Japanese History and Culture

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Recommended: modern japansese history 7th grade

Japan has always been an ever changing country. From the time when the emperor ruled and governed the country to the time when the emperor lost decision making power and became a symbol of national unity. Japans history is written throughout the world because of wars and trade especially with the United States. Japan is very isolated and lacking in essential resources, because of its relatively bad geography it is one of the biggest importers the world has ever known. Japan has very strong and unique cultural customs that have not changed over time (Japan).

Japan’s history is based off the customs of neighboring countries like China and Korea. The Buddhist religion came from contact with Korea. The ruling Yamato clan set up an imperial court system based on that of China’s court system. Power went from the court system to the gentry families and then to the prominent warrior class of the samurai. The samurai were part of a clan that protected the shogun who took over the role of ruler. Japan was a firm believer in their customs and did not want them to change. So when the first contact with the west was made the Japanese were suspicious about their religion of Christianity. This sent the locals into revolt and soon trade with the west was prohibited. It was only when Japan was forced to trade with the west that they did, reluctantly. Later the shogun system was abolished and a modern/western government was created (Japan).

The Japanese government has had a lot of change throughout the years. The emperor ruled the country then the shogun then the political leaders. The government today is a parliamentary government with a constitutional monarchy. Their legal system has some American influence but is modeled after German civi...

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...erving ceremony, and learning from masters in many art forms. The two main religions of the nation are Shinto and Buddhism. Shinto is the native religion of Japan dating back to prehistoric times (The World Book Encyclopedia).

In conclusion, Japan has drastically changed from ancient times to present day. The government, economy, and even the culture have all changed in one way or another and will continue to do so. One thing that will not change much over time is the geography. Time will pass and history will continue to write itself about Japan.

Works Cited

"Japan." Central Intelegence Agency: World Factbook. 20 October 2009 .

"Japan." Infoplease. 20 October 2009 .

The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1997.

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