It is impossible to understand what is going on in a particular civilization if you dont have some idea of the history and where their ancestors come from. This is the best way to see where they come from an where they are going. Here we take a look at the history of Japan.
Long time history
It is believed that humans have been in Japan for the last 300,000 years. DDue to the ice age, there was a time when Japan was linked to the main part of Asia and it was possible for the hunters to be able to get across. Once the ice age ended, Japan was stuck on its own as a group of islands.
During 8000 BC the Japanese began to learn how to do pottery and then between 300 BC to 300 AD, Japan entered a new era that included learning how to grow rice, make tools out of iron an bronze, and how to weave cloth. This change in the economy and the skills that people were learning signalized that the country would be divided up into classes an the civilization began to grow quickly.
Throughout the years, Japan has undergone different periods of growth and even eras that were able to set them apart from the others around them. Various dynasties can be traced through the Japanese history, but they all have maintained the traditional values of Japan and many of these are still seen even in modern times.
Since Japan is an island away from other countries, it has managed to stay away from the prying hands of colonialists and other countries trying to take over it.Most Europeans were not aware of this country until more modern times which allowed Japan to have more freedom to grow and develop without outside influences getting in the way.
There are some other influences that have come into this country in more recent times and made a difference. As you will see in the religion section of the book, many cultures began to come into Japan over time because the boarders were opened for some time. These began to have some influence over the cuisine an other aspects of the Japanese culture and helped to shape it into the country that it is today.
One influence that has been close to Japan for many years is the Chinese culture. This is because the two countries are close to each other and for many years they were able to cross over to each other and share ideas. There are many examples of interactions with both cultures in writing, literature, and other part of the culture. Tea ceremony is the most influences from China.
Later on, the ideas of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism began to get into the region. While most continued to stay with more traditional ideas of thoughts, there was a bit of cross over for some. This would change the way that a lot of them thing about things and can move Japan into the modern ay world.
Japanese Literature
The early works of literature in this area had a lot of influence from the Chinese culture since these have a lot of similarity and the two countries are so closed. There are some Indian influence found in early works. In the 19th century, Japan started to get some of its own influences in writing an had their own styles that made it unique combining their own culture as well as other Eastern and Western cultures.
Traditional Clothing
The clothing that is found traditionally in this country can say a lot about the culture and what is held important.
The traditional clothing of Japan is one of the things that sets it apart form other countries throughout the world. Kimono is a word for clothing that most people in other countries have heard of and it means “something that one wears.” Traditionally this would just be the general word for clothing, but over time it started to be referred to fro a garment that is full length and can still be seen in Japan during special occasions by children, men, and women. The kimono can come in a lot of different colors and sizes and even some come with abstract patterns.
Cuisine
Through the years, the Japanese have been able to develop a very refined cuisine and many times you will be able to find some these foods in the United States as well as other parts of the world. You might recognize the dishes of teriyaki, tempura, sushi. The diet is going to consist mostly pf boiled or picked vegetables, lean seafood, and rice. Some of the most popular dishes of this region will be discussed in the following chapter so you can see just how delicious they are.
And there are more custom and culture. If you come to Japan, try to hear and learn about Japanese culture.
