Government of Japan

“Cool Japan” fund, is it completely useless or just poorly managed? The “burst” of the bubble economy in Japan at the beginning of 1990s crushed Japanese self confidence. Long recession, harsh Korean competition in steel, auto and electronics industries, with US also having the strongest leadership in “IT revolution” and rapid economic growth in China enhanced the depressive mood of “the Lost Decade”. However rumors of popularity of Japanese cultural products overseas, such as electronics for…

battling for land and power in Japan. They became their own class just before the start of the 10th century and were known by two names, one of them was samurai and the other bushi. No matter what name they went by, total loyalty was given to whomever they served and in return, the samurai received a stipend, land, and higher positions of power within his area. The Japanese samurai became a versatile class of warriors who guided their Emperors and families in Japan for hundreds of years. The…

SLIDE 2: The first relationship between Portugal and Japan started in 1543. The first explorers were Portuguese traders António Mota, Francisco Zeimoto and António Peixoto. When the Portuguese explorers arrived they landed in the southern archipelago of Japan. They were the first Europeans to discover Japan and established a relationship and trade with it. This was called the Nanban trade. The Portuguese and Japanese relationship and trade found the port of Nagasaki in 1571, through the deal of…

On March 31st, 1854, officials from the United States and Japan signed the Treaty of Kanagawa, opening Japanese ports to trade with the United States, as well as the West, after being closed off to foreigners since 1683 (“Treaty of Kanagawa signed with Japan”). While this was just the first step of the globalization process, the complex mechanisms of globalization continue to shape Japan today. After World War II, due to Japan’s rapid growth, the country emerged as a major global player and…

During the same time period, the local Korean government officials were using their power to collect an enormous amount of taxes and fees from the Korean farmers, increasing the rate of poverty among the farmers and other low-income citizens. These events eventually led a group of farmers to gather to fight against its government by forming its own army, which is now known as the Tonghak Rebellion of 1894. The rebellion, which initially…

educational reforms. Japan followed this path and did not leave the course of “normal”, national behavior until the 1900s when it became as imperial power. One of the aspects that deviated Japan from its original route was the hatred…

created ripples in the strict lifestyle of the Japanese. The various exposure to the various belief systems and traditions caused certain Japanese to convert their Buddhist beliefs into Christian ones. Only in 1587 was Toyotomi Hideyoshi able to unify Japan, with the help of the Tokugawa Shogunate. One of the edicts of Hideyoshi stated, “The [missionaries] approach people in provinces and districts to make their followers, and let them destroy shrines and temples. This is unheard of outrage…”…

between two powerful clans (Hosokawa and Yamana), Japan had hence been divided into warring states. This period in history had marked the shoguns' decline in power, both militarily and politically, as well as the rise in "influential feudal lords" called Daimyos, who took advantage of the political disturbance and eventually replaced the shoguns in terms of leadership. Local Daimyos and Warlord desperately vied for the control over different regions of Japan for the next century and a half…

defined as a possession which its owner cannot dispose of and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness. Ian Rowley, correspondent based in BusinessWeek's Tokyo bureau said that for first-time visitors to Japan, it soon becomes apparent this is a country with a rare talent for big infrastructure projects. Its roads, although congested in urban areas, are nearly always billiard-table smooth. Japan's vast rail network, including the bullet trains…

of beliefs and ritual practices focused on creating a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Early Shinto practices were first recorded in the 8th century, but these writings did not refer to Shinto necessarily as “organized religion” but rather a collection of beliefs and mythology. Shintos believes that nature is exact with the divine. Shinto collections contains myths of the origin of Japan and its people together with their classic practices and rituals. However, due to…