2. Japan Japan is an archipelago of over 6,000 islands Four largest islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku Most dominant feature: Mount Fuji

3. Japan By the 300’s, Japan was unified under the Yamato Clan and an emperor From 600’s (Nara and Heian Periods), Japan influenced by Chinese writing, government, Confucianism, and Buddhism

4. Japan Japan fell into a warlord period Code of Bushido established Samurai – knights who served lords 1192 –Emperor created position of Shogun Provinces administered by Daimyo

5. Japan Unification of Japan began under different shoguns 1500’s - Portuguese traders introduced guns and Christianity Christianity and guns thrown out by Tokugawa Shogunate Shogun isolated Japan

6. Japan 1853 – Japan forcibly opened to trade by Commodore Matthew Perry (US) 1868 – Shogun removed and replaced by emperor rule (Meiji Restoration) Japan adopted constitutional monarchy

7. Japan Japan copied the West and industrialized and modernized 1904-1905 Russo- Japanese War – Japan defeated Russia Attacked Pearl Harbor Dec 7 th 1941 and US into WWII

8. Japan US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 1945) Japan occupied by US troops Japan became US ally Japan became first “Asian Tiger”

9. Japan Japan’s population is homogeneous (98.5% Japanese) Population is also aging as birth rate continues to drop Shintoism – animistic religion; 80% Japan Shinto Very open to Western influences