Japan is a country in East Asia. This country is located in a chain of islands of the Asian continent at the western end of the Pacific Ocean.
There are the largest islands from north to south including: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. In addition, there are also several small islands near these four islands. Including a group of small islands in the south of Okinawa.
This country is called Nippon, while in Japanese it is called Nihon. The words Nippon and Nihon mean the Land of the Rising Sun. This name comes from the official envoy of the Chinese state, and refers to the relative position of this country in the east of the Asian continent.
The country is also nicknamed the Land of the Rising Sun because it is said to have been created by the Sun God, the Emperor of Japan is the son of the Sun God, and the national flag is also derived from that legend. In addition, this country is also dubbed the Land of Sakura.
Japan is located on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, is an island nation that forms a curved line from northeast to southwest. To the west, it is opposite China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, separated by the East Sea and China's Yellow Sea and the Korean Strait and the Sea of Japan.
Its land area is 377 thousand 880 square kilometers, including the four major islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu as well as 6,800 smaller islands. The nation's capital is Tokyo, which is also the largest city.
Most Japanese people take an indifferent attitude towards religion and view it as a culture and tradition. Most Buddhist and Shinto teachings are only practiced within cultures such as adab and marriage.
A number of minorities adhere to Christianity, Shamanism and newer religions such as the Soka Gakkai. Some of these new religions are related to Buddhism.
According to history, Japan was ruled by the Shogun in ancient times. The Tokugawa Shogunate was the third and final military dictatorship in the country. The 264-year reign of the Tokugawa shogunate is known as the Edo period or the Tokugawa period.
During the Tokugawa shogunate, society was divided according to a class system based on class divisions. The samurai class was at the top of the hierarchy, followed by farmers, craftsmen and merchants. Therefore, rebellions often occur due to the rigid division of the class system and do not allow people to change classes.
Sakura is Japan's national flower that blooms in spring, which is around early April to late April. For the people, sakura is an important symbol. Sakura also becomes a metaphor for the characteristics of impermanent life. The Sakura tree blooms once a year.
Kimono is the national dress of Japan. For the people, kimono is better known as Wafuku to distinguish it from western clothing (Yofuku).
Kimono as it is known today is shaped like the letter T, in the form of a collared coat that reaches to the ankles. Kimonos for men consist of a top-down suit, while kimonos for women are in the form of overalls.
Japan is rich with a variety of diverse ancestral cultures. Even though the current technological developments in this country continue to be up to date in a matter of seconds, the traditional side is still being preserved until now. Traditional performing arts that are still victorious today include kabuki, noh, kyogen and bunraku.