Japan is a country of mountainous islands (about
three thousand) linked together in a long chain
winding down the Pacific coast of northern Asia.
To the west lie the Korean peninsula and
northern China, further south the Ryukyu Islands
lead to Taiwan and the south of China. Japan's
closeness to the Asian continent has brought a
variety of influences, mainly from China and
Korea, which were adapted into Japan's own
culture. Some of the most striking cultural
imports include the use of the Chinese language
and the practice of Buddhism. Tea ceramics,
lacquer wares, paintings, and prints, all art
forms imported from the continent, acquired
distinctive Japanese flavors and became known
throughout the world as some of Japan's
greatest artistic achievements.
During its long imperial history, Japan
experienced many dramatic shifts in power among
emperors, shoguns (military dictators),
aristocrats, and warriors. In 1868 the emperor
again became the ruling member of government
over the shoguns of the past. Edo, the capital,
was renamed Tokyo, which remains the center of
Japanese society today. After World War II, a
parliamentary government was put into place, and
the emperor fulfils a largely ceremonial role in
the governance of the nation.
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