The Beginner’s Guide to Japan

Japan is a tiny country, about the same size as California, which has had a disproportionately large impact upon the rest of the globe and on the course of human history. The traveler can experience some of the unique culture that has both caused and resulted from Japan’s place in the world, and will find that their trip is enhanced by having some prior understanding of what has made Japan into the modern and exciting country that it is today.

Japan is formed from several larger and thousands of smaller islands. Honshu is the largest and this is the part of Japan which most visitors will experience. Hokkaido Island is another popular destination, while Kyushu and Shikoku are the other fairly large islands.

The Japanese islands are volcanic in origin, and they still experience the effects of tectonic activity, particularly in the fairly frequent earthquakes. The countryside is predominantly mountainous. The most famous peak is that of Mount Fuji, and you have probably seen photos of its characteristic snow-capped dome even if you didn’t know its name.

The capital of Japan is Tokyo, and the majority of the Japanese are packed into this and other cities. The population is well over one and a quarter million, but has begun to decline in recent time. The life expectancy in Japan is one of the highest in the world, 77 for men and 84 for women, and the literacy rate is also high, at 99%. The most commonly used language is Japanese.

The Japanese culture has been influenced by its landscape which has forced people to live around the coasts since the interior is to steep for building, and even for cultivation in places. This has resulted in densely populated cities and some beautifully untouched countryside. Another important influence had been the existence of two separate but similar religions, Shinto the “native” religion and Buddhism, which arrived here via China. There both value nature and share similar beliefs, with worshipers from each sometimes using the same temple.

Japan has an Emperor, and the current incumbent is a descendant of the first, Jimmu, who was traditionally believed to have founded Japan when he arrived more than two and a half thousand years ago.

Japan’s first Western visitors were the crew of a ship from Portugal that accidentally landed here after getting lost at sea in the 16th century. Many modern day visitors can feel similarly lost, as if they have stumbled onto an alien world rather than just another part of our own. This is partly because for many centuries there was a policy of isolationism. Foreigners were banned until mid way through the 19th century, and the Japanese culture developed without outside influences.

The changes were rapid once Japan had opened its doors. Unfortunately Japan’s new interest in world affairs resulted in their association with Nazi Germany during World War Two. Japan had fought with the Allies in World War One, and gained a reputation for military might to match its new economic status. It then developed ambitions for dominance in Asia and attacked China, and began a relationship with the Nazis. In 1941 the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor stimulated the US into action. Over three million Japanese people lost their lives during the war, and a huge amount of damage was incurred by the cities. The worst attacks came at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where the US dropped atom bombs, effectively bringing about the Japanese surrender and the end of the war.

Japan has changed a lot since this low point at the end of the war, when it lost its possessions overseas and was placed under the control of General MacArthur. It became a democracy and regained control of its own governance in 1952. While its military ambitions were gone, Japan became an important player in the world economy.

The raid changes that Japan has undergone have created a unique and vibrant culture that provides much of interest for the visitor, especially the Western traveler whose home country will seem a million miles away.