How Japan Became The Country It Is
Back during the 16th century, traders from Portugal, the Netherlands, England, and Spain arrived, as well as Christian missionaries. However, in 1639 the Tokugawa shoguns adopted a policy of isolation in order to stabilize their power and banned all international trade. The missionaries were thrown out of Japan. All locals who practiced Christianity were killed. Any future traders that arrived and attempted to set foot on Japanese soil were killed (except for the Dutch East Indies, who did manage to work out a trade alliance).
And just like that, the Ancient Japanese Culture was cut off from the rest of the world for almost 250 years. They had no idea of all the progress made by western world between 17th and 19th century, merely continued allow with its traditional feudal system of samurai, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants. Then in 1853, Commodore Perry of the U.S. Navy sailed his fleet to the port of Uraga, near Tokyo. He forced the shogun to enter into a trade agreement with the U.S. and cancel the period of isolation in the history in Japan. It was this sudden encounter with the West and its advanced technology contributed to the downfall of the Tokugawa shoguns and motivated Japan to catch up with the outside world.
By 1868 there was a new emperor - Emperor Meiji, a mere 16 years old at the time. However, in spite of his age he managed to form an industrial and military supremacy within a few years. He moved his government from Kyoto to Tokyo and set Japan on a course of modernization that would transform the ancient Japanese culture from a feudal society to an industrialized nation in only a few decades. Sure enough Western culture and influence rapidly flowed into Japan and the feudal system was eliminated. Shinto became the formal religion in japan, but the emperor also announced religious freedom.
In 1904 Japan initiated war against Russia. Japan also cancelled the independence of Korea. The Americans and British started to feel their power in the area was being threatened. Things built up over the next decade as the world began the enter World War I. Japan used this war to conquer more areas in China. But soon an economic downturn that had developed during that late stages of WWI had become a full-fledged crisis. Due to absence of natural resources, Japan felt a need to conquer resource-rich colonies leading to further invasions of China.
Following the military success it was a time of extreme Fascism in Japan's history. The peak was a sunrise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in the beginning of December 1941. Needless to say, that caused the United States to enter World War II. Little did they know it but Japanese history was at a turning point.
After a long and vicious Pacific fight the United States wiped out Hiroshima and Nagasaki three days apart with two atomic bombs. The bombs killed approximately 130,000 people instantly but many more would suffer from and even die from cancer and other medicial issues caused by the radioactive fallout. Three days after the second atomic bomb, Emperor Hirohito announced defeat and Japan surrendered to the United States on August 15, 1945.
Not only was Japan defeated, but their cities were in ruins; They had given up all their occupied territories; They had suffered a loss of two million people. But the hurt did not stop there. According to American demands, the Japanese army was dismantled and the education system was thoroughly changed. The emperors' role was declared symbolic and Japan adopted a democratic constitution for the first time in Japan history. The Americans did however allow the emperor to remain in his position, because they were afraid of any panic or instability amongst the Japanese people. In the emperor's radio announcement to the Japanese people he announced himself to be human and not a divine entity, which came as shock to Japanese people.
Five years after the war the Japanese industry went back to its post-war level. The increase was mainly due to the Korean War, in which Japanese industry was a major supplier to the NATO forces. The country entered a period of peace and rapid economic growth. Over the next decade it evolved to became a significant power in industrial sections, including car manufacturing and the electronic goods. Tokyo even hosted the 1964 summer Olympics, showing the world that it was a modern, industrialized nation.
Japan continued to experience Westernization throughout the postwar era, much of which came about during the occupation, when American soldiers were a common sight in many parts of the country. American music and movies became popular, spurring a generation of Japanese artists who built on both Western and Japanese influences. It was during this period that Japan also began to emerge as an exporter of culture. Young people across the world began consuming kaiju (monster) movies, anime (cartoons), manga (comic books), and other modern Japanese culture. Japanese authors such as Yasunari Kawabata and Yukio Mishima became popular literary figures in America and Europe. American soldiers returning from the occupation brought with them stories and artifacts, and the following generations of U.S. troops in Japan contributed to a steady trickle of martial arts and other culture from the country.
The Great Metropolis Of Tokyo
Effortlessly blending the old and the new, Tokyo is a city that defies definition. Cutting edge technology glitters beside ancient temples, flashing neon lights bathe kimono-clad women, and shining skyscrapers tower above stunning Shinto shrines. At first glance a city clogged by polluting cars and harassed commuters, Tokyo has spots of tranquility and beautiful detail that amaze and astonish. The Greater Tokyo Area is home to over 36 million people, yet still this is a city with a history and a heart that captivates every visitor.
In 1590, the city was founded as Edo, the capital of the shoguns, the succession of hereditary absolute rulers of Japan and commander of the Japanese army. Edo boasted its own vibrant culture, the celebrated 'floating world' of pleasure quarters, theaters and cherry blossoms, immortalized in the Japanese woodblock prints of the time. However, no foreigners ever glimpsed these sights, as for over 250 years anyone arriving on the islands was beheaded; the Dutch were the only ones lucky enough to maintain exclusive trading rights.
However, all that changed following the fall of the shoguns in 1867 (and the restoration of the power of the Emperor); The city was renamed Tokyo, the Eastern Capital, heralding its rebirth as a dynamic modern city and the showpiece of a rapidly modernizing country, and visitors were finally allowed into the country.
Despite the catastrophic 1923 earthquake, which killed 140,000 and left a further 1.9 million people homeless, and near obliteration during WWII, Tokyo rose from the ashes to become a city unlike any other worldwide.
Now a bewildering amalgamation of districts and neighborhoods, Tokyo still thrive as a coherent whole, due to the extraordinarily efficient network of rail and underground lines that crisscross and encircle the city. These are Tokyo's arteries, transporting legions of businesspeople, office workers and students from the suburbs and depositing them in vast stations. Two million people a day pass through Shinjuku Station alone.
The towering business districts swarm with soberly dressed corporate warriors and the demure young secretaries known as 'office flowers'. The architectural anarchy and sheer crush of humanity assaults the senses. Amid the frenzy of consumerism, brash electronics outlets are crammed next to refined upscale boutiques and hordes of giggling schoolgirls swoon over pop idols and the latest fashions in glitzy emporiums.
Downtown, old neighborhoods cluster around antiquated shopping arcades and the clatter of the temple bell echoes across the rooftops. Here, the rhythms of the seasons are still observed. Tokyoites flock to ring in the New Year at the venerable Shinto shrines and springtime brings a flurry of flower-viewing parties and picnics under the cherry blossoms.
Rowdy, traditional festivals punctuate the humid summers and the spirit of the old Edo also survives in the neon-bathed entertainment districts: modern-day 'floating worlds' of karaoke and cinemas, shot bars and bathhouses. Traditional kabuki theater thrives alongside opera, ballet and symphonic performances, and Tokyoites are passionate about sumo, baseball and now, thanks partly to the 2002 World Cup, football.
With the latest figures estimating an incredible 60,000 eateries in Tokyo and home to the world's largest fish market, food is an obsession even closer to Japanese hearts. From bowls of steaming ramen noodles to delicate slices of sashimi, chefs compete to offer the freshest produce, and presentation is elevated to an art form.
Japan is an economic powerhouse inviting the envy of the world, with an important economy second only to that of the United States. But the continuing recession, bank collapses, and financial scandals have dramatically altered the exchange rates for the Japanese Yen, making Japan, and Tokyo in particular, an even more expensive place to visit or live nowadays versus five years ago.
Regardless, visiting the city is a pleasure at any time, except perhaps the sweltering heat of summer (July and August). While winter in the city is cold and crisp, spring (March to May) is the highlight of the year for many, with the arrival of delicate cherry blossoms inspiring sake-soaked picnics in the city's parks and avenues. Autumn (September to November) sees the oppressive summer heat give way to balmy days and golden leaves. Just be sure to avoid Golden Week (late Apr-May) and New Year (late Dec-early Jan), the two most important festivals in the Shinto calendar, because the city closes down. But with festivals celebrated almost every week, whenever you visit there is always something of the old Japan to experience.
Thanks to the determination of the Japanese government to attract foreign visitors, Tokyo is becoming ever easier to navigate. A recent redesign of the subway map makes traveling on the city's excellent public transport extremely easy. English signage is good and getting better, while learning a few basics in Japanese will go a long way to help navigate the sprawling city's streets.
»» The English version of the Tokyo Subway Map (trust me, its easier than it looks). Click image to enlarge.
With recent statistics heralding an unprecedented rise in tourist numbers, Tokyo is inspiring more western visitors than ever before. Hurtling towards the future while respecting its past, this unique city and the people that live there offer visitors an experience they will never forget.
