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The path to modernization was forged under the Meiji Restoration of 1868.
It was at this time warlords, known as shogun, returned power to the empe
ror Meiji and Japan beganmoving away from its feudal past. It looked to th
e West for a new, more modern political and industrial model.
Before long, Japan was one of the dominant powers in Asia, and began expa
nding its influence in the region, occupying parts of Korea and gaining influe
nce over parts of Chinain the early 20th century. When World War II brok
e out, Japan sided with the Axis powers of Italy and Germany. Its bombing
raid on the U.S. naval station at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,on December 7, 1941,
brought the United States into World War II. The Japanese war effort ca
me to an end when U.S. Allied forces dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima a
ndNagasaki in August, 1945. A week later Japan surrendered.
The postwar period has been one of incredible prosperity for Japan. The go
vernment is firmly rooted in democracy under a constitution based on draft
s prepared by the Alliedforces. Although it is a land of few natural resourc
es, Japan has become one of the most economically robust and industrialize
d countries in the world. Its cultural emphasis oneducation has helped it be
come a world leader in technology, manufacturing and finance. Its products
are exported around the world, with brands like Sony and Toyota virtuallyu
biquitous. Only the U.S. out produces Japan.
But beyond the bullet trains and neon of Tokyo, there lies a rich cultural tr
adition. Most Japanese practice a mixture of Shinto and Buddhism. In citie
s like Nara and Kyoto thereligion is manifest in the beautiful pagodas, gard
ens and temples. In private life guests may be honored in a tea ceremony. T
he emphasis in this ceremony is on ritual,simplicity and the beauty of daily r
outine. Those themes are echoed in the arts, where painters like Hiroshige
captured moments of life and were a great influence on Europeanimpression
ist painters.