Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Japan

2007-05-15T10:56:12Z

Kuroko: The history of Christianity in Japan is something that warrants its own article, but Tokugawa Iemitsu's ban on Christianity in the 1630s isn't why the current demographic is 0.7%

[[Image:JapanCg1e.gif‎ |thumbnail|right|250px|The Japanese flag.]]

'''Japan''' is a nation that consists of a group of islands off the eastern coast of [[Asia]]. The principal islands are, in the [[Romanization|Roman alphabet]], [[Hokkaido]], [[Honshu]], [[Kyushu]] and [[Shikoku]]. Japan also controls many smaller islands, notably the [[Ryuku]] chain south of Kyushu, for a total land area slightly larger than California. The climate, however, has traditionally varied from north to south as much as that from [[Maine]] to [[Georgia]]. Its capital, [[Tokyo]], is the largest city in the world. [http://geography.about.com/od/urbaneconomicgeography/a/agglomerations.htm]

Early signs of human life appeared in Japan around the year 3000 BC. The wild Japanese Bison was an early target of wild game, hunted to extinction within 500 years.

According to tradition, Japan was unified by [[Emperor]] [[Jimmu]], the grandson of the [[goddess]] [[Amaterasu]], in the year 660 B. C. He conquered Honshu, the largest island, in a series of expeditions starting from his home base of [[Setsuma]] in Kyushu.

== Modern History ==

Japan was closed off from the rest of the world for a long period of time under the rule of a series of military leaders known as [[Shoguns]] (see [[Tokugawa Shogunate]]), with the sole exception of [[Nagasaki]], where [[Dutch]] merchants maintained a permanent trading post. While the Japanese Emperor continued to reign in the old capital of [[Kyoto]], he was more of a figurehead with little more power than he possesses today. The rule of the Shoguns came to an end in the middle of the 19th century during a brief but bloody period of conflict known as the [[Meiji Restoration]], which was triggered in part by U.S Commodore Matthew Perry's naval expedition to Japan. During the Restoration a large number of young [[samurai]] from minor families, tired of the government's mishandling of the country and feeling that if action was not taken Japan would be dominated by western countries, initiated an armed revolt to restore imperial rule. Most samurai from the more powerful families sided with the Shogun, fearing that the minor families would replace them if the revolt was successful. Nonetheless, the shogunate was done away with in 1867 and the imperial period began. The capital was moved to [[Edo]], which was renamed [[Tokyo]]; by the early twenty-first century, it had become the center of the world's largest urban conglomeration.

The phrase "imperial period" is not meant to imply that the emperor ruled absolutely in the style of [[Louis XIV]] or a [[Russian]] [[tsar]]; indeed, the emperors relied on [[prime ministers]] throughout this period. Rather, it refers to Japan competing with [[European]] powers and the [[United States]] for colonies and influence during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The high point of Japanese prestige was the [[Russo-Japanese War]] of 1904-5, in which Japan became the principal power in [[Manchuria]] and consolidated its control of [[Korea]].

Japan's success at this great game would ultimately prove its undoing. By 1936, during the reign of Emperor [[Hirohito]], the Japanese Empire would adopt the [[Orwellian]] title "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." The increasingly powerful [[Japanese armed forces]], partly inspired by European [[fascists]], came to dominate Japanese politics, assassinating politicians whom they deemed insufficiently devoted to the Emperor and nation. For the next nine years, the military leadership installed its own members (such as [[Hideki Tojo]], chief Japanese strategist of [[World War II]]) or, occasionally, civilians who were completely identified with their agenda, as prime minister.

After the war ended in 1945, Japan was occupied by American forces under the command of General [[Douglas MacArthur]], who helped establish a system of democratic government and implemented a constitution that prevented future military ventures.

== Current Status ==
Japan is currently the world's most populous [[constitutional monarchy]], fourth largest [[economy]] (counting the [[European Union]] as one economy), and has the world's third largest [[defense budget]] (counting the constituents of the EU as separate states). The current [[Emperor]] is [[Akihito]]; he will be succeeded upon his death or abdication by [[Crown Prince]] [[Naruhito]]. The current [[Prime Minister]] is [[Shinzo Abe]], of the [[Liberal Democratic Party]]. This party is not to be confused with America's [[liberal]] [[Democrats]]; the corresponding party in Japan is the [[Socialists]]. The Liberal Democratic Party has formed all but two of Japan's post-World War II governments, which as in any [[parliamentary]] system rise and fall with somewhat less predictability than United States administrations.

Among constitutional monarchies, Japan is likely to be supplanted as most populous by [[Thailand]] sometime during the twenty-first century. This is as a result of Japan's low [[birth rate]] (in part a result of the nation's early legalization of [[abortion]]) and lack of desire to expand [[immigration]] (Japan is the most ethnically [[homogenous]] of the world's wealthy countries). Ironically, the relative prosperity of Thailand is in large part due to heavy aid and investment by Japan.

As do most constitutional monarchies, Japan has a state religion, [[Shinto]], an extreme interpretation of which helped drive Japan's participation in [[World War II]]. However, as in other constitutional monarchies, political involvement with religion is mostly limited to [[lip service]], although symbolic gestures such as the annual wreath-laying ceremony at [[Yasukuni Shrine]] have occasionally antagonized Japan's neighbors. Most imported religions are practiced in Japan without interference, and [[Buddhism]] has been accepted by a large portion of the population. The percentage of Japanese who are Christian, however, stands at 0.7%<ref>https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html</ref>. Japan has also spawned its share of [[cults]], including the exceptionally lethal but fortunately short-lived [[Aum Shinrikyo]] movement of the early 1990's, which in 1994 became the first non-state organization to kill people with [[nerve gas]].

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Japan]]

Japan

2007-05-08T09:36:51Z

Kuroko: Took out the reference to Himura Kenshin. That Kenshin is a fictional character based on many different people.

[[Image:JapanCg1e.gif‎ |thumbnail|right|250px|The Japanese flag.]]

'''Japan''' is a nation that consists of a group of islands off the eastern coast of [[Asia]]. The principal islands are, in the [[Romanization|Roman alphabet]], [[Hokkaido]], [[Honshu]], [[Kyushu]] and [[Shikoku]]. Japan also controls many smaller islands, notably the [[Ryuku]] chain south of Kyushu, for a total land area slightly larger than California. The climate, however, has traditionally varied from north to south as much as that from [[Maine]] to [[Georgia]]. Its capital, [[Tokyo]], is the largest city in the world. [http://geography.about.com/od/urbaneconomicgeography/a/agglomerations.htm]

Early signs of human life appeared in Japan around the year 3000 BC. The wild Japanese Bison was an early target of wild game, hunted to extinction within 500 years.

According to tradition, Japan was unified by [[Emperor]] [[Jimmu]], the grandson of the [[goddess]] [[Amaterasu]], in the year 660 B. C. He conquered Honshu, the largest island, in a series of expeditions starting from his home base of [[Setsuma]] in Kyushu.

== Modern History ==

Japan was closed off from the rest of the world for a long period of time under the rule of a series of military leaders known as [[Shoguns]] (see [[Tokugawa Shogunate]]), with the sole exception of [[Nagasaki]], where [[Dutch]] merchants maintained a permanent trading post. While the Japanese Emperor continued to reign in the old capital of [[Kyoto]], he was more of a figurehead with little more power than he possesses today. The rule of the Shoguns came to an end in the middle of the 19th century during a brief but bloody period of conflict known as the [[Meiji Restoration]]. During the Restoration a large number of young [[samurai]] from minor families, tired of the government's mishandling of the country and feeling that if action was not taken Japan would be dominated by western countries, initiated an armed revolt to restore imperial rule. Most samurai from the more powerful families sided with the Shogun, fearing that the minor families would replace them if the revolt was successful. Nonetheless, the shogunate was done away with in 1867 and the imperial period began. The capital was moved to [[Edo]], which was renamed [[Tokyo]]; by the early twenty-first century, it had become the center of the world's largest urban conglomeration.

The phrase "imperial period" is not meant to imply that the emperor ruled absolutely in the style of [[Louis XIV]] or a [[Russian]] [[tsar]]; indeed, the emperors relied on [[prime ministers]] throughout this period. Rather, it refers to Japan competing with [[European]] powers and the [[United States]] for colonies and influence during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The high point of Japanese prestige was the [[Russo-Japanese War]] of 1904-5, in which Japan became the principal power in [[Manchuria]] and consolidated its control of [[Korea]].

Japan's success at this great game would ultimately prove its undoing. By 1936, during the reign of Emperor [[Hirohito]], the Japanese Empire went by the [[Orwellian]] title "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." The increasingly powerful [[Japanese armed forces]], partly inspired by European [[fascists]], came to dominate Japanese politics, assassinating politicians whom they deemed insufficiently devoted to the Emperor and nation. For the next nine years, the military leadership installed its own members (such as [[Hideki Tojo]], chief Japanese strategist of [[World War II]]) or, occasionally, civilians who were completely identified with their agenda, as prime minister.

== Current Status ==
Japan is currently the world's most populous [[constitutional monarchy]], fourth largest [[economy]] (counting the [[European Union]] as one economy), and has the world's third largest [[defense budget]] (counting the constituents of the EU as separate states). The current [[Emperor]] is [[Akihito]]; he will be succeeded upon his death or abdication by [[Crown Prince]] [[Naruhito]]. The current [[Prime Minister]] is [[Shinzo Abe]], of the [[Liberal Democratic Party]]. This party is not to be confused with America's [[liberal]] [[Democrats]]; the corresponding party in Japan is the [[Socialists]]. The Liberal Democratic Party has formed all but two of Japan's post-World War II governments, which as in any [[parliamentary]] system rise and fall with somewhat less predictability than United States administrations.

Among constitutional monarchies, Japan is likely to be supplanted as most populous by [[Thailand]] sometime during the twenty-first century. This is as a result of Japan's low [[birth rate]] (in part a result of the nation's early legalization of [[abortion]]) and lack of desire to expand [[immigration]] (Japan is the most ethnically [[homogenous]] of the world's wealthy countries). Ironically, the relative prosperity of Thailand is in large part due to heavy aid and investment by Japan.

As do most constitutional monarchies, Japan has a state religion, [[Shinto]], an extreme interpretation of which helped drive Japan's participation in [[World War II]]. However, as in other constitutional monarchies, political involvement with religion is mostly limited to [[lip service]], although symbolic gestures such as the annual wreath-laying ceremony at [[Yasukuni Shrine]] have occasionally antagonized Japan's neighbors. Most imported religions are practiced in Japan without interference, and [[Buddhism]] has been accepted by a large portion of the population. The percentage of Japanese who are Christian, however, stands at 0.7%.<ref>https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html</ref> Japan has also spawned its share of [[cults]], including the exceptionally lethal but fortunately short-lived [[Aum Shinrikyo]] movement of the early 1990's, which in 1994 became the first non-state organization to kill people with [[nerve gas]].

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Japan]]

Shinto

2007-04-23T13:06:27Z

Kuroko: Fixed some kanji errors

[[Image:Torii-gate.jpg|thumb|200px|Torii Gate]]Shinto（神道）, also known as 神の道（kami no michi） or the way of the gods, is an ancient polytheistic religion indigenous to Japan. Shinto has played a large role in shaping of Japanese culture and identity. Shinto, unlike Buddhism or Christianity, has no known founder. It was not until the late prehistoric [[Yayoi]] culture ca.(300BC - 300AD) that features emerged that are reminiscent of some of the religion's central aspects (for example, the kami). Archaic Shinto seems to have evolved by the beginning of the final phase of Japanese prehistory, the 古墳(Kofun, or Tumulus) era (ca. 300-550AD) This belief system was locally based, focusing on the spiritual power inherent in nearby topographical features and on the divine ancestors of clans and lineages. As the Yamato (Sun) clan gained influence over the others, its divine ancestor, the sun goddess Amaterasu-o-Mikami (天照大御神) rose to prominence. The Imperial Family of Japan in ancient times claimed familial relationship to the sun goddess.

==Kami==

Shinto as a religion focuses around the worship and veneration of deities known as [[Kami]](神). The word refers to divinity, or spiritual power, and is used to mean "God" or "Spirit." Many kami are the representation of powers of nature associated with the sun, storms, trees, mountains, animals, and other facets of nature. Through veneration and tradition, a healthy respect for the natural world.

In 1871 Shinto was established as a state religion, and was used as a mechanism for fostering nationalism and loyalty to the emperor. This time period is when the name "Shinto" was first used to describe the religion.

"State Shinto" came to an abrupt end with the defeat of Japan in the Second World War in 1945. The emperor renounced all claims to divinity, and Japan's post-war constitution of 1947 prohibited the state from having any involvement in religious affairs.

The sacred space of Shinto are called [[jinja]] (神社, or Shrines). Thousands of small shrines exist across Japan, many sharing ground with [[Buddhist]] Monasteries, especially in [[Kyoto]] and [[Tokyo]]. The entry way into a Shinto shrine is always marked by a Torii gate, which symbolizes the border between normal life and the divine; the spiritual world as separated from the rest.

[[Category:Japan]]
[[Category:religion]]

Amaterasu

2007-04-22T11:29:14Z

Kuroko: Changed was to is, the religion is by no means extinct

Amaterasu is a mythical sun goddess in the ancient Japanese [[pagan]] religion of [[Shinto|Shintoism]].

Japan

2007-04-22T11:28:10Z

Kuroko:

[[Image:JapanCg1e.gif‎ |thumbnail|right|250px|The Japanese flag.]]

'''Japan''' is a nation that consists of a group of islands off the eastern coast of [[Asia]]. The principal islands are, in the [[Romanization|Roman alphabet]], [[Hokkaido]], [[Honshu]], [[Kyushu]] and [[Shikoku]]. Japan also controls many smaller islands, notably the [[Ryuku]] chain south of Kyushu, for a total land area slightly larger than California. The climate, however, has traditionally varied from north to south as much as that from [[Maine]] to [[Georgia]]. Its capital, [[Tokyo]], is the largest city in the world. [http://geography.about.com/od/urbaneconomicgeography/a/agglomerations.htm]

Early signs of human life appeared in Japan around the year 3000 BC. The wild Japanese Bison was an early target of wild game, hunted to extinction within 500 years.

According to tradition, Japan was unified by [[Emperor]] [[Jimmu]], the grandson of the [[goddess]] [[Amaterasu]], in the year 660 B. C. He conquered Honshu, the largest island, in a series of expeditions starting from his home base of [[Setsuma]] in Kyushu.

== Modern History ==

Japan was closed off from the rest of the world for a long period of time under the rule of a series of military leaders known as [[Shoguns]] (see [[Tokugawa Shogunate]]), with the sole exception of [[Nagasaki]], where [[Dutch]] merchants maintained a permanent trading post. While the Japanese Emperor continued to reign in the old capital of [[Kyoto]], he was more of a figurehead with little more power than he possesses today. The rule of the Shoguns came to an end in the middle of the 19th century during a brief but bloody period of conflict known as the [[Meiji Restoration]]. During the Restoration a large number of young [[samurai]] from minor families, most notably Himura Kenshin, tired of the government's mishandling of the country and feeling that if action was not taken Japan would be dominated by western countries, initiated an armed revolt to restore imperial rule. Most samurai from the more powerful families sided with the Shogun, fearing that the minor families would replace them if the revolt was successful. Nonetheless, the shogunate was done away with in 1867 and the imperial period began. The capital was moved to [[Edo]], which was renamed [[Tokyo]]; by the early twenty-first century, it had become the center of the world's largest urban conglomeration.

The phrase "imperial period" is not meant to imply that the emperor ruled absolutely in the style of [[Louis XIV]] or a [[Russian]] [[tsar]]; indeed, the emperors relied on [[prime ministers]] throughout this period. Rather, it refers to Japan competing with [[European]] powers and the [[United States]] for colonies and influence during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The high point of Japanese prestige was the [[Russo-Japanese War]] of 1904-5, in which Japan became the principal power in [[Manchuria]] and consolidated its control of [[Korea]].

Japan's success at this great game would ultimately prove its undoing. By 1936, during the reign of Emperor [[Hirohito]], the Japanese Empire went by the [[Orwellian]] title "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." The increasingly powerful [[Japanese armed forces]], partly inspired by European [[fascists]], came to dominate Japanese politics, assassinating politicians whom they deemed insufficiently devoted to the Emperor and nation. For the next nine years, the military leadership installed its own members (such as [[Hideki Tojo]], chief Japanese strategist of [[World War II]]) or, occasionally, civilians who were completely identified with their agenda, as prime minister.

== Current Status ==
Japan is currently the world's most populous [[constitutional monarchy]], fourth largest [[economy]] (counting the [[European Union]] as one economy), and has the world's third largest [[defense budget]] (counting the constituents of the EU as separate states). The current [[Emperor]] is [[Akihito]]; he will be succeeded upon his death or abdication by [[Crown Prince]] [[Naruhito]]. The current [[Prime Minister]] is [[Shinzo Abe]], of the [[Liberal Democratic Party]]. This party is not to be confused with America's [[liberal]] [[Democrats]]; the corresponding party in Japan is the [[Socialists]]. The Liberal Democratic Party has formed all but two of Japan's post-World War II governments, which as in any [[parliamentary]] system rise and fall with somewhat less predictability than United States administrations.

Among constitutional monarchies, Japan is likely to be supplanted as most populous by [[Thailand]] sometime during the twenty-first century. This is as a result of Japan's low [[birth rate]] (in part a result of the nation's early legalization of [[abortion]]) and lack of desire to expand [[immigration]] (Japan is the most ethnically [[homogenous]] of the world's wealthy countries). Ironically, the relative prosperity of Thailand is in large part due to heavy aid and investment by Japan.

As do most constitutional monarchies, Japan has a state religion, [[Shinto]], an extreme interpretation of which helped drive Japan's participation in [[World War II]]. However, as in other constitutional monarchies, political involvement with religion is mostly limited to [[lip service]], although symbolic gestures such as the annual wreath-laying ceremony at [[Yasukuni Shrine]] have occasionally antagonized Japan's neighbors. Most imported religions are practiced in Japan without interference, and [[Buddhism]] has been accepted by a large portion of the population. The percentage of Japanese who are Christian, however, stands at 0.7%.<ref>https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html</ref> Japan has also spawned its share of [[cults]], including the exceptionally lethal but fortunately short-lived [[Aum Shinrikyo]] movement of the early 1990's, which in 1994 became the first non-state organization to kill people with [[nerve gas]].

==References==

<references/>

[[Category:Asian Countries]]

Japan

2007-04-22T11:27:30Z

Kuroko:

[[Image:JapanCg1e.gif‎ |thumbnail|right|250px|The Japanese flag.]]

'''Japan''' is a nation that consists of a group of islands off the eastern coast of [[Asia]]. The principal islands are, in the [[Romanization|Roman alphabet]], [[Hokkaido]], [[Honshu]], [[Kyushu]] and [[Shikoku]]. Japan also controls many smaller islands, notably the [[Ryuku]] chain south of Kyushu, for a total land area slightly larger than California. The climate, however, has traditionally varied from north to south as much as that from [[Maine]] to [[Georgia]]. Its capital, [[Tokyo]], is the largest city in the world. [http://geography.about.com/od/urbaneconomicgeography/a/agglomerations.htm]

Early signs of human life appeared in Japan around the year 3000 BC. The wild Japanese Bison was an early target of wild game, hunted to extinction within 500 years.

According to tradition, Japan was unified by [[Emperor]] [[Jimmu]], the grandson of the [[goddess]] [[Amaterasu]], in the year 660 B. C. He conquered Honshu, the largest island, in a series of expeditions starting from his home base of [[Setsuma]] in Kyushu.

== Modern History ==

Japan was closed off from the rest of the world for a long period of time under the rule of a series of military leaders known as [[Shoguns]] (see [[Tokugawa Shogunate]]), with the sole exception of [[Nagasaki]], where [[Dutch]] merchants maintained a permanent trading post. While the Japanese Emperor continued to reign in the old capital of [[Kyoto]], he was more of a figurehead with little more power than he possesses today. The rule of the Shoguns came to an end in the middle of the 19th century during a brief but bloody period of conflict known as the [[Meiji Restoration]]. During the Restoration a large number of young [[samurai]] from minor families, most notably Himura Kenshin, tired of the government's mishandling of the country and feeling that if action was not taken Japan would be dominated by western countries, initiated an armed revolt to restore imperial rule. Most samurai from the more powerful families sided with the Shogun, fearing that the minor families would replace them if the revolt was successful. Nonetheless, the shogunate was done away with in 1867 and the imperial period began. The capital was moved to [[Edo]], which was renamed [[Tokyo]]; by the early twenty-first century, it had become the center of the world's largest urban conglomeration.

The phrase "imperial period" is not meant to imply that the emperor ruled absolutely in the style of [[Louis XIV]] or a [[Russian]] [[tsar]]; indeed, the emperors relied on [[prime ministers]] throughout this period. Rather, it refers to Japan competing with [[European]] powers and the [[United States]] for colonies and influence during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The high point of Japanese prestige was the [[Russo-Japanese War]] of 1904-5, in which Japan became the principal power in [[Manchuria]] and consolidated its control of [[Korea]].

Japan's success at this great game would ultimately prove its undoing. By 1936, during the reign of Emperor [[Hirohito]], the Japanese Empire went by the [[Orwellian]] title "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." The increasingly powerful [[Japanese armed forces]], partly inspired by European [[fascists]], came to dominate Japanese politics, assassinating politicians whom they deemed insufficiently devoted to the Emperor and nation. For the next nine years, the military leadership installed its own members (such as [[Hideki Tojo]], chief Japanese strategist of [[World War II]]) or, occasionally, civilians who were completely identified with their agenda, as prime minister.

== Current Status ==
Japan is currently the world's most populous [[constitutional monarchy]], fourth largest [[economy]] (counting the [[European Union]] as one economy), and has the world's third largest [[defense budget]] (counting the constituents of the EU as separate states). The current [[Emperor]] is [[Akihito]]; he will be succeeded upon his death or abdication by [[Crown Prince]] [[Naruhito]]. The current [[Prime Minister]] is [[Shinzo Abe]], of the [[Liberal Democratic Party]]. This party is not to be confused with America's [[liberal]] [[Democrats]]; the corresponding party in Japan is the [[Socialists]]. The Liberal Democratic Party has formed all but two of Japan's post-World War II governments, which as in any [[parliamentary]] system rise and fall with somewhat less predictability than United States administrations.

Among constitutional monarchies, Japan is likely to be supplanted as most populous by [[Thailand]] sometime during the twenty-first century. This is as a result of Japan's low [[birth rate]] (in part a result of the nation's early legalization of [[abortion]]) and lack of desire to expand [[immigration]] (Japan is the most ethnically [[homogenous]] of the world's wealthy countries). Ironically, the relative prosperity of Thailand is in large part due to heavy aid and investment by Japan.

As do most constitutional monarchies, Japan has a state religion, [[Shinto]], an extreme interpretation of which helped drive Japan's participation in [[World War II]]. However, as in other constitutional monarchies, political involvement with religion is mostly limited to [[lip service]], although symbolic gestures such as the annual wreath-laying ceremony at [[Yasukuni Shrine]] have occasionally antagonized Japan's neighbors. Most imported religions are practiced in Japan without interference, and [[Buddhism]] has been accepted by a large portion of the population. The percentage of Japanese who are Christian, however, stands at 0.7%.<ref>https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html</ref> Japan has also spawned its share of [[cults]], including the exceptionally lethal but fortunately short-lived [[Aum Shinrikyo]] movement of the early 1990's, which in 1994 became the first non-state organization to kill people with [[nerve gas]].

==References==
1. https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html
<references/>

[[Category:Asian Countries]]

Japan

2007-04-22T11:24:17Z

Kuroko: changed in text citation to footnote

[[Image:JapanCg1e.gif‎ |thumbnail|right|250px|The Japanese flag.]]

'''Japan''' is a nation that consists of a group of islands off the eastern coast of [[Asia]]. The principal islands are, in the [[Romanization|Roman alphabet]], [[Hokkaido]], [[Honshu]], [[Kyushu]] and [[Shikoku]]. Japan also controls many smaller islands, notably the [[Ryuku]] chain south of Kyushu, for a total land area slightly larger than California. The climate, however, has traditionally varied from north to south as much as that from [[Maine]] to [[Georgia]]. Its capital, [[Tokyo]], is the largest city in the world. [http://geography.about.com/od/urbaneconomicgeography/a/agglomerations.htm]

Early signs of human life appeared in Japan around the year 3000 BC. The wild Japanese Bison was an early target of wild game, hunted to extinction within 500 years.

According to tradition, Japan was unified by [[Emperor]] [[Jimmu]], the grandson of the [[goddess]] [[Amaterasu]], in the year 660 B. C. He conquered Honshu, the largest island, in a series of expeditions starting from his home base of [[Setsuma]] in Kyushu.

== Modern History ==

Japan was closed off from the rest of the world for a long period of time under the rule of a series of military leaders known as [[Shoguns]] (see [[Tokugawa Shogunate]]), with the sole exception of [[Nagasaki]], where [[Dutch]] merchants maintained a permanent trading post. While the Japanese Emperor continued to reign in the old capital of [[Kyoto]], he was more of a figurehead with little more power than he possesses today. The rule of the Shoguns came to an end in the middle of the 19th century during a brief but bloody period of conflict known as the [[Meiji Restoration]]. During the Restoration a large number of young [[samurai]] from minor families, most notably Himura Kenshin, tired of the government's mishandling of the country and feeling that if action was not taken Japan would be dominated by western countries, initiated an armed revolt to restore imperial rule. Most samurai from the more powerful families sided with the Shogun, fearing that the minor families would replace them if the revolt was successful. Nonetheless, the shogunate was done away with in 1867 and the imperial period began. The capital was moved to [[Edo]], which was renamed [[Tokyo]]; by the early twenty-first century, it had become the center of the world's largest urban conglomeration.

The phrase "imperial period" is not meant to imply that the emperor ruled absolutely in the style of [[Louis XIV]] or a [[Russian]] [[tsar]]; indeed, the emperors relied on [[prime ministers]] throughout this period. Rather, it refers to Japan competing with [[European]] powers and the [[United States]] for colonies and influence during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The high point of Japanese prestige was the [[Russo-Japanese War]] of 1904-5, in which Japan became the principal power in [[Manchuria]] and consolidated its control of [[Korea]].

Japan's success at this great game would ultimately prove its undoing. By 1936, during the reign of Emperor [[Hirohito]], the Japanese Empire went by the [[Orwellian]] title "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." The increasingly powerful [[Japanese armed forces]], partly inspired by European [[fascists]], came to dominate Japanese politics, assassinating politicians whom they deemed insufficiently devoted to the Emperor and nation. For the next nine years, the military leadership installed its own members (such as [[Hideki Tojo]], chief Japanese strategist of [[World War II]]) or, occasionally, civilians who were completely identified with their agenda, as prime minister.

== Current Status ==
Japan is currently the world's most populous [[constitutional monarchy]], fourth largest [[economy]] (counting the [[European Union]] as one economy), and has the world's third largest [[defense budget]] (counting the constituents of the EU as separate states). The current [[Emperor]] is [[Akihito]]; he will be succeeded upon his death or abdication by [[Crown Prince]] [[Naruhito]]. The current [[Prime Minister]] is [[Shinzo Abe]], of the [[Liberal Democratic Party]]. This party is not to be confused with America's [[liberal]] [[Democrats]]; the corresponding party in Japan is the [[Socialists]]. The Liberal Democratic Party has formed all but two of Japan's post-World War II governments, which as in any [[parliamentary]] system rise and fall with somewhat less predictability than United States administrations.

Among constitutional monarchies, Japan is likely to be supplanted as most populous by [[Thailand]] sometime during the twenty-first century. This is as a result of Japan's low [[birth rate]] (in part a result of the nation's early legalization of [[abortion]]) and lack of desire to expand [[immigration]] (Japan is the most ethnically [[homogenous]] of the world's wealthy countries). Ironically, the relative prosperity of Thailand is in large part due to heavy aid and investment by Japan.

As do most constitutional monarchies, Japan has a state religion, [[Shinto]], an extreme interpretation of which helped drive Japan's participation in [[World War II]]. However, as in other constitutional monarchies, political involvement with religion is mostly limited to [[lip service]], although symbolic gestures such as the annual wreath-laying ceremony at [[Yasukuni Shrine]] have occasionally antagonized Japan's neighbors. Most imported religions are practiced in Japan without interference, and [[Buddhism]] has been accepted by a large portion of the population. The percentage of Japanese who are Christian, however, stands at 0.7%.<ref>https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html</ref> Japan has also spawned its share of [[cults]], including the exceptionally lethal but fortunately short-lived [[Aum Shinrikyo]] movement of the early 1990's, which in 1994 became the first non-state organization to kill people with [[nerve gas]].
[[Category:Asian Countries]]

Japan

2007-04-22T11:18:18Z

Kuroko: Added a statistic

[[Image:JapanCg1e.gif‎ |thumbnail|right|250px|The Japanese flag.]]

'''Japan''' is a nation that consists of a group of islands off the eastern coast of [[Asia]]. The principal islands are, in the [[Romanization|Roman alphabet]], [[Hokkaido]], [[Honshu]], [[Kyushu]] and [[Shikoku]]. Japan also controls many smaller islands, notably the [[Ryuku]] chain south of Kyushu, for a total land area slightly larger than California. The climate, however, has traditionally varied from north to south as much as that from [[Maine]] to [[Georgia]]. Its capital, [[Tokyo]], is the largest city in the world. [http://geography.about.com/od/urbaneconomicgeography/a/agglomerations.htm]

Early signs of human life appeared in Japan around the year 3000 BC. The wild Japanese Bison was an early target of wild game, hunted to extinction within 500 years.

According to tradition, Japan was unified by [[Emperor]] [[Jimmu]], the grandson of the [[goddess]] [[Amaterasu]], in the year 660 B. C. He conquered Honshu, the largest island, in a series of expeditions starting from his home base of [[Setsuma]] in Kyushu.

== Modern History ==

Japan was closed off from the rest of the world for a long period of time under the rule of a series of military leaders known as [[Shoguns]] (see [[Tokugawa Shogunate]]), with the sole exception of [[Nagasaki]], where [[Dutch]] merchants maintained a permanent trading post. While the Japanese Emperor continued to reign in the old capital of [[Kyoto]], he was more of a figurehead with little more power than he possesses today. The rule of the Shoguns came to an end in the middle of the 19th century during a brief but bloody period of conflict known as the [[Meiji Restoration]]. During the Restoration a large number of young [[samurai]] from minor families, most notably Himura Kenshin, tired of the government's mishandling of the country and feeling that if action was not taken Japan would be dominated by western countries, initiated an armed revolt to restore imperial rule. Most samurai from the more powerful families sided with the Shogun, fearing that the minor families would replace them if the revolt was successful. Nonetheless, the shogunate was done away with in 1867 and the imperial period began. The capital was moved to [[Edo]], which was renamed [[Tokyo]]; by the early twenty-first century, it had become the center of the world's largest urban conglomeration.

The phrase "imperial period" is not meant to imply that the emperor ruled absolutely in the style of [[Louis XIV]] or a [[Russian]] [[tsar]]; indeed, the emperors relied on [[prime ministers]] throughout this period. Rather, it refers to Japan competing with [[European]] powers and the [[United States]] for colonies and influence during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The high point of Japanese prestige was the [[Russo-Japanese War]] of 1904-5, in which Japan became the principal power in [[Manchuria]] and consolidated its control of [[Korea]].

Japan's success at this great game would ultimately prove its undoing. By 1936, during the reign of Emperor [[Hirohito]], the Japanese Empire went by the [[Orwellian]] title "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." The increasingly powerful [[Japanese armed forces]], partly inspired by European [[fascists]], came to dominate Japanese politics, assassinating politicians whom they deemed insufficiently devoted to the Emperor and nation. For the next nine years, the military leadership installed its own members (such as [[Hideki Tojo]], chief Japanese strategist of [[World War II]]) or, occasionally, civilians who were completely identified with their agenda, as prime minister.

== Current Status ==
Japan is currently the world's most populous [[constitutional monarchy]], fourth largest [[economy]] (counting the [[European Union]] as one economy), and has the world's third largest [[defense budget]] (counting the constituents of the EU as separate states). The current [[Emperor]] is [[Akihito]]; he will be succeeded upon his death or abdication by [[Crown Prince]] [[Naruhito]]. The current [[Prime Minister]] is [[Shinzo Abe]], of the [[Liberal Democratic Party]]. This party is not to be confused with America's [[liberal]] [[Democrats]]; the corresponding party in Japan is the [[Socialists]]. The Liberal Democratic Party has formed all but two of Japan's post-World War II governments, which as in any [[parliamentary]] system rise and fall with somewhat less predictability than United States administrations.

Among constitutional monarchies, Japan is likely to be supplanted as most populous by [[Thailand]] sometime during the twenty-first century. This is as a result of Japan's low [[birth rate]] (in part a result of the nation's early legalization of [[abortion]]) and lack of desire to expand [[immigration]] (Japan is the most ethnically [[homogenous]] of the world's wealthy countries). Ironically, the relative prosperity of Thailand is in large part due to heavy aid and investment by Japan.

As do most constitutional monarchies, Japan has a state religion, [[Shinto]], an extreme interpretation of which helped drive Japan's participation in [[World War II]]. However, as in other constitutional monarchies, political involvement with religion is mostly limited to [[lip service]], although symbolic gestures such as the annual wreath-laying ceremony at [[Yasukuni Shrine]] have occasionally antagonized Japan's neighbors. Most imported religions are practiced in Japan without interference, and [[Buddhism]] has been accepted by a large portion of the population. The percentage of Japanese who are Christian, however, stands at 0.7%, according to the CIA World Factbook. Japan has also spawned its share of [[cults]], including the exceptionally lethal but fortunately short-lived [[Aum Shinrikyo]] movement of the early 1990's, which in 1994 became the first non-state organization to kill people with [[nerve gas]].
[[Category:Asian Countries]]

Talk:China

2007-03-16T02:15:08Z

Kuroko: Romanization standard

China's history is in need of revision. At the beginning of the article, it is stated that Chinese civilization began in the year 2200 B.C. This begs the questions, of course: began with what; and did nothing precede it? However, these questions aren't my biggest concern. Rather, I note that the discovery of silk from the silkworm occurred around 2700 B.C. -- a full 500 years before civilization in China began. I find the very notion of five centuries of silk makers living without the benefit of civilization to be quite disturbing. Can we safely take the liberty of adjusting the dates listed in order to resolve the apparent conflict? History will surely be grateful.

Also, if it is to be decided that Chinese civilization began in 2700 B.C. with the discovery of silk rather than the much later 2200 B.C., and if the mentioned Chinese tradition is to go unchallenged, where it is stated that the 14-year-old bride of Emperor Huang Ti discovered silk, then we should also probably point out that the first Middle Eastern settlers in China established almost immediately an imperial form of government, so that the reader isn't left to wonder whether or not an indigenous tribe living in that area prior to 2700 B.C. might have been responsible for the birth of Chinese civilization.

:Great edit [[User:AustinM|AustinM]], changing ''The Chinese Communist Party has provided the Bush administration with more than $100 billion in loans via its central bank.'' to ''China could manipulate the Dollar as it holds a significant ammount in loans via its central bank.'' puts the blame on the Communists and not the Bush administation. Well done.
:[[User:JC|JC]] 14:11, 15 March 2007 (EDT)
:: your getting very close to another ban.--[[User:AustinM|AustinM]] 14:58, 15 March 2007 (EDT)

== Re: Talk:China ==

I neglected to sign my earlier post.--[[User:Blr|Blr]] 01:24, 12 March 2007 (EDT)

== Great Wall Of China ==

Shouldn't this section be under something such as "Tourist Attractions" or some kind of unique features of the country, since it links to a whole new article of its own? [[User:Niandra|niandra]] 13:05, 15 March 2007 (EDT)

== Romanization standard ==

In articles dealing with China, there should generally be one standard used consistantly for English transliteration. Pinyin is favored by the PRC, the older Wade-Giles is used by the ROC.