japan is considered as expensive countries. However, depending on your budget, there are going to be some things in Japan that you'll find costly, and other things, affordable.

So, this is all for today. If you like this blog, do check out our blog on the country <a href="https://study.kdcampus.live/pdf/know-your-country-interesting-facts-about-argentina-geography-polity-national-flag.pdf">Argentina</a> . We will meet again with some another interesting facts about some other countries. Till then stay tuned!

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