History
Japan as a country is very old, dating as far back as 300 B.C. Until
the late 16th century Japan was governed by a group of feudal barons,
most of whom devoted much of their energies to warring amongst themselves.
Japan is for the first time more or less united during the Tokugawa
period between 1600 and 1868, where a national administrative hierarchy
was forged from the family structures of the ruling class.
During this period the Shoguns -powerful warlords - enjoyed absolute
power and conducted an anti - foreign policy. In the late 19th century,
a new breed of rulers took control and embarked on a programme of
rapid industrialisation, establishing a Western - style system of
administration in the process where executive power reverted to
the emperor.
As the 20th century dawned, Japan went into a series of war to
realize its long - cherished ambition to assert itself as the leading
regional power in the Far East. However, in December 1941, the Japanese
attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii brought
the US into the war. The Japanese forces did not surrender until
the Americans destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear bombs.
As one of the 'high tech' countries of the world, Japan sets an
example of how a post holocaust country can lift itself off and
'do good'. Being brought up and raised after World War II, Japan
has succeeded in becoming an industrial leader from a recovering
country.
Culture
Japanese culture, and the various social manifestations that have
embodied its expressive attributes throughout history, has fascinated
the Western world ever since Marco Polo's imaginative accounts from
the 14th century. Its rich cultural and traditional heritage can
be seen through its different class structure, status, relations
between the sexes, kinship, conflict, harmony, and cultural expressions
of art.
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