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Japan (Modern World
Nations) (Hardcover)
Authors: Charles F. Gritzner,
Douglas A. Phillips & Kristi L.
Desaulniers
ISBN: 0791072398
Publisher:
Table of Contents
Introducing Japan
It is one of the most amazing countries
in the world. The Japanese call it
Nippon or Nihon, meaning the
source of the Sun. Others call it the
Land of the Rising Sun.We call it Japan.
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The Natural Environment
In many ways, nature has not treated
Japan kindly. In fact, few countries
face more geographical and environmental
obstacles than does Japan. Its location
off the eastern edge of Asia isolates
the country from the rest of the world.
Japan faces the challenge of extreme
fragmentation.
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Japan’s Early History
The hermit crab is a very practical
creature. It wanders the sea floor in
search of a suitable shell it can occupy
for protection. Occasionally, it leaves
the shell to search for food, but slips
quickly back into its shelter when
danger approaches. For much of its
history, Japan has been much like the
hermit crab.
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The Birth of Modern Japan
Japan’s policy of isolation during the
Tokugawa era protected the country
against outside threats. During the
mid-1850s, however, it became apparent
that Japan’s closed door also kept out
technology and other useful new ideas.
Japan was falling far behind the Western
industrialized world.
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People and Culture
Japan’s people and culture are yet
another reason the country is often
referred to as the “Miracle of the
Orient.” Japan has successfully blended
its traditional East Asian culture with
a modern Western urban-industrial way of
life. This mixture of the old and the
new defines modern Japan.
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Government
Japan adopted its current constitution
in 1947. The Japanese constitution
established the country as a
constitutional monarchy. This means that
Japan is a democracy where the people
rule indirectly through their
representatives in the Diet, the
Japanese Parliament.
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The Economy
When people call Japan the “Miracle of
the Orient,” they are usually referring
to the country’s economy. In this
chapter, you will learn how the Japanese
had to overcome many obstacles in order
to become one of the world’s foremost
economic powers.
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Living in Japan Today
One of the Japanese peoples’ greatest
strengths is the ability to adopt ideas
and values from other cultures, and then
adapt them to their own lives. This
marvelous ability is evident in their
religion, writing systems, housing, and
even food. Yet the Japanese also
preserve their own values and beliefs.
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Japan Looks Ahead
In your tour of Japan through the pages
of this book you have learned about
Japan’s land, history, and people. You
have seen how people in the Land of the
Rising Sun have overcome countless
hardships and obstacles to become a
leading world economic power. Less than
150 years ago, they emerged from a shell
in which they had taken refuge for over
300 years. In under a halfcentury,
having undergone the many changes
introduced during the Meiji Restoration,
the small country became a major world
power.
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