Japan The Cohesive Society

Japan The Cohesive Society

Japani (Japanese: Nippon or Nihon; formally Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally “[the] State of Japan”) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan’s name mean “sun-origin”, which is why the country is sometimes referred to as the “Land of the Rising Sun”. Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands, the four largest being Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. Together, these four islands hold about 97 percent of the country’s land area. Japan has the world’s tenth-largest population, with more than 126 million people. Honshū’s Greater Tokyo Area includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures. It is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with more than 30 million residents.

Archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is found in Chinese texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other nations followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan’s history. Japan evolved into a cohesive society during the Heian period (8th-11th centuries AD). From the 12th century until 1868, Japan was ruled by successive feudal military dictatorships or shogunates in the name of the Emperor. In the early 17th century, Japan entered into a long period of isolation, which was only ended in 1853 when a United States fleet pressured Japan to open to the West. Nearly two decades of internal conflict and insurrection followed before the Meiji Emperor was restored as head of state in 1868 and the Empire of Japan was proclaimed, with the Emperor enshrined as a divine symbol of the nation.

Periodic insurrections and civil disturbances continued into the 1880s. A modern constitution was promulgated in 1889 and a Western-style parliament established. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, victories in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War and World War I allowed Japan to expand its empire during a period of increasing militarism. From 1931, military expansion into China and Manchuria led to the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937. Japan allied itself with the Axis powers in 1940, and the war in China became part of World War II in 1941. While Japan initially enjoyed a period of military dominance, successive military defeats and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to the end of the war in 1945, Japan’s surrender and the loss of its empire. Under Allied military occupation lasting until 1952, Japan dissolved and restructured its military, adopted a revised constitution in 1947 and became a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and a democratically elected legislature.

A major economic power,[2] Japan has the world’s third-largest economy by nominal GDP and the world’s fourth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It is also the world’s fourth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer. Although Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war, it maintains a modern military with the fifth largest military budget,[12] used for self-defense and peacekeeping roles. According to Japan’s health ministry, Japanese women have the second highest life expectancy of any country in the world.[13] According to the United Nations, Japan also has the third lowest infant mortality rate.[14][15

Tourism in Japan attracted 8.3 million foreign visitors in 2008, slightly more than Singapore and Ireland.[1] Japan has 16 World Heritage Sites, including Himeji Castle and Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. Kyoto receives over 30 million tourists annually.[2] Foreigners also visit Tokyo and Nara, Mount Fuji, ski resorts such as Niseko in Hokkaido, Okinawa, ride the shinkansen and take advantage of Japan’s hotel and hotspring network.

 HERITAGE

Japan values its cultivated traditions and practices as much as it values keeping in touch with the future. Whether grounded in history or in religion, Japanese customs are still widely practiced to this day. There are many ways travelers can experience authentic Japanese heritage without having to spend too much money. A visit to a shrine, temple, or castle would provide fantastic insight into Japan’s diverse history and how Japanese society has developed.
Additionally, Japan holds festivals year round that symbolize various aspects of culture and tradition, which are held in very high esteem by Japanese people. For anyone looking to delve further into Asian history and heritage, look no further than Japan.

CUISINE:

One of the major attractions of traveling throughout Japan is trying different local cuisines in every town you visit. While sushi is in fact a large part of Japanese heritage, myriad flavors from all around the world have contributed to Japan’s robust foodie culture, attracting more and more culinary figures worldwide to try the new eastern hot spot. It should therefore come as no surprise that Tokyo is ranked the number one food city by Food and Wine magazine, not to mention the fact that Tokyo has more stars in the prestigious Michelin Guidebook than any other city in the world. From noodles to sashimi to gourmet French cuisine, Japan has the food to satisfy the most discerning of palettes, as well as the strictest of budgets.

MODERN ART:

From its brightly tiered pagodas to its sleek glass buildings, its colorful prints to its budding social commentary, it is clear that modern art and architecture of Japan have a distinctly robust style. The assimilation to nature has been a fundamental design element for Japanese artists dating back centuries, an aesthetic which is still implemented to this day, (see the ACROS building in Fukuoka as a clear example). Travelers can visualize Japan’s treasured heritage and its cutting-edge future through modern design and architecture, where some of the world’s pre-eminent artists display their talent throughout the country.

POP CULTURE:

Pop culture is one of Japan’s biggest exports. Across the globe both children and adults have become fascinated with the quirky aesthetics of Japanese fashion and entertainment, accounting for major influence worldwide. From anime to video games and everything in between, Japan is responsible for some of the world’s most popular hobbies. So feel free to unleash your inner otaku and explore everything Japanese pop culture has to offer.
ADVENTURE: snowboarding? Snorkeling? Hiking? Whatever your outdoor pleasure, Japan can provide it. Hit up the slopes in Nagano, home of the 1998 Winter Olympics or explore the beautiful oceans and beaches in Okinawa. Or you can find some serious waves just an hour outside of Tokyo, and even traverse through the amazing underwater ruins in the Ryukyu Archipelago. For all the active travelers out there, Japan is the perfect place to get your adrenaline going.

http://www.japantravelinfo.com/top/index.php

Japanese Garden

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