Japanese Culture Essay

Japan’s culture is rich in history that dates back as far as 100,000 years ago by historians, however official studies dating back to 8,000 years ago. Roughly the size of California, located in the Pacific Ocean, Japan consists of four major islands; Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku as well as thousands of much smaller islands. The general landscape of Japan’s four main islands are mountainous that are sometimes snow covered, the largest being MT. Fuji located on the island of Honshu. In all, two thirds of Japan’s overall landscapes are mountains with forest slopes, short flowing rivers, irregular lakes, and small rich plains that experience the four major seasons. Japan averages temperatures of 79 degrees throughout the year with the coldest
temperature being 36 degrees in the month of January and its highest temperature being 84 degrees during the month of August.

Due to Japan’s location, landscape, and climate only twenty percent of Japan is suitable for cultivation. Although one fifth of Japan’s landscape is capable of producing crops, it dominated Japan’s economy up until the 1940’s alongside forestry and fishing which accounted for eighty percent of Japan’s employment. Today Japan’s economy primarily is comprised of the services industry which makes up seventy percent of Japan’s Gross Domestic Product, employing around seventy percent of the population. Financing is the largest sector of the service industry in Japan which is a large contribution to Japan’s stock market making it the fourth largest in the world. Japan is also the world’s largest creditor nation with annual surpluses in international investments and trades amongst foreign nations.

At the epicenter of this thriving economy Japan’s largest city is Tokyo, which sustains a population of over eight million people, spanning over eight hundred square miles. Due to Japan’s extremely large population in relation to its small size in land, daily life for the Japanese people has changed considerably over the past century. Today the Japanese people primarily live in extremely close quarters in relation to each other, where they compact themselves as well as their families into small homes and apartments. These tiny apartments cost the Japanese people on average ninety thousand yen per month or around eight hundred and fifty dollars U.S. The Japanese apartments have an average size around six hundred fifty square feet of living space for each Japanese families. Despite having to live in tiny housing conditions Japan’s population is generally as happy and peaceful nation which ranked fifty three out of the top two hundred countries studied.

Known for its peacefulness and happiness today, Japan experienced turmoil and destruction over the past century.
Throughout the 1920’s and 1930’s Japan is in constant conflict with itself as it tried to establish a stable government in its country. Political parties resisted one and other over the decades until ultimately an imperial Japanese government controlled the country. As the 1930’s ended Imperial Japan, that years earlier signed the Rome-Tokyo-Berlin Axis, looked hungrily towards the Dutch East Indies that were rich with oil resources. However in 1941 Japan failed to acknowledge President Roosevelt’s ultimatum for the removal of Japanese troops placed in French Indochina and China, causing the United States to place an oil embargo on the Empire of Japan. This embargo was the perfect pretext for Japan to declare war on the United States and launching a full out attack on the country. On December 7, 1941 the Empire of Japan deliberately attacked Pearl Harbor leaving the United States no choice but to enter World War II. Ultimately Japans decision to wage war on the United States would be its inevitable demise. After an intense bloody four years of war with the United States the Empire of Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945. This was largely due to the United States detonating the newly created atomic bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As a result by the wars end the Empire of Japan suffered two million military and civilian
casualties.

Today United Sates and Japanese relations have dramatically increased since the 1940’s working hand in hand with its government that is a parliamentary system government with a Constitutional Monarchy. The relationship between these two nations today is all due in part to the signing of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security in the 1950’s. As a result of this treaty the United States provides military support and alliance to the country of Japan. The United States has fifty thousand military personnel within the country of Japan to include air and missile defense capabilities. The United States as well as its allies work alongside the Japanese government in protecting one in others interests in a global theater. Japans modern day society is relatively new in terms of modern day history, but its culture is not. Japans culture dates back thousands of years that giving Japan its identity today. It is a wealthy, prosperous country with a proud society. Japan is a constantly growing and evolving country that has not forgotten its past but aims to brighten its future.