Transcript Japan

Japan
Asia
Japan
• Japan is an island nation in East Asia.
Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the
east of China, Korea, and Russia,
stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the
north to the East China Sea in the south.
The kanji characters that make up Japan's
name mean "sun-origin", which is why
Japan is sometimes identified as the "Land
of the Rising Sun". Its capital and largest
city is Tokyo.
Japan
– Japan comprises over 3,000 islands, the
largest of which are Honshū, Hokkaidō,
Kyūshū and Shikoku. The Greater Tokyo
Area, which includes Tokyo and several
surrounding prefectures, is the largest
metropolitan area in the world, with over 30
million residents.
Japan
• Most of the islands are mountainous,
many volcanic, including Japan’s highest
peak, Mount Fuji. Japan has the world's
tenth largest population, with about
128 million people.
Japan
• Archaeological research indicates that people were living
on the islands of Japan as early as the upper paleolithic
period. The first written mention of Japan begins with
brief appearances in Chinese history texts from the 1st
century CE. Influence from the outside world followed by
long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's
history. Thus, its culture today is a mixture of outside
influences and internal developments. Since adopting its
constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary
constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected
parliament, the Diet.
Government and politics
• Since adopting its constitution in 1947,
Japan has maintained a unitary
constitutional monarchy with an emperor
and an elected parliament, the Diet.
• The Japanese first appear in written history in
China’s Book of Han. It is later recorded that in
57 BC, the southern Wa kingdom of Na sent an
emissary named Taifu to pay tribute to Emperor
Guangwu and received a golden seal. According
to China's Records of the Three Kingdoms, the
most powerful kingdom on the archipelago in the
third century was called Yamataikoku and was
ruled by the legendary Queen Himiko.
Japan
Japanese Flag
Government and politics
• Government
• Constitutional monarchy – EmperorHIM Emperor Akihito -
• Prime Minister
– Shinzo Abe (LDP
Currency
• Yen (¥) (JPY)
Government and politics
• On March 31, 1854, Commodore Matthew
Perry and the "Black Ships" of the United
States Navy forced the opening of Japan
to the outside world with the Convention of
Kanagawa
• The Boshin War of 1867–1868 led to the
resignation of the shogunate, and the Meiji
Restoration established a government
centred around the emperor. Japan
updated its political, judicial and military
institutions by adapting Western
examples. A parliamentary system
modeled after the British parliament was
introduced, with Ito Hirobumi as the first
Prime Minister in 1882
Government and politics
• Japan attacked the United States naval
base in Pearl Harbor and declared war on
the United States, the United Kingdom and
the Netherlands. This act brought the
United States into World War II. After the
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki in 1945, Japan agreed to an
unconditional surrender.
Government and politics
• The Japanese Instrument of Surrender
was signed on September 2, 1945 (V-J
Day). The war cost Japan millions of lives
and left much of the country's industry and
infrastructure destroyed.
Government and politics
• The International Military Tribunal for the
Far East, was subsequently convened (on
May 3, 1946) to prosecute Japanese
leaders for crimes against peace and
humanity.
Government and politics
• In 1947, Japan adopted a new pacifist
constitution which sought international
cooperation and emphasized human rights
and democratic practices. Official
American occupation lasted until 1952 and
Japan was granted membership in the
United Nations in 1956.
Government and politics
• Under a program of aggressive industrial
development and with US assistance,
Japan achieved spectacular growth to
become the second largest economy in
the world, with a growth rate averaging
10% for four decades. This ended in the
mid-1990s when Japan suffered a major
recession from which it has since been
slowly recovering
Government and politics
• Japan is a constitutional monarchy where
the power of the Emperor (天皇 tennō,
literally "heavenly sovereign") is very
limited.
Government and politics
• As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined
by the constitution as "the symbol of the
state and of the unity of the people".
Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister
of Japan and other elected members of
the Diet, while sovereignty is vested in the
Japanese people.
Government and politics
• The emperor effectively acts as the head
of state on diplomatic occasions. Akihito is
the current Emperor of Japan.
Government and politics
• The Diet consists of a House of Representatives,
containing 480 seats, elected by popular vote every 4
years or when dissolved, and a House of Councillors of
242 seats, whose popularly-elected members serve sixyear terms. There is universal suffrage for adults over 20
years of age, with a secret ballot for all elective offices.
The liberal conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
has been in power since 1955, except for a short-lived
coalition government formed from opposition parties in
1993. The largest opposition party is the social liberal
Democratic Party of Japan.
Foreign policy and military
• Japan maintains close economic and
military relations with its key ally the
United States, with the US-Japan security
alliance serving as the cornerstone of its
foreign policy..
Foreign policy and military
• A member state of the United Nations
since 1956, Japan is currently serving as a
non-permanent Security Council member.
It is also one of the "G4 nations" seeking
permanent membership in the Security
Council
• Japan contributed non-combatant troops
to the Iraq War, but has subsequently
withdrawn forces from the region.
Foreign policy and military
• Japan has several territorial disputes with
its neighbors: with Russia over the Kuril
Islands, with South Korea over Dokdo
(Takeshima), with China and Taiwan over
the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyutai Islands),
and with China over the status of
Okinotorishima. These disputes are in part
about the control of marine and natural
resources, such as possible reserves of
crude oil and natural gas.
Foreign policy and military
• The country also has an ongoing dispute
with North Korea over its abduction of
Japanese citizens and its nuclear
weapons and missile programs
Foreign policy and military
• Japan's military is restricted by Article 9 of
the Constitution of Japan of 1946, which
states that
• "Aspiring sincerely to an international
peace based on justice and order, the
Japanese people forever renounce war as
a sovereign right of the nation and the
threat or use of force as means of settling
international disputes."
Foreign policy and military
• Thus, Japan's current constitution prohibits
the use of military force to wage war
against other countries.
Geography and climate
• Japan is a country of over 3,000 islands
extending along the Pacific coast of Asia.
The main islands, running from north to
south, are Hokkaidō, Honshū (the main
island), Shikoku, and Kyūshū. The Ryukyu
Islands, including Okinawa, are a chain of
islands south of Kyushū. Together they are
often known as the Japanese Archipelago.
• About 70% to 80% of the country is forested,
mountainous, and unsuitable for agricultural,
industrial, or residential use. This is due to the
generally steep elevations, climate and risk of
landslides caused by earthquakes, soft ground
and heavy rain. This has resulted in an
extremely high population density in the
habitable zones that are mainly located in
coastal areas. Japan is the thirtieth most densely
populated country in the world
• Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, at the
juncture of three tectonic plates, gives Japan
frequent low-intensity tremors and occasional
volcanic activity. Destructive earthquakes, often
resulting in tsunamis, occur several times each
century. The most recent major quakes are the
2004 Chūetsu Earthquake and the Great
Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. Hot springs are
numerous and have been developed as resorts
• The climate of Japan is predominantly
temperate, but varies greatly from north to
south. Japan's geographical features
divide it into six principal climatic zones:
• Hokkaidō: The northernmost zone has a
temperate climate with long, cold winters
and cool summers. Precipitation is not
heavy, but the islands usually develop
deep snow banks in the winter.
• Sea of Japan: On Honshū's west coast,
the northwest wind in the wintertime brings
heavy snowfall. In the summer, the region
is cooler than the Pacific area, though it
sometimes experiences extremely hot
temperatures, due to the Föhn wind
phenomenon.
• Central Highland: A typical inland climate,
with large temperature differences
between summer and winter, and between
day and night. Precipitation is light.
• Seto Inland Sea: The mountains of the
Chūgoku and Shikoku regions shelter the
region from the seasonal winds, bringing
mild weather throughout the year.
• Pacific Ocean: The east coast experiences
cold winters with little snowfall and hot,
humid summers due to the southeast
seasonal wind.
• South-west Islands: The Ryukyu Islands
have a subtropical climate, with warm
winters and hot summers. Precipitation is
very heavy, especially during the rainy
season. Typhoons are common.
Mt. Fuji
Tokyo
• The main rainy season begins in early
May in Okinawa, and the stationary rain
front responsible for this gradually works
its way north until it dissipates in northern
Japan before reaching Hokkaidō in late
July. In most of Honshū, the rainy season
begins before the middle of June and lasts
about six weeks. In late summer and early
autumn, typhoons often bring heavy rain
• Japan is home to nine forest ecoregions
which reflect the climate and geography of
the islands. They range from subtropical
moist broadleaf forests in the Ryūkyū and
Bonin islands, to temperate broadleaf and
mixed forests in the mild climate regions of
the main islands, to temperate coniferous
forests in the cold, winter portions of the
northern islands.
Economy
• Close government-industry cooperation, a
strong work ethic, mastery of high
technology, and a comparatively small
defense allocation have helped Japan
become the second largest economy in
the world, after the United States, at
around US $4.5 trillion in terms of nominal
GDP and third after the United States and
China if purchasing power parity is used.
Science and technology
• Japan's population is estimated at around
127,463,611.[34] For the most part,
Japanese society is linguistically and
culturally homogeneous with only small
populations of foreign workers, Zainichi
Koreans, Japanese Brazilians, and others.
Japan also has indigenous minority groups
such as the Ainu and Ryūkyūans, and
social minority groups like the burakumin.
• Japan has one of the highest life
expectancy rates in the world, at 81.25
years of age as of 2006.[35] However, the
Japanese population is rapidly aging, the
effect of a post-war baby boom followed
by a decrease in births in the latter part of
the 20th century. In 2004, about 19.5% of
the population was over the age of 65.[36]
• The changes in the demographic structure have
created a number of social issues, particularly a
potential decline in the workforce population and
increases in the cost of social security benefits
such as the public pension plan. It is also noted
that many Japanese youth are increasingly
preferring not to marry or have families as
adults. Japan's population is expected to drop
to 100 million by 2050 and to 64 million by 2100
• Immigration and birth incentives are
sometimes suggested as a solution to
provide younger workers to support the
nation's aging population. Immigration,
however, is not popular.
Tsunami by hokusai 19th century
Culture
• Japanese culture has evolved greatly over the
years, from the country's original Jomon culture
to its contemporary hybrid culture, which
combines influences from Asia, Europe and
North America. Traditional Japanese arts include
crafts (ikebana, origami, ukiyo-e, dolls,
lacquerware, pottery), performances (bunraku,
dance, kabuki, noh, rakugo), traditions (games,
tea ceremony, budō, architecture, gardens,
swords) and cuisine
• Post-war Japan has been heavily
influenced by American and European
culture which has led to the evolution of
popular band music (called J-Pop).
• The fusion of traditional woodblock printing and
Western art led to the creation of manga, a
typically Japanese comic book format that is
now popular within and outside Japan. Mangainfluenced animation for television and film is
called anime. Japanese-made video game
consoles have prospered since the 1980s.
• Japanese music is eclectic, having borrowed
instruments, scales, and styles from
neighboring cultures. Many instruments, such
as the koto, were introduced in the ninth and
tenth centuries. The accompanied recitative of
the Noh drama dates from the fourteenth
century and the popular folk music, with the
guitar-like shamisen, from the 16th. We stern
music, introduced in the late nineteenth
century, now forms an integral part of the
culture, as evident from the profusion of J-Pop
artists. Modern Japanese music generally
uses Western instruments, scales and style
Sports and recreation
• Traditionally, sumo is considered Japan's
national sport and is one of its most popular.
Martial arts such as judō, karate and kendō are
also widely practiced in the country.
• After the Meiji Restoration, many Western
sports were introduced in Japan and began to
spread through the education system. These
sports were initially stressed as a form of
mental discipline, but many Japanese have now
come to enjoy them as recreational activities
• Baseball is the most popular spectator sport in Japan
and the professional baseball league in Japan was
established in 1936. One of the most famous
Japanese baseball players is Ichiro Suzuki, who plays
in North American major league baseball, after having
won Japan's Most Valuable Player award for the three
consecutive years of 1994, 1995, and 1996. Since the
establishment of a professional soccer league in
Japan in 1992, football has also gained a wide
following. Japan was a venue of the Intercontinental
Cup from 1981 to 2004 and co-hosted the 2002 FIFA
World Cup with South Korea.
• Golf is popular in Japan, as is auto racing, the
Super GT sports car series and Formula
Nippon formula racing.
• Every year, Japan observes the second
Monday in October as Health and Sports Day.
The date, originally October 10, commemorates
the opening day of the 1964 Summer Olympics
in Tokyo. Other major sporting events that
Japan has hosted include the 1972 Winter
Olympics in Sapporo and the 1998 Winter
Olympics in Nagano.