Asia Pacific Studies

8/14/2019 Asia Pacific Studies

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Asia Pacific Studies JAPAN



Geography -

• Japan known as “Land of theRising Sun”, is a country ofover a thousand islandsextending 4 thousand km alongthe Pacific coast of Asia.

• The main islands from north tosouth are Hokkaido, Shikoku,and Kyushu

• At south of Kyushu are theRykuku islands (72) known asthe Japanese Archipielago andthe most important is Okinawa



• About 70% to 80% ismountainous, with more than200 volcanes, 40 withvolcanic activity.

• The mountains of thehounshu island are known asThe Japanese’s Alps

The highest mountain is theFujiyama(3776m).

Houses type " A" in the province ofShirakawa-go. Patrimony of theHumanity by UNESCO, in thesurroundings of The Japanese Alps



Society -• Officially Nippon• Capital city : Tokio• Population : 127,078.679• Official language: Japanese• Other language: chinese and

Philippine languages

National Celebration: December23th, Birhtday of the Akihitoemperator. National Foundation Day



• Main citys: Tokio, Osaka,Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka,Hiroshima.

• Education: 98% middle school75.% of high school graduatesattend a university.

•Religion: 84% Sintoistas andBuddhist

Templo de Tōdai -ji.



HiSTORY -• The first signs of occupation on theJapanese Archipelago appeared

with a Paleolithic culture around30,000 BC, followed by the Jōmonperiod and the Yayoi period.

• The most powerful kingdom on thearchipelago during the thirdcentury 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 astrong central Japanese state centered on an imperial court in the city ofHeijō -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 and1857 when it opened his ports tocommercialize with countries of theWest.

• In 1868 it was overthrown the lastShogun a kind of Mr. Feudal, animperial government was stablish

and began a modernizationprogram.

At the end of the century XIX, Japan began with his own imperialistexpantion, and in 1894 Japan won de war with China and then in1904 with Rusia.



• In the World War I enabled Japan, joined the side of the victorious Alliesto expand its influence and territorial holdings with the Versalles

Agreement

• In 1920 Japan achieved a great infuences and prestige, but the greatdepression 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 DemocraticConstitution



• After the second half of the twenty century Japanese economy

grown up and become the second largest economy in the world.



Government and politics

• Constitutional monarchy - Emperor is "thesymbol of the state and of the unity of thepeople".

•Power is held chiefly by the PrimeMinister of Japan and other electedmembers of the Diet a bicameral

parliament.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko

Taro Aso



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

• Since the late nineteenth century, the judicial system has beenlargely based on the civil law of Europe, notably France andGermany.



Economy -• 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, machinetools, steel and nonferrousmetals, ships, chemicals,textiles and processed foods

The service sector accounts forthree quarters of the grossdomestic 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 -• Japanese culture combines influences from Asia,Europe and North America



Japanese arts

• CraftOrigami

Performance

Kabukitea ceremony



Himeji Castle

GardenBonsai

architecture



Exotic Fashion

Anime

Traditional Fashion



• Japanese cuisine has

developed over thecenturies as a result ofmany political and socialchanges.

Rice Beans, Eggs, Flour, Fruits, Fu (wheatgluten, Meats, Mushrooms, Noodles, Soy

products, Vegetables.Many types of Seafood are part ofJapanese cuisine.Seafood, Finned fish, Sea mammals,Shellfish, Crab ( Kani ),Roe, Processed

seafood and Seaweed



Literature and Religion -

• The earliest works of Japanese literature include two history booksthe Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki and the eighth century poetry bookMan'yōshū , all written in Chinese characters. In the early days ofthe 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

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