Japan
Isabelle Santelli
Geography's Influence on History
Japan is an island with irregular coastlines and mountains. It is separated from the East Coast of Asia by the sea. This isolation led to ethnocentrism, the belief of one's culture being superior. It also lacked in natural resources. The coastlines provided Japan with many ports and harbors.
Meiji Restoration
Japan needed to imperialize China in order to obtain it's natural resources. Before it began to imperialize, Japan had to become more modernized. The Meiji Restoration lasted from 1868 to 1912. The main policy of the restoration was to enrich the nation and strengthen the military. Factories, businesses, and companies were built and international trade was established. Japan now had a strong military and constitution.
Religion
The main religion of the Japanese is Shintoism. Shintoism is the belief of spirits in nature. The Japanese also practiced Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. Nature spirits were looked up to for good weather and harvest.
Rape of Nanking
The Japanese Imperial army mar4ched into China's capital Nanking and mercilessly murdered 300,000 out of 600,00 civilians. This lasted for six weeks and was eventually known as the Rape of Nanking. It represented the single worst atrocity during the World War II era.