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日本 | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Capital and largest city | Tokyo |
| Official languages | Japanese |
| Dominant mode of production | Capitalism |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary monarchy |
• Emperor | Naruhito |
• Prime Minister | Yoshihide Suga |
| Area | |
• Total | 377,975 km² |
| Population | |
• 2021 estimate | 125,360,000 |
| Currency | Japanese yen |
Japan (日本) is an island country in East Asia. Japan spans an archipelago of 6852 islands; the four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu.
The first written mention of the archipelago appears in the Chinese chronicle, the Book of Han, finished in the 2nd century AD. The country was unified in 1603 under the Tokugawa shogunate. In 1931, Japan invaded China, and later in 1937 Japan reignited hostilities, starting World War II. Japan surrendered in 1945 and came under a seven-year occupation.
Japan is a member of the United Nations, the OECD, and the Group of Seven. It is an ally of the United States, and is also a capitalist country. Japan is a highly economically developed country, but suffers from the wealth inequality inherent in capitalism. Japan also has a problem with ultranationalist groups, one being Nippon Kaigi, of which the previous Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, is a member.
Despite being a capitalist country and geopolitical US ally, the US still saw them as an economic rival in the 1980s due to their rising economic power, and actively sabotaged their economy.
Japan has not invaded another country since World War II, as their constitution forbids them from doing so. However, their military bases are of vital importance for the US to maintain their hegemony in east Asia.
History
World War II
The 14-year Chinese war of resistance against Japanese aggression began on 18 September 1931 with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.[1]
Japan surrendered on 1945 August 9. This decision is often blamed on the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but was also influenced by the Soviet Union's invasion of southern Sakhalin and preparation to invade Hokkaido.[2]
References
- ↑ You Yang, Shi Xuchen (2020-10-15). "A look back at China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression" CGTN.
- ↑ Ward Wilson (2013-05-30). "The Bomb Didn’t Beat Japan … Stalin Did" Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-04-27.