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Japan (Japanese: 日本, Nippon or Nihon, and formally 日本国, Nihonkoku) is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north toward the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, and Taiwan in the south. Japan is a part of the Ring of Fire, and spans an archipelago of 14,125 islands, with the five main islands being Hokkaido, Honshu (the "mainland"), Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Tokyo is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Kobe, and Kyoto.

Japan is the eleventh most populous country in the world, as well as one of the most densely populated. About three-fourths of the country's terrain is mountainous, concentrating its highly urbanized population on narrow coastal plains. Japan is divided into 47 administrative prefectures and eight traditional regions. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world. Japan has the world's highest life expectancy, though it is experiencing a population decline.

Japan has been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic period (30,000 BC). Between the 4th and 9th centuries, the kingdoms of Japan became unified under an emperor and the imperial court based in Heian-kyō. Beginning in the 12th century, political power was held by a series of military dictators (shōgun) and feudal lords (daimyō) and enforced by a class of warrior nobility (samurai). After a century-long period of civil war, the country was reunified in 1603 under the Tokugawa shogunate, which enacted an isolationist foreign policy. In 1854, a United States fleet forced Japan to open trade to the West, which led to the end of the shogunate and the restoration of imperial power in 1868. In the Meiji period, the Empire of Japan adopted a Western-modeled constitution and pursued a program of industrialization and modernization. Amidst a rise in militarism and overseas colonization, Japan invaded China in 1937 and entered World War II as an Axis power in 1941. After suffering defeat in the Pacific War and two atomic bombings, Japan surrendered in 1945 and came under a seven-year Allied occupation, during which it adopted a new constitution.

Under the 1947 constitution, Japan has maintained a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature, the National Diet. Japan is a developed country and a great power. Its economy is the world's third-largest by nominal GDP and the fourth-largest by PPP, with its per capita income ranking at 36th highest in the world. Although Japan has renounced its right to declare war, the country maintains Self-Defense Forces that rank as one of the world's strongest militaries. A global leader in the automotive, robotics and electronics industries, the country has made significant contributions to science and technology. It is part of multiple major international and intergovernmental institutions. (Full article...)

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Remains of Hara castle.jpg
The Shimabara Rebellion was an uprising largely involving Japanese peasants, most of them Christians, in 1637–1638 during the Edo period. It was also one of only a handful of instances of serious unrest during the relatively peaceful period of the Tokugawa shogunate's rule. In the wake of the Matsukura clan's construction of a new castle at Shimabara, taxes were drastically raised, which provoked anger from local peasants and lordless samurai. In addition, religious persecution against the local Christians exacerbated the discontent, which turned into open revolt in 1637. The Tokugawa Shogunate sent a force of over 125,000 troops to suppress the rebellion, and after a lengthy siege against the rebels at Hara Castle, defeated them. In the wake of the rebellion, the rebel leader Amakusa Shirō was beheaded, and persecution of Christianity strictly enforced. Japan's national seclusion policy was tightened, and formal persecution of Christianity continued until the 1850s. In the mid-1630s, the peasants of the Shimabara Peninsula and the Amakusa Islands, dissatisfied with overtaxation and suffering from the effects of famine, revolted against their lords. This was specifically in territory ruled by two lords: Matsukura Katsuie of the Shimabara Domain, and Terasawa Katataka of the Karatsu Domain. Though the rebellion is cast by many historians as a religious uprising, this does not address the issues of the discontent from the famine and overtaxation. (Full article...)

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On this day...

May 24:

Events

  • 670 - The Horyuji Temple burned down. (Japanese Date: Thirtieth Day of the Fourth Month, 670)
  • 905 - The imperial rescript of Kokin Wakashū compiled. (Japanese Date: Eighteenth Day of the Fourth Month, 905)
  • 1878 - The first impaired school in Japan opened in Kyoto.
  • 1900 - The Meiji government banned men and women of mixed bathing for more than twelve years of age.
  • 1903 - Kobe Golf Club perform its opening ceremony in Kobe and Rokko Mountain, which became Japan's first golf course.
  • 1926 - Tokachidake eruption killed 144 people. It caused a large explosion, which is located in the center of Hokkaido, such as Furano pioneer village in the muddy water jet which flowed instantly, and became a catastrophe of 144 dead.
  • 1942 - Professional baseball extended 28 times in Nagoya versus ocean warfare.
  • 1949 - A law is promulgated change people's age calculation from the traditional "Kazoedoshi Formula" to "How to Count the Full". By promulgation, infants born on December will be two years old in January, it can receive a distribution of sweets, and there was a defect such that reduced the distribution to be calculated sixty generations to reverse. A newspaper reported that "people became a rejuvenated thing".
  • 1955 - Emperor Hirohito watched his first sumo in Kokugikan.
  • 1956 - The Anti-Prostitution Act is promulgated.
  • 1960 - Large damage to the Sanriku region in the tsunami of the Chilean earthquake. 139 people are dead or missing during the disaster.

Births

Film and television

In the news

10 May 2023 –
Four people are injured after a magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck near Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. (Kyodo News)
5 May 2023 – 2023 Ishikawa earthquake
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, killing one person and injuring 22 others. (AP)
27 April 2023 –
In a resolution drafted by the UAE and Japan, the UN Security Council unanimously condemns the Taliban administration's ban on Afghan women working, including for the United Nations in Afghanistan, and calls on Taliban leaders to lift the ban immediately. (France 24)
25 April 2023 –
Hakuto-R Mission 1, an uncrewed lunar lander built by Japanese aerospace company ispace, is presumed lost after the company lost contact with the spacecraft during descent to the lunar surface. Onboard was the Emirates Lunar Mission rover Rashid, along with a transformable robot, SORA-Q, built by Tomy and JAXA. (CNN) (The New York Times)

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Kanō Jigorō c1937.jpg
Kanō Jigorō, c. 1937

Jigoro Kano (嘉納 治五郎, 10 December 1860 – 4 May 1938) was a Japanese educator, athlete, and the founder of Judo. Along with Ju-Jutsu, Judo was one of the first Japanese martial arts to gain widespread international recognition, and the first to become an official Olympic sport. Pedagogical innovations attributed to Kanō include the use of black and white belts, and the introduction of dan ranking to show the relative ranking among members of a martial art style. Well-known mottoes attributed to Kanō include "good use of energy" (精力善用 seiryoku zen'yō) and "mutual welfare and benefit" (自他共栄 jita kyōei).

In his professional life, Kanō was an educator. Important postings included serving as director of primary education for the Ministry of Education (文部省, Monbushō) from 1898 to 1901, and as president of Tokyo Higher Normal School from 1900 until 1920. He played a key role in making judo and kendo part of the Japanese public school programs of the 1910s.[citation needed] (Full article...)

Selected prefecture – show another

Flag of Wakayama Prefecture
Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama. Wakayama supplies most of Japan with its high production of mikans (Mandarin Oranges) in October of every year. Mount Kōya in the Ito District is the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. It is home to one of the first Japanese style buddhist temples in Japan and remains a site of pilgrimage and an increasingly popular tourist destination as people flock to see its ancient temples set amidst the towering cedar trees at the top of the mountain. The Kumano Shrines are located on the southern tip of the prefecture. Wakayama Prefecture has friendship and sister relationships with five places outside Japan. These are Shandong, People's Republic of China; Pyrénées-Orientales, France; Florida, United States; Sinaloa, Mexico; and Galicia, Spain.

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Tokugawa coins

General images

The following are images from various Japan-related articles on Wikipedia.

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  • 07. Japanese Garden Pano, Cowra, NSW, 22.09.2006
    07. Japanese Garden Pano, Cowra, NSW, 22.09.2006
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    2003 Mazda 6 (GG) Classic hatchback 01
  • Asahi Breweries headquarters building with the Asahi Flame and Skytree at blue hour with full moon, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan
    Asahi Breweries headquarters building with the Asahi Flame and Skytree at blue hour with full moon, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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    Ase o fuku onna2
  • BUR-10b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-Five Cents ND (1942)
    BUR-10b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-Five Cents ND (1942)
  • BUR-11a-Burma-Japanese Occupation-10 Cents ND (1942)
    BUR-11a-Burma-Japanese Occupation-10 Cents ND (1942)
  • BUR-12a-Burma-Japanese Occupation-One Quarter Rupee ND (1942)
    BUR-12a-Burma-Japanese Occupation-One Quarter Rupee ND (1942)
  • BUR-13b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-One Half Rupee ND (1942)
    BUR-13b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-One Half Rupee ND (1942)
  • BUR-14-Burma-Japanese Occupation-One Rupee ND (1942)
    BUR-14-Burma-Japanese Occupation-One Rupee ND (1942)
  • BUR-15b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-Five Rupees ND (1942-44)
    BUR-15b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-Five Rupees ND (1942-44)
  • BUR-16-Japanese occupation Burma-10 rupees (1942-44)
    BUR-16-Japanese occupation Burma-10 rupees (1942-44)
  • BUR-17b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-100 Rupees ND (1944)
    BUR-17b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-100 Rupees ND (1944)
  • BUR-9b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-One Cent ND (1942)
    BUR-9b-Burma-Japanese Occupation-One Cent ND (1942)
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    Beijing Castle Boxer Rebellion 1900 FINAL
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    Bicycle crankset Shimano 105 R7000 (chainring 50-34, length 172.5mm, 11 speed)
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    Blind monks examining an elephant
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    Bloody Saturday, Shanghai
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    Comme des Garcons at the Met (62473)
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    Crested myna, Osaka, Japan
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    Daurian redstart at Daisen Park in Osaka, January 2016
  • Douglas MacArthur signs formal surrender
    Douglas MacArthur signs formal surrender
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    Extermination of Evil Tenkeisei
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    Forces returning 2
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    Gasshukoku suishi teitoku kōjōgaki (Oral statement by the American Navy admiral)
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    Golden gate of Ueno Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine, Tokyo, Japan
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    Great Wave off Kanagawa2
  • Hasegawa Tohaku - Pine Trees (Shōrin-zu byōbu) - left hand screen
    Hasegawa Tohaku - Pine Trees (Shōrin-zu byōbu) - left hand screen
  • Hasegawa Tohaku - Pine Trees (Shōrin-zu byōbu) - right hand screen
    Hasegawa Tohaku - Pine Trees (Shōrin-zu byōbu) - right hand screen
  • Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Heart Mountain, Wyoming. In his barracks home at Block 7 - 21 - NARA - 539206 - Restoration
    Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Heart Mountain, Wyoming. In his barracks home at Block 7 - 21 - NARA - 539206 - Restoration
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    Hiroshige II - Kishu kumano iwatake tori - Shokoku meisho hyakkei
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    HiroshimaPeaceMemorialPanorama-2
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    HoryujiYumedono0363edit4
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    ISS Aug2005
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    ISS March 2009
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    Instrument of surrender Japan2
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    JAPAN-10-Constitutional Monarchy-One Yen (1873)
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    JAPAN-M7-Tsingtao-10 Sen (1914)
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    Japan 1870 20 Yen (alt)
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    Japanese Squirrel edit2
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    Japanese archer 1878b
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    Japanese pygmy woodpecker in Sakai, Osaka, February 2016
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    Japanese white-eye at Tennōji Park in Osaka, January 2016 III
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    Japaneseweavera
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    Kabukicho red gate and colorful neon street signs at night, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
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    Khalili Collections A Composite Imaginary View of Japan
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    Kiyonaga bathhouse women-2
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    Koku Saitcho shounin
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    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 01
  • Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 02
    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 02
  • Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 03
    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 03
  • Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 04
    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 04
  • Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 05
    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 05
  • Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 06
    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 06
  • Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 07
    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 07
  • Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 08
    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 08
  • Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 09
    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 09
  • Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 10
    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 10
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    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 11
  • Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 12
    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 12
  • Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 13
    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 13
  • Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 14
    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 14
  • Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 15
    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 15
  • Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 16
    Line scan photo of Shinkansen N700A Series Set G13 in 2017, car 16
  • MAL-M10b-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-1000 Dollars ND (1945)
    MAL-M10b-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-1000 Dollars ND (1945)
  • MAL-M1b-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-One Cent ND (1942)
    MAL-M1b-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-One Cent ND (1942)
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    MAL-M2a-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-Five Cents ND (1942)
  • MAL-M3b-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-10 Cents ND (1942)
    MAL-M3b-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-10 Cents ND (1942)
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    MAL-M4b-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-50 Cents ND (1942)
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    MAL-M5c-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-One Dollar ND (1942)
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    MAL-M6c-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-Five Dollars ND (1942)
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    MAL-M7c-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-10 Dollars ND (1944)
  • MAL-M8b-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-100 Dollars ND (1944)
    MAL-M8b-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-100 Dollars ND (1944)
  • MAL-M9-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-100 Dollars ND (1945)
    MAL-M9-Malaya-Japanese Occupation-100 Dollars ND (1945)
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    Mamoru Shigemitsu signs the Instrument of Surrender, officially ending the Second World War
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    Manzanar calisthenics 0016u
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    Manzanar portrait Toyo Miyatake 00100u
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    Maresuke Nogi, 近世名士写真 其1 - Photo only
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    Mazda RX-8 on freeway