Japan

Japan (Japanese: 日本Nippon, Nihon -literal meaning: origin of the Sun - Yamato大和 is the name for the old Japan) is an island nation East of the Asian continent. The country is formed by 6.852 Islands in the Pacific Ocean. [4]  The largest islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, which make up 97% of the total area of Japan cover.

The capital and largest city of Japan is Tokyo. The surrounding greater Tokyo metropolitan area with more than 30 million inhabitants the largest metropolis in the world. The entire country has 127.253.075 inhabitants (2013) . The country is a constitutional parliamentary monarchy, with the legislative power in the hands of the Kokkai, the Parliament.

Japan is the world's third largest economy and member of large organisations such as the UN and the G8.



Content
[hide] *1 Etymologie  ==Etymologie[ Edit] == For ' Japan ' in Japanese two names in use today:
 * 2 History
 * 3 physical geography
 * 3.1 geographical overview
 * 3.2 Cities
 * 3.3 Climate
 * 3.4 earthquakes
 * 4 Population
 * 4.1 population growth
 * 4.2 Population characteristics
 * 4.3 Religion
 * 5 governance and institutions
 * 5.1 politics and Government
 * 5.2 administrative divisions
 * 5.3 Education
 * 6 Economy
 * traffic and transport 7
 * 8 Culture
 * 8.1 Art
 * 8.2 Music
 * 8.3 Literature
 * 8.4 points of interest
 * 9 see also
 * 10 external links

The two words are identical in content but are otherwise only pronounced. Generally one regards Nippon as an official term. In this way he comes, for example, on stamps, at sporting events and in the name Nippon Ginkou (Bank of Japan/The Japanese Bank). For normal use, however, Nihon preferred. For example 日本人 nihon-jin "Japanese" 日本語 nihon-go "the Japanese language". In addition, one finds many times the word ' wa 和 ' Yamato 大和, with which Japan is descended from, that meant.For example: 和風 (wafū) Japanese style, 和食 (washoku) Japanese dishes, English-Japanese 和英 (waei) (for example, in dictionary).
 * 日本 Nihon (にほん)
 * Nippon (にっぽん) 日本

In the first part of the Chinese Tang dynasty came up with Japanese scholars who had studied Chinese, a new name for their country. They used the Chinese expression for "origin of the Sun, Sunrise" because Japan East of China. In Chinese of that time (Middle Chinese), was the expression nzyet-known as or. It added the scholars the Chinese suffix -Anastasia (country) far, which led to the composition nzyet-known as or-Anastasia (Sunrise land, land of the rising sun). The consonants in the word were not pronounceable in the Oudjapans, so the term was simplified to Nip-pon-gu or Ni-pon-gu. The latter term evolved to Ni-hon-gu. The current forms Nippon and Nihon, where the "country"-suffix expired, come this match.

In the Mandarin, one of the forms of Chinese who are from the Middle Chinese evolved, developed the expression to Ra-ban-gua, an early form used by Marco Polo asChipangu was registered. The early Mandarin word became Japang, that by Portuguese traders in the 16th century was heard. These traders, those who have brought the word to Europe. The current Japan was first registered in 1577. ==History[ Edit] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Traditional Japanese legends state that Japan founded in the 7th century BC by the ancestral Emperor Jimmu. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Chinese writing systemand the Buddhism introduced, with which a long period of Chinese cultural influence began. The emperors were the rulers in name but the actual power was usually held by mighty hofnobelen, Regents or shoguns(military governors).

The Dutch trading post on the island of Dejima was for a long time the only contact between Japan and the West<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">During the 16th century arrived traders from Portugal, Netherlands, Spainand England, as well as Christian missionaries. During the first half of the 17th century the shogunate of Japan suspected that they actually have a military conquest of Japan ended by the European powers, which the shogunate severed all relations with the outside world. The only remaining contact was very limited contact with Dutch and Chinese merchants in Nagasaki (Dejima). This isolation lasted for about 200 years until commodore Matthew Perryforced the opening of Japan in 1854.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Within a few years radically changed Japanese society because of the renewed contact with the West. The shogunate was forced abolished and the emperor was restored as the highest power. With the Meiji Restoration of 1868 initiated many reforms. The feudal system was abolished and many Western institutions were taken over, including a Western style of regulation and Government. Along with these and other economic, social and military reforms Japan worked themselves up to a world power. The new ambitions of the country led to the first Sino-Japanese war (1895) and the Russo-Japanese war (1905), with which Korea, Taiwan and other territories were conquered.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Early 20th century Japan came under a growing influence of expansionist to soldiers, which led to the invasion of Manchuria, the second Sino-Japanese war (1937) and eventually to Japanese participation in the Second World War. Japan was defeated by the allies in 1945 after a final offensive by the us with the atomic bombs on the cities and population of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On 2 september 1945 Japan gave itself officially to the United States of America and its allies. Emperor Hirohito had earlier, on 15 August, the decision was made to proceed with capitulation.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Post-war Japan, now limited to its present size, remained under the control of the u.s. until 1952. Prosperity flourished during that period on the Islands again, thanks to an exceptional economic recovery. Also after the departure of the Americans remained the economic growth persist. At the end of the century, Japan has become an economic powerhouse.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In 1995 spread the sect Aum Shinrikyo Sarin gas in the Tokyo subway. There were 12 dead and 5,000 wounded.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">On March 11, 2011 Japan was hit by an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the moment magnitude scale. This was the worst earthquake in 140 years, after that earthquake was followed by a large tsunami. The quake took place 130 km east of the Japanese city of Sendai. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis dead. The aftermath of the earthquake is still visible today. Entire villages have been completely wiped off the map and Japan hit by thisnatural disaster even in a recession. ==Physical geography<span class="mw-editsection" len="330" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == Satellite image of Japan===Geographical overview<span class="mw-editsection" len="333" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The total area of Japan covers some 378,000 km². The country consists of four main islands: (from North to South) Hokkaidō, Honshū, Shikoku and Kyushu. The archipelagostretches several thousand kilometers of the far North, at the Russian Sakhalin, to the far south near Taiwan. Honshu is the largest island with an area of 231,000 km²; Therefore the most important cities of Japan. Also include the Ryukyu Islands South of the four main islands to Japan, along with many other smaller islands. The country is divided into 47 prefectures. On Hokkaido is an area where live the Ainu, the original inhabitants of Japan.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The General properties of the four main islands are: snowy steep mountains (including the famous Fujivolcano), short rivers, wooded slopes, irregular, beautiful lakes and small, fertile plains. The longest River of Japan, the Shinano, is just 367 kilometers long. about two-thirds of the land area is covered with forests. On the cultivated land, that only 11% of the total territory of Japan is, the population density is very high. ===Cities<span class="mw-editsection" len="318" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Most of the population lives in the flat areas along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The metropolis of Tokyo, also called the greater Tokyo area, is the largest metropolis in the world, with about 35 million inhabitants. Other bevolkingcentra will be around Nagoya and Osaka cities.

<p lang="en" len="37" style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The most important Japanese cities are:

===Climate<span class="mw-editsection" len="319" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Japan is located between 20 ° and 40 ° NB over a distance of approximately 3,200 kilometres. The long stretch of character-in North South direction-leads to different climates. It varies from a cool and humid continental climate in the North with freezing cold winters and warm summers to a humid subtropical climate in the South. The weather on the main islands is determined by the land mass Siberia and the Pacific Ocean. In winter, blowing the cold air from Siberia over the warmer sea of Japan and provides huge snow in northwestern Japan. In the summer there will be a warm moist air from the Pacific Ocean and this allows for high temperatures in Central and southern Japan. In August is the average temperature in Tokyo at about 27 °C; in the Netherlands is average at 18 ° c in the warmest month. The rainfall is abundant-between 1,000 and 2,500 millimeters-especially in the summer, and natural disasters, such as typhoons and earthquakes, you may experience frequent on. ===Earthquakes<span class="mw-editsection" len="324" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === Damage after the earthquake of Kobe<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Japan is a volcanic arc Islands and is one of the most active seismic areas in the world. Earthquakes are caused by plate tectonics. The Pacific plate and the Philippine Sea platediving slow (several inches per year) down under the Eurasian plate. This geological process in which the plates together along with difficulty wringing, causes great tensions. The locally over many years built up tension can result in a sudden shift, the earthquake.
 * Tokyo
 * Osaka
 * Nara
 * Kyoto
 * Kobe
 * Hiroshima
 * Yokohama
 * Nagasaki
 * Sapporo
 * Nagano
 * Nagoya
 * Fukuoka

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In 1923 the great Kantō earthquake, which devastated Tokyo and several other places claimed more than 100,000 lives and almost completely. In 1995, the great Hanshin-earthquake took place near the city of Kobe: the quake turned large damage to and took to 6,433 people life. On March 11, 2011 Japan was hit by an earthquake measuring 9.0on the moment magnitude scale. This was the worst earthquake in 140 years, after this earthquake was followed by a large tsunami. The quake took place 130 km east of the Japanese city of Sendai. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis dead.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" len="157" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [5]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The depth of the earthquakes which occur in Japan will increase from East to west. This is a result of the plate tectonics in the region and shows that the Pacific plate from the East under Japan withdraws. Among the 700 km is the rock viscous. It acts like a slow moving mass and there may be no quakes are more common. ==Population<span class="mw-editsection" len="321" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===Population Growth Rate<span class="mw-editsection" len="327" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === Development of the population of Japan in the period 1872-2050<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">At the beginning of the 20th century Japan counted almost 44 million inhabitants; early 21st century was tripled that number to 127 million.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-JAPDEM_6-0" len="164" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [6]  The population is hardly for years and the ageing becomes a big problem. In 1950 was 5% of the population 65 years of age or older, this proportion was 23% in 2010 and the share is estimated at 40% by 2050.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-JAPDEM_6-1" len="164" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]  for the share of young people, to 15 years, the figures are 35%, 13% and 9% for the same years. The population will also shrink because the death rate is higher than the birth rate (see demographic transition).

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Japan currently has 127.253.075 inhabitants (2013) . By 2050 the number of inhabitants of Japan have dropped to 95 million. Japanese scientists calculate that, at a continuation of the current decline in the birthrate, there would be no Japanese are more about 1000 years.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" len="157" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [7]  The researchers found that the number of children under 14 years of age every 100 seconds with one decreases. There currently are that 16.6 million, on a total population of 127.7 million. On May 5, 3011 would there be only one child about his.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The population of Japan is in 2012 declined by 212,000 people, a record decline.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8" len="157" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [8] ===Population Characteristics<span class="mw-editsection" len="332" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Japan is an extremely homogeneous society in which non-Japanese, Koreans and Chinesein particular, less than 1% of the population. The inhabitants of Japan are mainly the descendants of various peoples who migrated to Asia in prehistoric times; one of the first groups, Ainu, who still live on to some extent in Hokkaido, are genetically somewhat related with Caucasians.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The life expectancy at birth is strongly increased since the 1950s. For males this expectation when on 59.5 years, but this was increased to 79.6 years in 2010. For women the figures are on 63 years in 1950 and 86.4 year in 2010<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-JAPDEM_6-2" len="164" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]. The standard of living is dramatically improved from the 1950s, and the Japanese have the highest per capita income of all Asians. The programs for social welfare and health insurance are quite comprehensive. Since 1961 Japan has a health insurance system that provides all of its citizens the necessary health care. The major concerns are ageing and overpopulation. ===Religion<span class="mw-editsection" len="320" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === The Itsukushima Shrine, a Shinto shrine and UNESCOWorld Heritage site <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The main religions of Japan are Shintoism and Buddhism; most Japanese believe both to hang. While the development of the 12th developed in the Japanese religious varieties also movements such as Jodo, Shingon and Nichiren. Numerous movements, the "new religions", are created after the Second World War and have attracted many members.One of these new religions, Soka Gakkai, a Buddhist movement, grew rapidly in the 1950s and the 1960s and became a strong social and political power.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Less than 1% of the population is Christian. The Japanese thought the Confucianism has deeply influenced the Chinese culture and generally has a significant influence on the formation of Japanese civilization, such as in the Japanese architecture, Japanese art and Japanese literature. ==Governance and institutions<span class="mw-editsection" len="336" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===Politics and Government<span class="mw-editsection" len="333" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === The Japanese Parliament building<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Board in Japan is based on the 1947 Constitution, drawn up by the United Professional authorities commissioned by the then US occupiers. It states that the Emperor of Japan serves as the "symbol of the State", but that in the population is the sovereignty . Hirohito was Emperor from 1926 until his death in 1989; He was succeeded by his son,Akihito.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Executive power is vested in the Cabinet by the Prime Minister is appointed and is headed, usually the leader of the majority party. The Supreme Court leads an independentjudiciary.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Most political parties in Japan are small; their members are mainly professional politicians. Japan currently has more than 10,000 political parties, most are local and regional. TheLiberal Democratic Party (LDP) held the majority of seats in the Cabinet from 1955 to 1993, when a coalition of former opposition parties formed a Government. However the party came to power again in 1996. The LDP is quite conservative and has an Alliance with the United States and the mutual security pacts between the two countries. The Social Democratic Party (SDP, formerly the Socialist Party), which has done security treaties with the United States, was long the main rival of the LDP. However, the party formed a coalition Government In 1994 with the LDP. Since 1998, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) the second party and the largest opposition party. ===Administrative divisions<span class="mw-editsection" len="334" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Japan is divided into 47 prefecturessince 1888, each under the supervision of a directly elected Governor, legislative and governance. Each prefecture is further subdivided into cities and towns.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-9" len="157" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [9]  the cities and towns choose their own mayors and municipal councilors. The country is currently undergoing administrative reorganization in which many of the cities and towns be merged with each other. This process will reduce the number of subprefecture regions and is expected to yield savings in administrative costs.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-10" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [10] ===Education<span class="mw-editsection" len="322" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Japanese education system, set up after the second world war, is one of the most efficient in the world. Nine years of education is compulsory, although the great majority of citizens a much longer school years will go through. The two main national universities are those in Tokyo and Kyoto. ==Economy<span class="mw-editsection" len="321" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == Skyscrapers in the financial districtShinjuku in Tokyo<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">At the end of the Second World War, the country was destroyed to a large extent. All major cities were bombed and because most of the homes were built with wood, the damage was enormous. In 1946, the industrial production of the country on only 34% of the pre-war level (1937 = 100); the mining production lay in that year about 60% below the level of 1937. In 1949, the Japanese national income estimated at USD 96 per head, compared to USD 500 USD for the Netherlands, United States and 1,453 for USD 57 forIndia<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-HVT_11-0" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[11] .

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The American occupation forces was of the opinion that the pre-war economic structure has contributed to militarism. They put large conglomerates, the zaibatsu, conducted anti-monopoly legislation in and gave room for the establishment of trade unions. By the arrival of the cold war and the influence of the trade unions was contained by the Korean war,Japan was a major producer of necessary stuff for the fight. The conglomerates were able to regroup to keiretsu, with financial institutions in the core of the groups and the tapes were enhanced by mutual shares interests. Only the antitrust law has still longer time impact.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Directly after the war, the country has 13 million unemployed, but this was already in 1951 dropped to less than 0.4 million. The working population counted 36 million, of which 16 million active workers in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries. In 1951, the industrial production above that of 1937; the textile industry was an important activity. The machine building was strong in attendance, especially sewing machines, but also the production of automobiles, watches and clocks and optical instruments including cameras rose. Japan's share in world trade was about 1.5% in 1950, about half the level of 3.5% in 1938<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-HVT_11-1" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[11] .

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Japanese Government has always played an active role in the economy. The primary means to send money to the rebuilding was to make available, at attractive interest rates, to the business community. Especially the banks lending to those sectors where the Government gave priority to such as the coal, the steel industry, utilities and the shipbuilding <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-JPN_12-0" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[12]. Furthermore, the Government had control over the foreign currency; all companies had to sell the foreign earned money to the Government, which then certain import goods to which the money would be spent. Finally granted government subsidies and tax breaks to selected companies.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Korean war gave a major boost to the Japanese economy and in combination of the stated government policy and global economic growth Japan experienced an economic flowering time. Between 1965-1970, thegross domestic product (GDP) with 11.8% on average per year<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-JPN_12-1" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[12]. Trade deficits to beat in large surpluses, especially with the United States. In the early 1970s, this led to trade disputes as U.s. import duties on goods from Japan and press the Government to the fixed Exchange rate of 360 Yen per 1 US dollar to let go<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-JPN_12-2" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[12]. The 1973 oil crisis put further pressure on Japan economic growth there hardly features natural raw materials and all had to import petroleum . The Government responded with a large investment program in nuclear power stations and infrastructure to support the economy. Now catch up with other industrialized countries Japan had caught up, but continued to stick to the policy based on the economic growth high investment. Higher private consumption had the role of growth engine over, but this did not work.

Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index price history since 1970<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The large surplus in the trade balance remained a source of irritation at the trade partners. The Plaza agreement In 1985, closed which meant a strong appreciation of the Yen; exports fell and imports were cheaper and the current account surplus decreased from 4.3% in 1985 to less than 1%<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-JPN_12-3" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[12] in 1989. Pressure to the Japanese domestic market more accessible for foreign products did not lead to results. The Government fell back on the policy of cheap loans and public investment to support the business. The huge influx of money led to hefty price increases of almost everything, including shares. On 29 december 1989 on the Tokyo Stock Exchangereached the Nikkei 225 index a record of 39,000 points<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-JPN_12-4" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[12], but afterwards are stock prices, land and property prices, factories and other means of production dropped sharply in value. Business loans on a large scale could not be refunded whereby banks were confronted with large losses<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-JPN_12-5" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[12]. The Japanese economy is in fact to be quiet since then. The Government has tried several times with large investment programs or rehabilitation of the banking system to get the economy going again, but with little result. As a result of this generous spending policy in 2010, Japan has the highest public debt in the world on nearly 200% of GDP.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Japan is number three in the world rankings of the largest economies, after the United States and China. The service sector dominates the economy, accounting for 75%<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-13" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13]  followed by the agriculture industry by 20% and the rest. In 2010, the working population 65.9 million workers and unemployment was only 4%. ==Traffic and transport<span class="mw-editsection" len="331" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == A Shinkansenhigh-speed train, with the Fuji in the background<p lang="en" len="31" style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Japan knows several airports:

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The rail traffic is provided by Central Japan Railway Company, among other things, East Japan Railway Company, Japan Railways, Tokyo Monorail and West Japan Railway Company.
 * Haneda Airport
 * Narita Airport
 * Sendai Airport
 * Kansai International Airport
 * Chubu International Airport
 * Nanki-Shirahama Airport.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">There are several subways as subway of Kobe, Kyoto's Subway, Midosuji-Line, Metro of Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo subway Tokyo Tama Intercity Monorail. ==Culture<span class="mw-editsection" len="320" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == Typical example of Japanese simplicity and aesthetics: a paper parasolSushi is a popular dish in Japan<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Japanese culture has evolved greatly over its origin. Contemporary culture combines influences from Asia, Europe and North America. Traditional Japanese arts include crafts like ceramics, textiles, lacquerware, swords and puppets, Bunraku, kabukiperformances, rakugo, Nodance, and other practices, the tea ceremony, ikebana, martial arts, calligraphy,origami, onsen Geisha, and games. Japan has a developed system for the protection and promotion of both tangible and intangible cultural properties and national treasures.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-14" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [14] Sixteen locations are registered on the UNESCO World Heritage list.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-15" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [15] ===Art<span class="mw-editsection" len="318" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The great shrines of Ise are celebrated as the prototype of the Japanese architecture.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [16]  largely wooden house building and many temples use Shōji and tatami mats as separation between rooms and indoor and outdoor space.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [17]  The Japanese sculpture, largely of wood, and the Japanese painting are among the oldest parts of the Japanese artwith early figurative paintings dating back to at least 300 BC. The history of the Japanese painting exhibits the synthesis and the competition between native Japanese aestheticsand adaptation of imported ideas. The interaction between the Japanese and European art is significant. An example are the ukiyo-e prints, which starting from the 19th century were carried out in a movement known as Japonisme. This had an important influence on the development of modern art in the West, particularly in the post impressionism.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [18] Famous Ukiyo-e artists Hokusai and Hiroshige. The fusion of traditional block printing and Western art led to the creation of manga, a comic strip that is now popular within and outside Japan.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [19]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">By manga-influenced animation for television and film is called anime . In Japan-made video game consoles have been popular since the 1980s. ===Music<span class="mw-editsection" len="319" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Japanese music is eclectic and diverse. Many instruments, such as the koto, were introduced in the 9th and 10th century. The accompanying recitative of the Noh drama dates back to the 14th century and the popular folk music with the guitar-like shamisen dates back to the sixteenth.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [20]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Western classical music was introduced in the late 19th century and is now an integral part of Japanese culture. The ensemble of the Imperial Court ensemble, Gagaku, has influenced the work of some modern Western composers.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-21" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [21]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Notable classical composers from Japan are Toru Takemitsu and Rentaro Taki. The popular music in post-war Japan is heavily influenced by American and European trends, which has led to the evolution of the J-pop or Japanese popular music.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-22" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [22]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Karaoke is the most widely practiced cultural activity in Japan. A study from 1993 research of the Agency for Cultural Affairs found that more Japanese had sung karaoke that year than had participated in traditional pursuits such as flower arranging (ikebana) or tea ceremonies.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-23" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [23] ===Literature<span class="mw-editsection" len="323" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The earliest works of Japanese literature are the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki Chronicles and the man ' yōshū poetry from the 8th century and written in Chinese characters.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-24" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [24]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-25" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[25]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">During the early Heian period, the system of phonograms known as Kana (Hiragana and Katakana) developed. Taketori Monogatari is considered to be the oldest Japanese story.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ispmsu_26-0" len="166" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [26]  an account of Heian court life is given in Makura no soshi by Sei Shōnagon, while the tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu is often described as the world's first novel.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [27]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[28]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">During the Edo period the chōnin ("city slickers") the samurai aristocracy in as producers and consumers of the literature. For example, the popularity of the work of Saikaku reveals this change in readership and authorship, while Matsuo Bashō the poetic tradition of the Kokinshū with his haikai (haiku) and the poetic journey Oku no Hosomichi report wrote.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-29" len="159" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [29]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Meiji era showed a decline of traditional literary forms when the Japanese literature integrated Western influences. Natsume Sōseki and Mori Ōgai were the first "modern" writers of Japan, followed by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, Yasunari Kawabata, Yukio Mishima and, more recently, Haruki Murakami. Japan has two winners of the Nobel Prize in literature, namely Yasunari Kawabata (1968) and Kenzaburo Ōe(1994). ===Points Of Interest<span class="mw-editsection" len="332" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === Himeji Castle*Buddhist monuments near Horyu-ji
 * Himeji Castle
 * Yakushima
 * Shirakami-Sanchi
 * Historic monuments of ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu)
 * Historic villages of Shirakawago and Gokayama
 * Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)
 * Itsukushima Shrine
 * Historic monuments of Ancient Nara
 * Shrines and temples of Nikko
 * Gusuku-related location and places of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
 * The three sacred sites and pilgrimage routes in the Kii Mountain range
 * Shiretoko national park
 * Fuji