Japan

From Track2Asia

1 History
2 Culture
3 Places to See
4 Night Life
5 Getting There

History

In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Following the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854, Japan opened its ports and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, actual power rests in networks of powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s following three decades of unprecedented growth, but Japan still remains a major economic power, both in Asia and globally. In 2005, Japan began a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

(source CIA Factbook)

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Culture

The Japanese people experienced a long period of almost full isolation from the outside world under the rule of Tokugawa Shogunate. As a result, the Japanese culture characteristically different from other Asian cultures, and this difference still exists in today’s contemporary Japan.

Post-war Japan has been heavily influenced by American and European culture which has led to the evolution of popular band music. Japanese popular culture reflects the attitudes of the present Japan, and also provides a link to the past. Two of the most notable contributions to the pop culture are Manga and Anime. Manga is a typically Japanese comic book. Its popularity is now not only restricted to Japan, but is also gaining great popularity outside of Japan in Europe and North America. Anime is a form of Manga for television.

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Places to See

Mount Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan (3776 meters). Mount Fuji is volcano that last erupted in the 18th century, and is part of the Fuji Hakone Izu National Park.

Kamakura, one of Japan's best places for seeing temples and monuments. The town is famous for its Great Buddha statue.

The Shikoku Pilgrimage is a tail of eighty-eight temples on the island of Shikoku. The walking course is around 1,200km long and can take between 30 to 60 days to complete.