Asia Pacific Studies

JAPAN
Geography - 地理学
• Japan known as “Land of the
Rising Sun”, is a country of
over a thousand islands
extending 4 thousand km along
the Pacific coast of Asia.

• The main islands from north to

south are Hokkaido, Shikoku,
and Kyushu

• At south of Kyushu are the

Rykuku islands (72) known as
the Japanese Archipielago and
the most important is Okinawa
 • About 70% to 80% is
mountainous, with more than
200 volcanes, 40 with
volcanic activity.

• The mountains of the

hounshu island are known as
The Japanese’s Alps

The highest mountain is the

Fujiyama(3776m).

Houses type " A" in the province of

Shirakawa-go. Patrimony of the
Humanity by UNESCO, in the
surroundings of The Japanese Alps
 Society - 社会
• Officially Nippon
• Capital city: Tokio
• Population: 127,078.679
• Official language: Japanese
• Other language: chinese and
Philippine languages

National Celebration: December

23th, Birhtday of the Akihito
emperator. National Foundation Day
• Main citys: Tokio, Osaka,
Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka,
Hiroshima.

• Education: 98% middle school

75.% of high school graduates
attend a university.

•Religion: 84% Sintoistas and

Buddhist

Templo de Tōdai-ji.
 HiSTORY - 歴史
• The first signs of occupation on the
Japanese Archipelago appeared
with a Paleolithic culture around
30,000 BC, followed by the Jōmon
period and the Yayoi period.

• The most powerful kingdom on the

archipelago during the third
century was called Yamataikoku

Buddhism was first introduced to Japan from Baekje of the Korean

Peninsula.

The Nara period of the eighth century marked the first emergence of a
strong central Japanese state centered on an imperial court in the city of
Heijō-kyō but Nara was not the first capital city in Japan, though. Before
Nara, Fujiwara-kyō and Asuka served as capitals of the Yamato state.)
• Japan entered to modernity and
1857 when it opened his ports to
commercialize with countries of the
West.

• In 1868 it was overthrown the last

Shogun a kind of Mr. Feudal, an
imperial government was stablish
and began a modernization
program.

At the end of the century XIX, Japan began with his own imperialist
expantion, and in 1894 Japan won de war with China and then in
1904 with Rusia.
• In the World War I enabled Japan, joined the side of the victorious Allies
to expand its influence and territorial holdings with the Versalles
Agreement

• In 1920 Japan achieved a great infuences and prestige, but the great
depression of the thirty finished with it economy.

• 1941 declared war on the United States,

the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

• 1952 The emperor Hirohito give up and they stablish a Democratic

Constitution
• After the second half of the twenty century Japanese economy
grown up and become the second largest economy in the world.
 Government and politics
政府および政治
• Constitutional monarchy - Emperor is "the
symbol of the state and of the unity of the
people".

Taro Aso

•Power is held chiefly by the Prime

Minister of Japan and other elected
members of the Diet a bicameral
parliament.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko

• The Diet consists of:
– House of Representatives, containing 512 seats,
– House of Councillors of 252

• Since the late nineteenth century, the judicial system has been
largely based on the civil law of Europe, notably France and
Germany.
Economy - 経済
• Currency: Yen, 96.51 yens per USD

• GDP 2008 Total= $4.348 trillion

– Per capita: $34,100

• Economic growth -0.4%

• Unemployment 4.2%

• HDI: 0.956
• Industry: motor vehicles,
electronic equipment, machine
tools, steel and nonferrous
metals, ships, chemicals,
textiles and processed foods

The service sector accounts for

three quarters of the gross
domestic product

Agriculture Rice, Pope, Grape, Apple, carrot, watermelon, melon,

pear, spinach, pumpkin, lettuce, peach tree
• Exports: US 778,6 billones f.o.b.
– Electrical machinery, chemical, scientific and optical
equipment, steel

• Imports US 696,2 billones f.o.b.

– Foof, oil and derivatives, chemical.
 Culture - 文化
• Japanese culture combines influences from Asia,
Europe and North America
 Japanese arts

Origami
• Craft

Performance

tea ceremony
Kabuki
architecture

Himeji Castle

Garden
Bonsai
 Traditional Fashion

Exotic Fashion

Anime
• Japanese cuisine has
developed over the
centuries as a result of
many political and social
changes.

Rice Beans, Eggs, Flour, Fruits, Fu (wheat

gluten, Meats, Mushrooms, Noodles, Soy
products, Vegetables.

Many types of Seafood are part of

Japanese cuisine.
Seafood, Finned fish, Sea mammals,
Shellfish, Crab (Kani),Roe, Processed
seafood and Seaweed
 Literature and Religion -文献および宗教

• The earliest works of Japanese literature include two history books

the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki and the eighth century poetry book
Man'yōshū, all written in Chinese characters. In the early days of
the Heian period, the system of transcription known as kana
(Hiragana and Katakana) was created as phonograms. The Tale of
the Bamboo Cutter is considered the oldest Japanese narrative.

Shinto