Japan: History, Geography, Economy & Culture

This is the story of Japan. In this video, I explore the long and unique history of Japan, the diverse geography of Japan - an archipelago of mountains, forests and volcanoes, the Japanese Economy - perhaps the most sophisticated in the world, and the remarkably rich Japanese culture that has influenced the world in so many ways.

🕐CHAPTERS🕖
👉0:00 Opening Montage
👉1:57 Introduction and Titles
👉3:15 Origins and Early History
👉7:14 Modern History
👉15:16 Government
👉17:01 Physical Geography
👉22:17 Human Geography and Language
👉25:13 Economy
👉28:07 Culture and Summary
👉31:22 Outro

Japan's history as old and rich as any, and is strongly influenced by its geography, an island chain isolated at the end of the Eurasian continent. Its origins begin in the myths of the first Emperor of Japan, with recorded history beginning in the with the Yamato state of the 1st Century AD. Buddhism came to Japan in the 6th Century and fused with the native Shinto religion, which has continued to this day. Various dynasties went forward in the Asuka Period, the Nara Period where the capital of Japan moved to Kyoto, the Heian Period and the Kofun Period where the power of the Shogun, a military commander with greater power than the Emperor began.

But the Shogun's power waned until by the 15th Century, competing warlords ("Daimyo") fought each other in what became known as the Sengoku Period ("Warring States"). Samurai warriors, who ruled their lives by the Bushido Code, fought each other for 150 years. Oda Nobunaga was the one who ultimately triumphed out of the chaos, but he was soon assassinated, and his successor Tokugawa Ieyasu became Shogun after one final contest, the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. The Shogun Tokugawa moved his court to Edo, later renamed Tokyo, and for the next 250 years, peace and isolation reigned in this Edo Period, as foreigners were expelled.

The Edo Period came to an end in 1860 as Admiral Perry of the USA forced Japan to open up. The Shogun was deposed and the emperor restored to power in what became known as the Meiji Restoration. In the next few decades, Japan went from a feudal society to a modern industrialised nation. But this progress was overshadowed by the rise of ultra-nationalist politicians under Hideki Tojo, who invaded China, leading to the Nanking Massacre, and the entry of Japan into World War II. The Empire of Japan was short lived, however, as Great Britain and the USA pushed back its forces, and the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki saw the unimaginable surrender of the country in August 1945.

Since the war, the Japanese Economic Miracle took place, as Japan went from ruins to the #2 Economy in the world by the early 1970s. It soon dominated electronics, robotics and automotive sectors, with Japanese brands such as Sony, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Canon and Panasonic becoming household names.

The geography of Japan comprises four main islands Hokkaido in the north, the largest island of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu in the south. Okinawa is also notable, part of the Ryukyu island chain that extends as far as Taiwan. Earthquakes are a continual menace to Japan, with the most recent devastating Tohoku Earthquake of 2011 resulting in a devastating tsunami that led to the loss of 10,000s and the nuclear disaster of Fukushima.

Japanese culture is easily among the world's richest, with its art, ikebana, bonsai and Japanese garden design prized around the world. It has a rich tradition of martial arts, from samurai to judo, karate to sumo. Its cuisine of ramen, sushi, teppan and teriyaki is sophisticated and popular the world over. Manga and anime are the latest globally desired trend of a tradition of centuries of illustration. Japanese strength in both electronics, art and story-telling resulted in its early entry into video games, which it continues to dominate to the present.

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Media Procurement Assistance, Spanish CC Translation: Richard Torres

Narrated, Written and Produced by
B.J.Ranson

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