GEOGRAPHY AND ANCIENT LIFE

FEUDALISM - feu·dal·ism . The political and social system that existed in medieval Europe and Japan, in which vassals held land from lords in exchange for military service. JAPAN'S FEUDAL ERA

SHINTOISM -Shintoism is a Japanese religion that came from the indigenous people of the country. Beginning in the late fourth century B.C., it has no founder or doctrine. The beliefs of this religion center on being one with nature. Members of the Shinto belief worship the kami, who include native deities (including emperors and heroes), spirits of nature, and mythical objects. Shintoism is divided into four main forms: Koshitsu, Shuha, Folk, and Jinja.

FEUDALISM - feu·dal·ism . The political and social system that existed in medieval Europe, in which vassals held land from lords in exchange for military service.

(http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/midlsoc/gr7/images/feudal.gif)

IMPERIALISM AND COLONIAL AGE

EMPEROR MEIJI -

The famed black ships of Commodore Perry that appeared off the coast of the Japanese archipelago spurred the methodical restructuring of Japan. Starting with the restoration of the emperor and filtering down even to the local level, Japanese bureaucracy, society, military, and economy was revamped to emulate the more modern and advanced West. Scholars were sent to Europe to learn of Western technology, systematic reforms were implemented to improve education, the army was now comprised of conscripted peasants, and a new financial banking system was established.

Aside from a basic fear of the West, many cite the Meiji Restoration to a Japanese desire to be on par with the West in international acclaim.

Western experts were imported to create new railways, armies, fleets, and industries, building on pre-Restoration efforts. Samurai discontented with the abolition of their privilege of wearing swords and the taxing of their stipends rebelled and were put down. An authoritarian constitution, drafted by Ito Hirobumi and others, was promulgated in 1889, establishing the Diet [The Japanese Parliament].

(http://www.ox.compsoc.net/~gemini/simons/historyweb/meiji-resto.html)

MODERN ERA

JAPANESE EMPIRE

(http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/d/g/dga11/hs175_jap_empire_map.htm)

JAPAN IN WORLD WAR TWO -In the First World War, Japan joined the Allied powers, but played only a minor role in the fighting.

During the 1930s, the military established almost complete control over the government. Many political enemies were assassinated, and communists persecuted. Indoctrination and censorship in education and media were further intensified. Navy and army officers soon occupied most of the important offices, including the one of the Prime Minister.

Already earlier, Japan followed the example of Western nations and forced China into unequal economical and political treaties. Furthermore, Japan's influence over Manchuria had been steadily growing since the end of the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-05. When the Chinese Nationalists began to seriously challenge Japan's position in Manchuria in 1931, the Kwantung Army (Japanese armed forces in Manchuria) occupied Manchuria. In the following year, "Manchukuo" was declared an independent state, controlled by the Kwantung Army through a puppet government.

In 1933, Japan withdrew from the League of Nations since she was heavily criticized for her actions in China.

The Japanese forces succeeded in occupying almost the whole coast of China and committed severe war atrocities on the Chinese population, especially during the fall of the capital Nanking. However, the Chinese government never surrendered completely, and the war continued on a lower scale until 1945.

Japan's next step was the expansion to the South and the establishment of the "Greater Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere" which included the liberation of the South East Asian countries from Western colonial powers.

In 1940, Japan occupied French Indochina (Vietnam) and joined the Axis powers Germany and Italy. These actions intensified Japan's conflict with the US and Great Britain which reacted with an oil boycott. The resulting oil shortage made Japan decide to capture the oil rich Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) and to risk a war with the US and Great Britain.

In December 1941, Japan attacked the Allied powers at Pearl Harbour and several other points throughout the Pacific. Japan was able to expand her control over a large territory that expanded to the border of India in the West and New Guinea in the South within the following six months.

The turning point in the Pacific War was the battle of Midway in June 1942. From then on, the Allied forces slowly won back the territories occupied by Japan. In 1944, intensive air raids started over Japan.

On July 27, 1945, the Allied powers requested Japan in the Potsdam Declaration to surrender unconditionally, or destruction would continue. However, the military did not think of surrendering under such terms, partially even after US military forces dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, and the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan on August 8.

On August 14, however, the more moderate emperor Showa finally decided to surrender unconditionally.

(http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2129.html)

Blount et. al. 30 JAN 2004.

     http://www.bridgewater.edu/~dhuffman/soc306/I98grp3/