Japan

 Japan is an Island nation of the North Pacific.
 The name Japan was originated from the name Zipangu used by Marco Polo in Italian language.
 The official name of Japan is Nippon or Nihon,which means the source of the Sun.
 Japan is known as the ‘Land of Rising Sun’ or ‘Britain of the East’.
 Iasu Tokugama who ruled Japan the 16th Century is known as ‘Napolean of Japan’.
 Tokyo became the capital of Japan during enlightened rule (Meiji Age) which is known as the
Golden Age of Japan.
 First constitution of Japan came to force in 1889 and the Japanese Parliament Diet was formed.
 Geographically Japan is situated in ‘‘the Ring of fire’’ which is in the coast the Pacific ocean with
lot of volcanoes.
 Mount Fujiyama is the highest mount in Japan.
 In the first World War Japan was in the part of Allied Powers.
 Japan joined the Second World War in 1940 on the part of Italy and Germany.
 On 7 December 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbour. This resulted in the entry of USA into the Second
World War.
 America dropped an Atom Bomb named ‘Little boy’ in Hiroshima from an aircraft named ‘Inola
Gay’ on 6, August 1945. Later another bomb ‘Fatman’ was dropped in Nagasaki from an aircraft named ‘Box car’ on 9 August 1945. Follwed by the Japan surrendered before the Axis Powers on 2 September 1945. The treaty of surrender was signed in a ship named USS Missourie in the Bay of Tokyo.
 Kabuki is a form of stage drama in Japan.
 Bunraku - a puppet theatre
 Sumo is a Japanese form of Wrestling.
 Ikebana - Japanese style of flower arranging
 Sake - Rice wine made in Japan
 Cloisonne - A Japanese type of decorative enameling
 Origami - The Japanese art of folding paper into decorative objects.
 Kawabata Yasunari is the first Japanese to win the Nobel Prize (1968) for literature. ‘Snow Coun-
try’ is the book authored by him.
 Yuichiro Miura : 70 year old man who became the oldest to conquer Mt Everest in May 22, 2003.
 Junko Tabei First woman to climb mount Everest.
 Manasobu Fukuvoka is the author of the famous book ‘One Straw Revolution’. He was a famous
agricultural scientist.
 Jimmu Tenno : He was supposedly the first emperor of Japan. In 660 BC he became the Emperor.
 Hirohito became the first Japanese emperor who travelled outside Japan in 1971.
 World’s longest suspension bridge, the AkasiKaikyo Bridge (1990 metres) is in Japan. It con-
nects the Island of Honshee and the Island of Shikoku.
 Japan’s largest single export is Crude Oil.
 ‘Yomeeyerie shimbon’ a News paper in Japan has the largest circulation in the world. It is also published in English with the name ‘Daily Yomiyurie’.
 The Japan’s economy ranks second only to USA in terms of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
 Japan has the largest fishing industry in the world.
 New PM of Japan is Shinzo Abe (Liberal Democratic Party)