The four main islands of Japan 22 Jan 2016 3:24 AM (9 years ago)

Japan covers an area of 145,914 square miles (377,915 sq km) that is spread out over its more than 6,500 islands. Four main islands make up Japan however and they are where its main population centers are located.

The four main islands, from north to south, are Honshu, Hokkaidoo, Shikoku, and Kyuushuu; Honshuu is the largest and referred to as the Japanese mainland.

1. Honshuu

Honshu is the largest island of Japan and it is where the majority of the country's cities are located (maps). The Tokyo Osaka-Kyoto area is the core Honshu and Japan and 25% of the island's population lives in the Tokyo region. Honshu has a total area of 88,017 square miles (227,962 sq km) and it is the world's seventh largest island. The island is 810 miles (1,300 km) long and it has a varied topography that includes many different mountain ranges, some of which are volcanic. The highest of these is the volcanic Mount Fuji at 12,388 feet (3,776 m). Like many areas of Japan, earthquakes are also common on Honshu.

Honshu is divided into five regions and 34 prefectures. The regions are Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai and Chugoku.

2. Hokkaidoo

Hokkaido is the second largest island of Japan with a total area of 32,221 square miles (83,453 sq km). The population of Hokkaido is 5,507,456 (October 2010 estimate) and the main city on the island is Sapporo, which is also the capital of Hokkaido Prefecture. Hokkaido is located to the north of Honshu and the two islands are separated by the Tsugaru Strait (map). The topography of Hokkaido consists of a mountainous volcanic plateau in its center that is surrounded by coastal plains. There are a number of active volcanoes on Hokkaido, the tallest of which is Asahidake at 7,510 feet (2,290 m).

3. Kyuushuu

Kyushu is the third largest island of Japan and it is located to the south of Honshu (map). It has a total area of 13,761 square miles (35,640 sq km) and a 2006 population of 13,231,995 people. The largest city on Kyushu is Fukuoka and it is divided into seven prefectures. Kyushu's topography consists mainly of mountains and the most active volcano in Japan, Mt. Aso, is located on the island. In addition to Mt. Aso, there are also hot springs on Kyushu and the highest point on the island, Kuju-san at 5,866 feet (1,788 m) is also a volcano.

Since it is in southern Japan, Kyushu has a subtropical climate and its inhabitants produce a variety of agricultural products. These include rice, tea, tobacco, sweet potatoes and soy.

4. Shikoku

Shikoku is the smallest of Japan's main islands with a total area of 7,260 square miles (18,800 sq km). This area is made up of main island as well as the small islets surrounding it. It is located to the south of Honshu and to the east of Kyushu and has a population of 4,414,955 (2005 estimate) (map). The largest city of Shikoku is Matsuyama and the island is divided into four prefectures. Shikoku has a varied topography that consists of a mountainous south, while there are small lowland plains on the Pacific coast near Kochi. The highest point on Shikoku is Mount Ishizuchi at 6,503 feet (1,982 m).

Capital City of Japan 1 Aug 2012 6:20 AM (12 years ago)

Tokyo is the capital city of Japan with a latitude of 35° 41' north and 140° degrees east. Located in the middle of Honshu Island's east coast, Tokyo is home to the Imperial Residence (with the Emperor's Palace). Japan's seat of Government and Parliament are located in Tokyo as well.

The climate in Tokyo varies according to the weather in Asia to its east, and the Pacific Ocean to its west. The average temperature is about 22.4° C with the temperatures milder than what would be expected at its latitude.

The majority of people living in Tokyo are Japanese with a few Asian minorities and even fewer foreigners. Of those Japanese, only a few are native to Tokyo, that is those whose families have lived in Tokyo for more than three generations. The influx of people from the country has created a shortage in available space, which makes living in Tokyo very expensive.

Learn To Speak Japanese 3 Mar 2012 4:57 AM (13 years ago)

Learning Japanese Language can be easy and fun. Today in our time and technology, there are several methods to learn Japanese. You can enroll in any language centers in your local area or you can have it at a formal school. In the US, learning a foreign language is part of the General Education period of the students.

Japanese culture is unique, just like every nation. Learning Japanese language is also learning their rich history and tradition. Generally, tradition outlines ethics and manners. It is helpful when you also know which gestures are proper and which expressions are not.

However, if you have finished education and did not learned Japanese at that time then the Japanese language school is the best option. They have teachers who shall guide the students in every step of learning.

Part of their Japanese lessons is understanding the Japanese Alphabet, which includes Hiragana and Katakana as well as learning Kanji, the Japanese grammar, Japanese phrases, Japanese characters and sentence structure. You can also select conversational Japanese. You can also learn Japanese if you have a Japanese friend or someone who speaks Japanese fluently.

If your friend is Japanese who is not fluent in English, it is the best time to make a deal with her or him to teach each other of your native languages. You can teach your friend the English language while she or he can teach you the Japanese. Together you can practice Japanese and English. You can also learn Japanese if you have Japanese language software that you can download on your laptop or computer. There are also comprehensive Japanese lessons from Japanese Language software. Often, this language software also has other feature such as Japanese translation. It also offers other language courses such as learning German, learning French and learning Italian. The final way to learn Japanese is to have online Japanese courses.

Some websites offer free Japanese lessons including Japanese translation, Japanese writing and Japanese words. If you will avail these Japanese language online courses, you shall also get comprehensive Japanese lessons like those given on Japanese language schools. Like other language courses the first Japanese lessons are the Introductory. This is the basic lesson to speak Japanese.

Frequently, the introductory part is divided into several lessons, which can go as far as 12 lessons. To this phase belong the Basic Japanese pronunciation, the characteristics of Japanese grammar, the three Japanese writing systems, Japanese vocabulary and relevant Japanese education system. Included in the pronunciation is learning the Japanese vowels. In their language system, there are five vowels.

These are a, which is pronounced as Ah. i, which is pronounces as We. u, which is pronounced as soon. e, which is pronounced as Get and o, which is pronounced as old. Greetings and daily expressions are part of Learning Japanese language. Expressions such as “I am sorry”, “excuse me”, “thank you”, “you are welcome” and “pardon me” are common, and so are “Good morning”, “Good evening”, “Good afternoon”. To learn Japanese also includes learning the proper way to address someone particularly when it is their first time of meeting.

This is especially important when you go on a trip to Japan or when you plan to attend a Japanese event, eat at Japanese restaurant or simply being fluent to speak Japanese.

Japanese Cuisine 1 Mar 2012 5:27 AM (13 years ago)

Once known in the west either in the form of "sukiyaki" or the more exotic "sushi," Japanese cuisine has in recent years become much more familiar and appreciated around the world.

Many visitors to Japan will have already sampled the pleasures of raw fish or batter-fried shrimp. But few first time visitors to Japan are prepared for the variety and sumptuousness of the food as it is traditionally prepared.

Eating in Japan is an experience to be enjoyed and remembered fondly for the rest of your life. Among the types of cooking found in Japan are:
Sukiyaki
prepared right at the table by cooking thinly sliced beef together with various vegetables, tofu and vermicelli.
Tempura
Deep-fried food in vegetable oil, after being coated with a mixture of egg, water and wheat flour. Among the ingredients used are prawns, fish in season and vegetables.
Sushi
A small piece of raw seafood placed on a ball of vinegared rice. the most common ingredients are tuna, squid and prawn. Cucumber, pickled radish and sweet egg omelette are also served.
Sashimi
Sliced raw fish eaten with soy sauce.
Kaiseki Ryori
Regarded as the most exquisite culinary refinement in Japan. The dishes are mainly composed of vegetables and fish with seaweed and mushrooms as the seasoning base and are characterized by their refined savor.
Yakitori
Made up of small pieces of chicken meat, liver and vegetables skewered on a bamboo stick and grilled over hot coals.
Tonkatsu
A deep-fried pork cutlet rolled in bread crumbs. Shabu-shabu - tender, thin slices of beef held by chop-sticks and swished in a pot of boiling water, then dipped in a sauce before being eaten.
Soba and Udon
Two kinds of Japanese noodles. Soba is made from buckwheat flour and Udon from dipped in a sauce, and are available in hundreds of delicious variations.

Japanese "sake" or rice wine, goes extremely well with a variety of Japanese dishes. Brewed with rice and water, sake has been a Japanese alcoholic beverage since ancient times. Because it can be drunk warmed up, the "feelings" come on more quickly and in winter it warms the body. When drunk chilled, good sake has a taste similar to fine-quality wine.

There are local sake breweries in every region across the country, which make their respective characteristic tastes based on the quality of rice and water as well as differences in brewing processes.

Japan Maps 4 Feb 2012 7:30 AM (13 years ago)

Maps are essential for travel planning. Here are some Japan country maps and regional maps. Japan prefecture maps show some cities of main tourist interest in each prefecture.

Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Temple Area

Photo by (c) Tomo.Yun ( http://www.yunphoto.net )

Year of Inscription: 1993 / Culture Heritage
Location: Ikaruga-cho, Nara Prefecture

Horyuji Temple was built in the 7th century. The main hall and the five-story pagoda located in Sai-in (west temple) of Horyuji are known as the oldest wooden buildings in the world.

Horyuji Temple

Houkiji

100 Hundred Aspects of the Moon.

TSUNAMI RELIEF - DOWNLOAD TO DONATE 9 Apr 2011 4:21 AM (14 years ago)

Music for Relief has released an ALL NEW Download to Donate album to raise funds for the emergency response to the earthquake & tsunami in Japan.

Here links "Download to Donate":

Musicforrelief.org

Japan.downloadtodonate.org

Channelapa.com

Thecomplexmedia.com

Cbennington.com

U.S. military expands role with Operation Tomodachi 8 Apr 2011 10:43 PM (14 years ago)

The American military is becoming more involved in relief and reconstruction efforts following the devastating March 11th earthquake and tsunami, with more than 12,000 personnel, 20 ships and 140 aircraft supporting Japan’s disaster aftermath.

In Miyagi Prefecture, at the heart of the earthquake on Japan’s central east coast, a prefecture official described the U.S. operations as the largest civil support by U.S. forces since the aftermath of World War II. U.S. troops are involved in everything from safety surveys to direct support to improve the life of survivors and evacuees from the 9.0 magnitude earthquake.

U.S. ships have been transporting fresh water on a pair of large barges from the Onahama Port to the Fukushima area for use in cooling the damaged nuclear reactors at the plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co. Each barge carries up to 1,000 tons of water.

The Navy, which is aiding the Tohoku recovery efforts, says there’s no concern about radiation on its vessels in the region. Commander Jeff Davis, a Navy spokesman, says radiation on vessels is easily scrubbed off with soap and water. “These are extremely low levels. Even if they weren’t, they still wouldn’t rise to the level where they would cause any harm to human health.” Other Navy units are working with Self Defense Forces to clear ports of debris and to help deliver aid.

Marines with the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Forward) have been moving equipment and personnel into a community center in East Matsushima, where they’re installing shower facilities for residents waiting for heat and water since the March 11th quake. The units are part of the Joint Forces Land Component Command, headed by Major General Mark A. Brilakis, who’s also commanding general of the 3rd Marine Division based in Okinawa. Brilakis and the JFLCC is operating from Yokota Air Base.

A small contingent of 12 Marines and a lone sailor from Marine Air Control ‘Group 18 and Marine Wing Support Group 17, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Air Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force from Okinawa, are now supporting air operations and control alongside the Japan Air Self Defense Force at Matsushima Air Base. They’re coordinating operations involving U.S. military aircraft at Matsushima, which can handle a variety of Japanese C-1 and U.S. KC-130 cargo aircraft, as well as CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters and other military aircraft from all services.

On average, four sorties are being flown daily from the base, with Marines helping offload supplies, which range from food, rice, water and diapers to cots, tents and gas pumps. More than 200,000 pounds of supplies have already been distributed to needy Japanese at Ground Self Defense Force distribution centers.

Other III MEF units have been transporting supplies near the city of Sendai for Operation Field Day, a clean-up project led by the Japan Ground Self Defense Force. The plan is to clear debris in order to increase access to damaged structures so civilian agencies can begin the rebuilding process. The Joint Force Land Component Command says nearly 500 sorties have been flown already in support of the foreign humanitarian assistance mission.

Marines from outside Okinawa and Asia have also joined Operation Tomodachi. Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 from Fort Worth, Texas, have brought their KC-130T aircraft to support III MEF and the JFLCC. They’re flying from Naval Air Station Atsugi and from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. Before returning to the U.S. several days ago, the squadron flew a total of 20 sorties over 44.8 hours, transporting a total of 122,637 pounds of cargo and 208 passengers.
http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=11051

Quake donations top ¥115 billion as officials study distribution plan 8 Apr 2011 10:24 PM (14 years ago)

Donations for victims of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan have topped ¥115.4 billion, with more pouring in each day as countless charity events and fundraisers take place across Japan.

The president of Softbank Corporation, the cellular giant, personally donated ¥10 billion to support the earthquake and tsunami relief efforts. Masayoshi Son’s donation is the single largest donation by an individual todate. He told officials he’d continue to donate his entire pay package from his position with Softbank group from now until his retirement to provide support for children orphaned by the disaster.

The Japanese Red Cross Society and Central Community Chest of Japan, the nation’s two main relief organizations, say no decisions have been made yet on how the money is to be distributed. They suggest there will be a need for committees to make decisions, as already prefectures, towns and cities are quarreling over who should get what amount of relief money from the organizations.

The governor of Miyagi Prefecture, Yoshihiro Murai, tells NHK it is difficult to distribute money fairly. Speaking as the leader of one of the most severely damaged prefectures, Murai says it’s still impossible to determine damages to each family as the fatality toll continues to climb. At the same time, he notes there’s more of a financial need for families, and different assistance than that to childless families and to elderly people in need of medical care.

Musicians play free at four events raising money for disaster victims 8 Apr 2011 10:02 PM (14 years ago)

Four concerts are in the works for Sunday afternoon in Naha, Okinawa and Ginowan Cities to raise funds for victims of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.

Artists committed to the fundraising cause include Mongol 800, Diamantes, Erica Sunakawa, Isamu Shimoji, Yukito Ara, D-51, Jimama and Kiroro.The events have been organized by the Commmittee of Ganbare Tohoku and Ganbare Nippon in Okinawa, with Keiichi Inamine the consultant of honor, and Hotaru Higa the chairman of the organizing committee. The Sunday concerts are supported by Okinawa Prefecture, the Okinawa Convention Bureau and Ginowan City.

Gates open at Ginowan Seaside Park Outdoor Theater and two other stages set up in Ginowan Seaside Park, at noon Sunday, with the music starting at 1 p.m. Concerts at Music Town Sound Market in Goya, Okinawa City, at Sakurazaka Central in Naha City, and at Takara Records on Kokusai Street, also start at 1 p.m.

The simultaneous concerts are titled “What A Wonderful World” as the musicians and others donate their services to raise money for the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Charity. Admission is free to all concerts. Donations will be solicited before, during and after the concerts.

Great Quake, Many Large Companies in Japan Stop Operations 11 Mar 2011 9:04 PM (14 years ago)

The quake centered in the east of Honshu, Japan, have caused damage to buildings in the country's cherry. No exception offices and factories leading companies.
Reuters on Friday (03/11/2011), inventory levels of damage to the companies. Here are the details:

Bridgestone Corp.
No major damage throughout the plant

Canon Inc.
No damage or casualties in the factory.

Citigroup Japan Holdings
No damage-office trading, back to normal after the quake. All employees in the Tokyo head office safe. There has been no confirmation of the employees working in branch offices outside of Tokyo. Do not have an office in Sendai, the region's worst earthquake and tsunami.

Cosmo Oil Co.
Large-Fire at oil refinery, near the LPG tank in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo. All operational activities stopped.

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.
Subaru-maker cars and planes. Got the aircraft and automobile manufacturers in the prefecture Tochigo. The company could not be reached for comment.

Fujitsu Ltd.
Some of the damaged facilities, but not serious. There were no fatalities.

Honda Motor Co.
Worker killed 42-year-old man at the center of the Honda R & D facility in Tochigi prefecture are crushed to a collapsed roof. In several other facilities in Tochigi, injured workers in their 30s hit the roof and walls collapsed.

Production in Sayama, Tochigi, Hamamatsu stopped.
Factory in Suzuka was closed but was operated again.

JFE Steel
Fires have been reported in iron processing plant in Chiba prefecture. But the company said there was no damage to the market in iron processing.

JSR (maker of synthetic rubber)
Factory in Kashima, Ibaraki prefecture, there was no damage but stopped production.

Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co.
Stop production at the zinc processing, in Aomori prefecture.

Nippon Paper Group
Factory in Miyagi and Fukushima stop production. The level of damage is unknown.

Nissan Motor Co.
Production in 4-car assembly line is stopped, including those located in Tochigi and Fukushima prefecture. Small fire was visible in two places. Two people lightly wounded in Tochigi.

Panasonic Corp.
Two-producing plant in Fukushima audio goods and digital cameras, one in Miyagi makes the camera lens.

Sony Corp.
Six factories (one in Fukushima, two in Miyagi), discontinued operations and all employees were evacuated. Miyagi factory floor in which to make the chemicals under water and 1,000 workers to evacuate on the 2nd floor.

Sumitomo Metal Industries
Stop all operations at its two plants, Ibaraki prefecture. There are no reports of casualties or injuries.

Tohoku Electric Power Co.
Smoke came out dai-turbine hall at reactor number 1 Onagawa, Miyagi prefecture.There was no sign of radioactive leaks.

Tokyo Electric Power Co.
Three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi automatic automatically cease to operate. Reactor cooling system also does not work, but not causing radioactive leaks.

Tokyo Gas Co.
Stopping the gas supply to more than 35 thousand customers in the Kanto area, Japan, the eastern part.

Toyota Motor Corp.
Subsidiary Central Motor Co.: Miyagi prefecture, near Sendai. Began production in January 2011, making the Yaris sedan. Capacity: 120,000 units per year.
Kanto Auto Works subsidiary: in Iwate prefecture. Creating a compact car like sedan Belta, Auris, Blade, etc.
A joint venture by Panasonic Corporation. Earth Prime EV Energy, in Miyagi prefecture. make the battery and hybrid cars. Production was delayed.
Factory making auto parts. Production stopped, no one was hurt.

This is the area that was hit by the Tsunami Japanese 11 Mar 2011 7:59 PM (14 years ago)

Japan's Meteorological and Geophysics Agency estimates 17 areas hit by tsunamis as high as three meters. The 17 areas are:

1. Iwate
2. Miyagi
3. Fukushima
4. Hokkaido Beaches
5. Pacific Coast Aomori
6. Ibaraki
7. Kujukuri region and Sotobo, Chiba
8. Island of Izu Islands
9. Eastern Hokkaido coast
10. Beaches west Hokkaido
11. Sea of Japan, Aomori
12. UCHIBO region, Chiba
13. Ogaswara Island
14. Sagami Bay and the Miura Peninsula
15. Shizuoka
16. Wakayama
17. Tokushima

Japan region hit by the tsunami which is estimated to 2 meters
1. Pacific Coast sea Aichi Aichi
2. Southern Noodle
3. Kochi Beach
4. Coast Miyazaki
5. Tanegashima and Yakushima region
6. Amami and Tokara Islands
7. Southern coast of Japan in Hokkaido
8. Mutsu Bay
9. Tokoyo Bay
10. Ise and Mikawa Bay
11. South side of Awaji Island
12. Beach Bungo Strait, Ehime
13. Setonaikai Beach, Oita
14. Beach Bungo Strait, Oita
15. Eastern Kagoshima
16. Western Kagoshima
17. Okinawa Islands
18. Daitojima Region
19. Miyakojima and Yaeyama Area

Tsunami Hit Japan 11 Mar 2011 7:55 PM (14 years ago)

Japan hit by 8.8 Richter magnitude earthquake off the northeast coast Friday, which triggered a tsunami as high as 4 meters. The tsunami waves that washed away cars and tearing buildings along the coast near the epicenter.

At various locations along the Japanese coast, flooding television show, with dozens of cars, boats and even buildings are carried by water. A large ship was swept by tsunami waves crashing directly into the breaker in the city of Miyagi Prefecture Kesennuma, according to footage on NHK.

Officials try to assess the damage caused by the earthquake but has no immediate details. The quake which struck at 02:46 was followed by a series of aftershocks, including one 7.4 magnitude earthquake about 30 minutes later. U.S. Geological Survey to update the strength of the first earthquake of magnitude 8.8 SR. Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings for the entire Pacific coast of Japan.

NHK warned people near the coast to go to a safer location. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said the tsunami warning applies to Japan, Russia, Northern Marianas Islands, and Marcus. Tsunami warning has been issued for Guam, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia and the U.S. state of Hawaii. The quake struck at a depth of six miles (10 kilometers), about 80 miles (125 kilometers) off the east coast, the agency said. This area is 240 miles (380 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo.

In downtown Tokyo, large buildings shook hard and the workers ran into the street to look for survivors. Television footage showed a large building fire in Tokyo's Odaiba district. In central Tokyo, trains stopped and the passengers walked along the tracks. NHK recording from their offices, Sendai, showed the employee who tripped and the books and papers littered the table. Several earthquakes have hit the same area in recent days, including one measuring 7.3 magnitude on Wednesday.

Thirty minutes after the quake, tall buildings are still swayed in Tokyo and mobile phone networks do not work. Japan Coast Guard has established a task force and officials are preparing an emergency contingency plan, Coast Guard officials said Yosuke Oi.

A Brief History of Japan 4 Feb 2011 7:10 AM (14 years ago)

Japan has a long history with the first humans arriving around 35,000 B.C.. The position of Japan relative to the Asian mainland had played a significant role in the country's development. Although the archipelago is situated near the mainland, there is still a considerable amount of open sea, which separates the two landmasses. Throughout most of Japan's history, it has been closed to the outside world refusing to open its borders to foreigners. The sakoku policy, literal translation "locked country", enacted in 1633 by the Tokugawa Shogunate prevented foreigners from entering Japan on penalty of death. The same policy also prevented Japanese from leaving Japan.

The first historical documents mentioning Japan date to around the 5th century. Japanese myth holds that Emperor Jimmu was the first emperor of an imperial line that is still in place today. However, archaeological evidence gathered by a number of researchers place the imperial rule starting later around the third to seventh centuries AD, during the Kofun period. The following Asuka regime during the mid 8th century is noted for a more centralized Japan in which Chinese culture significantly influenced Japanese traditions.

Nara was the first centralized capital of the nation established in the late 8th century. The layout of the capital city was influenced by Chang’an, the capital of China during that time. The Nara period was the last time that political power was held by the emperor. The following Heian period was characterized by an affluent aristocracy with eccentric social customs, and the moving of the capital from Nara to Kyoto. The capital city of Kyoto became the residence of Japan’s emperors until the late 19th century. Toward the end of the Heian period, the aristocracy lost their power and the Kamakura period marked the beginning of military rule. Regional warlords became powerful and often rose to become Shogun, a position that sometimes wielded more power than the Emperor. During this period, a caste system developed with the Shogun at the top. The Shogun controlled large areas of land and would divide it up and delegate responsibility to a Daimyo, or regional warlord. The Daimyo ruled with an army of Samarai who protected the land and its people. Feudal Japan did not allow for social mobility and marrying outside one’s own caste was prohibited.

After a succession of powerful Shogun, Japan fell into a state of near-anarchy as provinces declared war upon one another during the 15th century. In 1600 during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, Tokugawa Ieyasu moved to reunify the country and successfully established the Tokugawa Shogunate. Under the Tokugawa Shogunate the feudalist system was re-established. During his reign, Tokugawa ruled from Edo, the location of present day Tokyo. Under the Tokugawa Shogunate the Edo period was a time of stability for the Japanese people, but there was little or no development when compared to other nations in the rest of the world during the same period. From 1852-1854, Commodore Matthew Perry negotiated a trade agreement between Japan and the United States. The government at Tokyo was forced to agree to the demands of the United States as they were intimidated by the technologically advanced and heavily armed fleet of steam frigates under the command of Commodore Perry. The ships in Perry's fleet are now known in Japan as the "Black Ships" and have come to symbolize the threat imposed by western technology.

In 1867, the Tokugawa Shogunate collapsed, and gave way to the Meiji Restoration. The imperial capital was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo, renamed from Edo to Tokyo (Eastern Capital). Japan then directed their efforts toward industrialization and modernization. During World War I the United States and Japan fought on the same side although relations were not favorable between the two nations due to policy disagreements over China and competition for power in the Pacific. After World War I Japan's economy began to decline and hit a low point during the Showa recession in 1926. The negative impact of the recession combined with domestic political turmoil (assassination attempts on the emperor, coups d'etat attempts, terrorist violence) ultimately contributed to the increased militarism in Japan during the late 1920's and 1930's.

Japanese imperialist policy aimed to dominate China to acquire its vast material reserves and natural resources. In the early 1930's there were many small-scale military engagements in so-called "incidents" between the two sides. This culminated into a full-scale war in 1937. Western powers were reluctant to provide support to the Chinese who they thought would eventually lose the war. The United States entered the war in 1942 after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces. In 1945, atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Japan surrendered soon afterward. After surrendering Japan was occupied by the Allied Forces marking the first time in the nation's history it had been occupied by a foreign power. After the occupation ended in 1951, Japan's government shifted from imperial and military rule to a parliamentary democracy.

Today, despite suffering massive losses during World War II and possessing very little natural resources, Japan has become an economic and technological powerhouse.

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