Brief History of Japan

Japan existed as a futal country for centuries, made up of hunters and gatherers, eventually becoming the land of shogun and samurai. In 1853, Western powers like the United States and the United Kingdom began demanding the Japanese to open there borders up to trade, ending over 200 years of isolation. Unequal treaties began to show the weakness of the Tokugawa Shogunate. This began an internal conflict which lead to many Samurai and reformist demanding change. This internal confict culminated into a full on war called the Boshin War, which ended the Shogunate and restored all power to the emperor. this began the Meiji restoration, whiched helped Japan industrialize and form the Japanese Empire that became famous in the 20th century.

As the Meiji Restoration kicked off, japan would go under a rapid social change as well. The state would push for a rapid industrialization, building railways, telegraphs, ship yards, and textile mills. Japan would also encourage private industry, and make education mandatory, building a completely literate trained workforce. The samurai class was abolished and all social classes were made equal. The build up of Japan's military also allowed for many shocking attacks on neiboring countries like the anexation of Korea, and even a major victory in the Japanese-Russo War, which gained them international attention. During a period known as the "Taisho Democracy", parliamentary parties gained more influence as the emperor's health declined. Many Western style form of governance like voting and political pluralism became more popular in Japan. But things began to change as the Great Depression hit Japan hard, giving military leaders more power and influence in the government, and ultra-nationalism rose to sweep the nation.

When World War II started, Japan sought to become the most powerful country in Asia, invading coutries like China, Laos, Cambodia, and Even capturing many Western territories like Hong Kong and the Philipeans. But after a devestating attack on Pearl Harbor, leading to the United States entering the Second World War, Japan was pushed back from all sides. japan was forced to surrender after two Atomic Bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. the defeat destroyed the Militarist structure that ran the empire.

Under American advisement, Japan was changed from an empire to a constitutional monarchy. The emperor was placed as a figure head, and a new constitution replaced the Meiji Constitution. Land reform broke up huge estates, women were allowed to vote and a modern form of japanese democracy and capitalism was established.

After Japan was changed, the country began it's journey to becoming one of the biggest economies in the world. During the Korean War, the United States had made major purchases from Japanese factories. Japan also began to import and improve foreign technology like cars and electronics. The Keiretsu System was established, which cross=linked corporations and banks that enabled efficient industrial coordination. Japanese companies like Toyota, Sony, Panasonic and Honda became global leaders in industry.By the 1980s, Japan became the second-largest economy in the world.