Japan

JAPAN IS A COUNTRY located on an island chain in east Asia between the north Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan. It is east of both the Korean peninsula and the coast of China. It has four main islands and is slightly smaller than California. The islands contain numerous volcanoes, some active and some dormant. The islands also suffer from recurring earthquakes. Its current population is around 128 million people. The northern islands were originally settled by immigrants from the [Page 592]Asian mainland. In the southern islands, many came from islands to the south. Minorities of Koreans and other people are present almost everywhere. Japan is a homogeneous nation and yet has enormous diversity because of its historical developments and geographic isolation.

Japan's long history reached a low point of defeat and devastation at the end of World War II, when it surrendered to the Allied powers. Since 1945 it has rebuilt both its industry and infrastructure. It has been able to rise from the poverty of the postwar era to become a prosperous nation with a democratic government and an industry that promotes a strong work ethic. The unemployment rate in 2005 was 4.5 percent. However, there were no official figures available for those below the poverty line.

In 1945 most Japanese were living in poverty. Today only a few do. In postwar Japan the Japanese government was able to develop policies that promoted equality and economic achievement. These policies required social compromise from the old elite. The compromises were accepted because of national need, the growing wealth of the old elites who went into business, and the obvious benefits that came to both the Japanese people and to the Japanese state.