Culture Of Japan

Japan was founded in 600 BC by the Emperor Jimmu, the ancestor of the current imperial line. The writing system of Japan and China however was not officially adopted until 405 AD. The Japanese Culture usually had a ruling dynasty, but real power was held by powerful nobles, regents, or "shoguns". Japan was first contacted in 1542 by a Portuguese explorer headed for China. After that Japan traded with many cultures until the early part of the 17th century. Japan's shogunate suspected that the traders and missionaries were actually forerunners of a military conquest by European powers. The result was foreigners were placed under tight restrictions. Shortly after, Japan forced all foreigners to leave and isolated itself for 200 years. This isolation lasted for 200 years, until Commodore Matthew Perry of the U.S. Navy forced the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854. After contact was re-established to the western world, Japan's shogun system was replaced by the emperor Meiji during the "Meiji restoration" of 1868 which initiated many reforms. By 1898, the last of the "unequal treaties" with Western powers was removed, signaling Japan's new status among the nations of the world. In a few decades, by creating modern social, educational, economic, military, and industrial systems, the Emperor Meiji's "controlled revolution" had transformed a feudal and isolated state into a world power.

Japan has been involved in several wars including a war with Russia and participation in World War I and II. During World War I, Japan sided with the allies and its influence spread through the western world after the Allies won. During the years preceding WWII, the Japanese resigned from the "league of nations", invaded china, and signed a pact with Nazi Germany. The Japanese invasion of China in 1937 followed Japan's signing of the "anti-COM intern pact" with Nazi Germany which culminated in the Japanese attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. This act of aggression resulted in the United States dropping the Atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On September 2, 1945, the Japanese signed an instrument of surrender on the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Harbor. This put Japan under American control but this was lifted and Japan regained its independence by 1972.

Japan's current government and constitution was established in 1946 after its surrender to United States. Its government is democratically based with divisions including: Legislature, Judiciary, and Executive. The country is no longer run by emperors but by an elected Prime Minister. Japan is now nearing the completion of the American two-party system.

Japan's economy is very diverse. It is based off of the yen and is one of the strongest in the world. For an ideal on the monetary system, 120 yens are equilivant to about one U.S. Dollar. It depends on both imports and exports to and from the United States and other countries. Its major exports include: Cars, Electronic Devices and Computers. The most important imports are raw goods and oil. Japan also has many agricultural products the most important being rice. Manufacturing, construction, distribution, real estate, services, and communication are Japan's major industries today. Tied directly into its economy is Japan health care system. This system requires all residents and workers of Japan to purchase health care insurance or obtain it through their work organization. These plans usually require the recipient to pay 30% or less of the bill.

Japan has a very elaborate public school system with many levels of organizations under the Monbusho. They have the same basic level of organization including: pre-school, elementary school, Junior High, and High School. There are also several ways that a child can receive education outside of the public system. This "Shadow" education (or Juku) is basically our version of home schooling. Below are tables to show the comparative rates of enrollment between private and public schools and those in juku in Japan.

Table 1 Ð'-- General school enrollment trends, 1996

School level National/Public Private Percent Male

Kindergartens 377,522 1,474,661 50.8%

Elementary schools 8,515,262 67,609 51.2%

Junior high schools 4,449,760 231,406 51.2%

High schools 3,405,120 1,457,605 50.3%

Special schools for handicapped students 86,334 885 62.3%

Junior colleges 38,819 481,819 82.3%

Universities 661,398 1,820,407 68.7%

SOURCE: Statistics Bureau, 1996: 688

Table 2 Ð'-- Percentages of students enrolled in juku, by grade level

Grade Level Advancement juku Enrichment juku

1985