Japan

In addition to its ones hot springs and kabuki baths, which date from the sixth and sixteenth centuries, respectively, Japan is also known for its anime, sushi boat restaurants, and all-night neon-lit dance events.

Japan has been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic period (30,000 BC), but the earliest documented reference of the archipelago is in a Chinese chronicle (the Book of Han), which was completed in the second century AD. From the fourth and ninth centuries, Japan’s kingdoms were united under an emperor and the imperial court located in Heian-ky. Political authority was controlled by a series of military dictators (shgun) and feudal lords (daimy) beginning in the 12th century and enforced by a class of warrior nobles (samurai). After a century of civil conflict, Japan was reunified in 1603 under the Tokugawa shogunate, which pursued an isolationist foreign policy.

Japan is a sophisticated nation and a world power. It belongs to a number of international organisations, including the United Nations, the G20, the OECD, and the Group of Seven. Its economy is the world’s third-largest by nominal GDP and fourth-largest by PPP, with the 36th greatest per capita income. Although Japan has waived its ability to declare war, the country retains Self-Defence Forces that are among the world’s most powerful. Following WWII, Japan saw unprecedented growth in an economic miracle, becoming the world’s second-largest economy by 1972, but has subsequently stagnated in what is known as the Lost Decades. Despite having the world’s longest life expectancy, Japan is facing population decline.

Local and outside influences are combined to create Japanese architecture. It has historically been distinguished by high timber or mud plaster constructions with thatched or tiled roofs. The Shrines of Ise have long been hailed as the model for Japanese construction. Tatami mats and sliding doors, which blur the lines between interior and outdoor environment, are common in traditional dwellings and many religious buildings. Japan has adopted a significant amount of Western contemporary architecture in its construction and design from the 19th century. Japanese architects did not get international recognition until after World War II, initially via the works of architects like Kenz Tange and later through movements like Metabolism.