Viktoria Niebuhr - History of Japan: From early history to the present day

History of Japan

From early history to the present day

by Viktoria Niebuhr

Introduction

M arco Polo was the first to mention the Japanese territory of Eastern Asia around 1300 in his writings. Zipango (the medieval name for Japan in Europe) was in his mind a land covered with gold, silver and pearls. This and many other mysteries persisted until the first actual arrival of globetrotters from Europe. Japan was a distant beauty to explore.

Today, Japan likes to present itself to the public as a unit. However, the complexity of its culture can quickly be guessed if one considers the geographically extensive area (377,835 km) on which the country stretches. Differences in religion, language and cuisine are therefore indispensable. The different climate zones that Japan encompasses also contribute to the country's diversity.

Japan is a fertile country. It consists of vast mountain landscapes, many waters and unique flora and fauna. The four main islands Hokkaido, Shinkoku, Kyushu and Honshu together form the national territory. The largest island Honshu is home to approx. 80 per cent of the total population, and represents the economically strongest area of Japan, among other things because of the Tokyo/Kanto region.

Hunted down by numerous volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and earthquakes, Japan is a country that must be prepared for disasters. This was demonstrated by the nuclear disaster in Fukushima (2011). The reason for this is the four tectonic plates that unite Japan. An insanely frequented quake, which fortunately goes unnoticed most of the time, is on the Japanese agenda due to this geographical localization. Sometimes, strengths of up to nine on the Richter scale can be achieved, of which the population can be warned early enough due to advanced technology. The Japanese house construction method has adapted to the geographical conditions and therefore offers good stability. In addition, Japanese citizens became aware of how to behave in emergency situations early on.

Japan is located in the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire", a geographical belt consisting of volcanoes. This surrounds the Pacific from three sides. Since most of Japan has a deep-sea coast, the danger of tsunamis is drastically increased. The large urban agglomerations around Tokyo are due to this narrow settlement area.

Japanese time counting begins with the Kofun period (ca. 300 - 552 AD). Japan corresponded closely with its neighbours, China and Korea. The empire came into being. However, the country's early history also reflects important events that underpin Japanese cultural understanding. Here, it is important to distinguish between mythological and factually proven traditions. There are different research results based on different sources and dates.

The following text provides an introduction to the current scientific consensus in Japanese history. The different epochs, from early history to modern times, are examined for their peculiarities and their explosiveness with regard to the development of Japan. Furthermore, the text examines the effects of history on Japanese social and economic structures. Today's Japan is the last topic of this introduction. Finally, we look at the future of Japan, with possible problems arising from the present.

Early History (about 30.000 years ago until 300 A.D.)

Jomon-Period

T he history of Japan began with Stone Age people who arrived on the Japanese archipelagos some 30,000 years ago. Before the Ice Age, the approximately 8,500 islands could still be reached by humans via existing connections to the mainland. This changed with the rise of the sea level, which brought Japan into the geographically isolated position that still exists today. The Stone Age civilization, which began with the end of the last ice age is called Jomon culture.

The primitive people of the Ainu only began to fully inhabit Japan 15,000 years after the Stone Age. The Mongols from Central Asia followed. At first, there was a peaceful coexistence of both peoples. The spread of famines became a problem for the Ainu, who were largely displaced from their habitat by the Mongols, and conflicts arose between the two ethnic groups.

The Ainu anchored their religious rites in their belief in nature. The first beginnings of an archetype of Shintoism can be seen here since the Ainu worshipped a plurality of different deities, the so-called "Kamuy". Elements such as fire and water, but also weather forces such as lightning and thunder, were attributed to a god, as were animals and plants. The spirituality of this people was accompanied by a great respect for nature. According to the Ainu faith, the gods protected mountains, forests and waters.

The people of young Japan lived largely cut off from the outside world. They kept themselves afloat as collectors, hunters and fishermen. They also practiced pottery, which today bears the name of Jomon ceramics. The name "Jomon" means "cord print decoration" (Jomon). The typical, flame-like patterns of this ceramic were created by pressing a string on the surface of the still malleable clay.

Yayoi period (300 B.C. - 300 A.D.)

I n 300 B.C., the first Korean immigrants flocked into the country. They brought rice cultivation and other agriculture, as well as horses and cattle to Japan for the first time.

The social upheaval first took place in the north of the main island Kyushu, and then spread to Sinai. In Kanto and on Hokkaido, the Jomon culture was still in the foreground.

And another innovation brought this era to Japan: tools and weapons made of metal, bronze or iron. The latter were exported from Korea via a first international trade. The cultivation of rice also began to involve various irrigation systems for the fields as well as for local housing estates. The Japanese dug ditches for this purpose, which regularly checked the proper functioning of the inhabitants in its vicinity.