FAQ · History 30

The Bronze Age is the middle period of the three-age system, following the Stone Age and preceding the Iron Age. A culture is considered part of this age if it produced bronze by smelting copper and alloying it with other metals or traded for it from other areas. This era follows the Neolithic period, with a transition period known as the Chalcolithic Age.

Ukiyo-e prints began to be exported in the 19th century during a movement known as Japonism. This had a significant influence on the development of modern art in the West, most notably on post-Impressionism.

Japan remained a close ally of the United States throughout the Cold War, though the U.S.–Japan Alliance did not have unanimous support from the Japanese people. As requested by the United States, Japan reconstituted its military in 1954 as the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Massive protests also occurred against US military bases and the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty.

During the Allied occupation, Japan underwent democratization and demilitarization through various reforms. The government was restructured so the cabinet became responsible to the elected National Diet rather than the Emperor. Additionally, a new constitution was implemented in 1947 that guaranteed civil liberties, labor rights, and women's suffrage.

Japan's legislative organ is the National Diet, which is a bicameral parliament consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The prime minister serves as the head of government and is appointed by the emperor after being designated from among the members of the Diet. The Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947, is the oldest unamended constitution in the world.

During the Meiji period, Japan emerged as an industrialized world power that pursued military conflict to expand its sphere of influence. The country adopted Western political, judicial, and military institutions and gained control of Taiwan, Korea, and the southern half of Sakhalin through various wars. This era also saw the establishment of the Meiji Constitution and the Imperial Diet.

Japan is engaged in several territorial disputes with its neighbors, including contesting Russia's control of the Southern Kuril Islands and claiming the Liancourt Rocks. Relations with China involve deep economic ties alongside tensions regarding Taiwan, security, and the Senkaku Islands. Additionally, Japan maintains a security alliance and close economic relations with the United States.

Sakhalin Koreans are residents of Korean descent living on Sakhalin Island who trace their roots to immigrants from the Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces during the late 1930s and early 1940s. During the Japanese colonial era, the Japanese government recruited or forced Korean labourers to Karafuto to fill labour shortages caused by World War II. After the war, many Koreans could not secure permission to depart and lived in exile for forty years.

There are various academic works available concerning the formation and history of the Japanese language. These include studies on Proto-Japanese, ancient Japanese verb alternations, and the Eastern Old Japanese dialects. You can also find resources regarding the Japanese language through time.

There is universal suffrage for adults over 18 years of age. All elected offices are decided through a secret ballot.

The burakumin are descendants of premodern outcast hereditary occupational groups such as butchers and leatherworkers. During the Edo period, these people were required to live in special buraku and were bound by sumptuary laws based on the inheritance of social class. Although the Meiji government abolished most derogatory names in 1871, social discrimination against these former outcasts and their descendants continued.

Japan emerged from the devastation of the Second World War to become a global economic powerhouse through a period of high growth known as the Japanese Economic Miracle. This growth was driven by government-industry cooperation, advanced technology, and a focus on export-oriented manufacturing in sectors like steel, electronics, and automobiles. The economy eventually became the world's second largest in the 1980s before being surpassed by China in 2010.

The 1920s saw a political shift towards statism and a period of lawlessness following the 1923 Great Tokyo Earthquake. This era included the passing of laws against political dissent and a series of attempted coups. These events occurred alongside increasing expansionism and militarization.

Japan became a member of the United Nations in 1956. During this time, it successfully normalized relations with the Soviet Union in 1956 and with South Korea in 1965. These successes occurred despite ongoing disputes regarding the Kuril Islands and the Liancourt Rocks.

The Japanese government has been lukewarm at best in apologizing for or acknowledging atrocities committed during World War II. This remains a major bone of contention in diplomatic relations with neighbors such as South Korea.

The Korean War boosted the Japanese economy because Japan served as a major supply hub for U.S. forces. This occurred during the period when Japan was recovering as a democratic nation under the Allied Occupation.

Remittances are money transfers from non-resident Indians employed outside the country to family and friends residing in India. These transfers are a cornerstone of the nation's economy, contributing to household incomes, economic stability, and overall development. India is the world's top receiver of remittances, benefiting from the steady flow of funds sent by its vast diaspora.

The Japanese adopted the Gregorian calendar as part of a widespread Westernization drive. This change occurred during the Meiji era when the government promoted Western clothing and hairstyles as well.

The sun plays an important role in Japanese mythology and religion, as the emperor is said to be the direct descendant of the Sun goddess Amaterasu. She is seen as the goddess of the Sun and the universe in Shinto religion. Amaterasu is considered the personification of Japan.

Some noodle dishes derive their names from Japanese folklore, such as kitsune and tanuki. These names reflect dishes where the noodles can be changed, but the broth and garnishes correspond to their respective legends.

We provide information related to modern Japanese cuisine, food, power, and national identity. Our resources also cover food and fantasy in early modern Japan as well as Japanese food history. You can find academic perspectives on diet and living standards through various historical lenses.

Traditional Japanese music has major historical roots in the Nara and Heian periods. During this time, the most common types were Gagaku, which is court music of Chinese, Korean, or Indian origin, and shōmyō, which is music used in Buddhist rituals. Japan's indigenous musical culture continues to be found in much of the folk music and Shinto festival music in local communities.

Traces of the platforms of the latter audience hall and the eastern state halls remained by the Meiji era. These traces led to the discovery of the site by Sekino Tadashi, a researcher of architecture history. The latter audience hall dates to the time after the capital was re-established after the relocation from Shigaraki.

English education in Korea dates back to the Joseon Dynasty when translators were instructed in public institutes. The Public Foreign Language School established in 1893 educated young males to modernize the country and introduced the first Korean foreign language instructors. In 1994, university entrance examinations shifted from grammar testing toward more communicative methods.

The history of modern newspapers in Korea began in the Joseon period with the publication of the Chōsen shinpō on December 1881. This was the first modern newspaper published in Korea and its articles were mostly in Japanese or Classical Chinese. Japanese newspapers went on to have a significant influence in Korean newspaper history.

During the 2010s, the long-lasting effects of the Japanese economic crisis during the Great Recession strongly slowed down immigration rates. Additionally, the 2011 earthquake and tsunami caused a decrease in birth rates and the steepest decrease in immigration rates since the Chernobyl disaster. The COVID-19 pandemic also resulted in a noticeable decrease in birth rates and a marked decrease in immigration rates.

From January 2020 to the end of September 2021, Japan registered at least 112,000 excess deaths as a direct effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in a reduction of about 2.6 years in the average life expectancy, a noticeable decrease in birth rates, and a marked decrease in immigration rates. The overall effect was a record population decline of 798,214 persons in that year.

The United Kingdom began rolling out eVisas to replace physical immigration documents like biometric residence permits and visa vignettes. This process started in 2024, with most visas expected to go electronic in 2025. This change applies only to visa-required visitors and is separate from the ETA system for visa-waived visitors.

Sanae Takaichi is Japan's prime minister, having taken office after winning the 2025 Liberal Democratic Party leadership election. As of 2025, Japan has a low unemployment rate of around 2.5%. The country's poverty rate exceeds 15.7%, which is the second highest among the G7 countries.

Starting on 10 April 2026, the EU introduced its Entry/Exit System for automatic electronic monitoring of border crossings by third-country nationals at all external Schengen Area borders. This is not an eVisa system. Additionally, the United Kingdom is rolling out eVisas to replace physical immigration documents for visa-required visitors.