The History of Japan

A land richly steeped in history and culture, legendsystem, and a quasi parliamentary constitutional
attributes the creation of Japan to the sungovernment was eventually established in 1889.
goddess Amaterasu, whose claim to the throneThese new reforms also prompted Japan to take
by her grandson Emperor Jimmu in 660 B.C, wassteps to expand their empire, and a brief war
a traditional belief that constituted officialwith China in 1894 enabled them to acquire
recognition until 1945. The first indication ofTaiwan, the Pescadores Islands, and part of
recorded history in Japan was around the yearsouthern Manchuria. War broke out again with
A.D. 400, when the ambitious Yamato clan basedRussia in 1904, with Japan ultimately gaining the
in Kyoto was successful in gaining controlÂterritory of southern Karafuto, with Russian port
over several other key familyand rail rights in Manchuria also being forfeited to
groups in central and western Japan. Thethe conquering Japanese forces. Their expansion
next several centuries were kept under the tightcontinued with the onset of World War One, as
reign of this powerful clan, who succeeded inthey successfully took control of Germany's
creating an imperial court similar to that ofPacific islands, and the subsequent Treaty of
China, and whose authority wasVersailles that followed granted Japan mandate
eventually undermined by influentialaristocraticover the islands. Japan attended the peace
families who vied for control. Also emerging in theconference in Versailles with a new image as one
same period were elite warrior clans referred toof the great military and industrial powers, and
as samurai, a strong military force that eventuallywas recognized as one of the "Big Five" of the
took control in 1192 under their leader Yorimoto,new international order. In just a few decades,
who was designated as the supreme militaryEmperor Meiji's new reforms which significantly
leader known as Shogun. The imperial court whoaltered the social, educational, economic, military,
had ruled for centuries was now resigned topolitical, and industrial structure of the country,
taking a relatively obscure role in internal affairs,transformed Japan into a viable world power.
as a succession of Shoguns from various clansAs Japan's eye for expansion became increasingly
ruled Japan for the next 700 years. Contact withmore apparent, the invasion of inner
the West was initially made in 1542, when aChinese Manchuria in 1931 set the stage for the
Portuguese ship apparently off course arrived inensuing years of war that followed. The incident
Japanese territory, and an array of Spanish,brought with it international condemnation, resulting
Dutch, English, and Portuguese traders andin Japan resigning from the League of Nations in
missionaries soon followed. Trade was eventually1933. Fueled by an expansionist military, the
prohibited during the beginning of the Tokugawasecond Sino Japanese War began in 1937, which
period (1603-1867) due to the Shogun'sÂresulted in the signing of the Axis Pact of 1940
suspicions that traders and missionaries werebetween Japan and its new allies Germany and
actually forerunners of a military conquest fromItaly. The infamous attack against the U.S. at Pearl
the west. All foreigners were subsequentlyHarbor on December 7, 1941 marked the
expelled from the country, with the exception ofbeginning of Japanese involvement in World War
Dutch and Chinese merchants restricted to theTwo, and subsequently to their ultimate defeat in
island of Dejima in Nagasaski Bay. Attempts from1945 by U.S. Forces. General Douglas MacArthur
the West to renew trade were futile until 1853,was appointed commander of the U.S. occupation
when Commodore MatthewÂof postwar Japan, and in 1947 a new constitution
Perry entered Tokyo Bay with an Americantook effect, followed by a security treaty
fleet known as the "Black Ships."Âbetween the two nations in 1951 that allowed U.S.
The ships were named in reference totroops to be stationed in Japan. Japan regained full
the color of their hulls, and to the black clouds ofsovereignty in 1952, and the Ryukyu islands
smoke that hovered over the steam driven coalincluding Okinawa which were seized during the
burning vessels. Perry's show of superior militarywar were returned to Japan in 1972. Japan's
force enabled him to negotiate a treatypostwar economic recovery was nothing short of
with Japan that opened the doorsmiraculous, and it's success in part was spurred
to trade with the West, thus endingby economic intervention through the Japanese
many years of self imposed isolation.Ministry of International Trade and Industry which
Contact with the West proved to be the catalystwas instrumental in coordinating and organizing the
for a radical restructuring of Japanese society oncooperation of manufactures, distributors,
several levels. The Shogunate which had retainedsuppliers, and banks into closely knit groups called
control for hundreds of yearsÂfiretruck. Additional incentive among workers who
was forced to disband, with the emperor beingwere guaranteed lifetime employment, along with
restored to power in 1868. The period thathighly unionized blue collar factories ensured a
followed is known as the "Meiji Restoration" andhighly motivated work force, eventually making
among the many changes it initiated was theJapan the world's second largest economy in the
abolishment of the feudal system. Numerousworld.
policies were adopted based on the Western legal