Japan (Japanese: Nihon or Nippon) is an island country located in the Pacific Ocean, east of China and Korea, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. It is composed of over 3,000 islands, the largest of which are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Most of Japan's islands are mountainous, and many are volcanic; the highest peak is Mount Fuji.
Japan is the world's second-largest economy and one of the world's leading industrialized countries. It is a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament, called the Diet, which is one of the oldest legislatures in Asia. Despite its rugged terrain, Japan is one of the most populous—and one of the most densely populated—countries in the world. Greater Tokyo, with over 30 million residents, is the largest metropolitan area in the world.
Japan's name in the kanji writing system is often translated as "Land of the Rising Sun", and comes from the country's eastward position relative to China.
Historically, Japan adopted many Chinese customs and institutions beginning in the 5th and 6th centuries. During the 8th century, an indigenous culture emerged during the Heian period, characterized by aesthetic refinement and aristocratic sophistication. The arts and literature flourished, culminating in Lady Murasaki's writing of The Tale of Genji, the world's first known novel. From the 12th century to the mid-1800s, Japan was a feudal country led by clans of warriors known as the samurai.
"Nanban" trade with the West in the 16th century initiated a period of enlightenment in Japan. The Tokugawa shogunate, however, implemented the Sakoku ("closed country") policy of isolation that lasted for two and a half centuries. The arrival of U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry's "Black Ships" and the signing of the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854, signaled the reopening of the country to the West. After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Japan adopted many European and American customs and institutions. Its culture today is a mixture of these influences along with traditional Japanese culture.
(PICTURE FOR DISPLAY ONLY)
------------------------------------------
Thanks for choosing this sale. You may email for alternate payment arrangements. We combine shipping. Please pay promptly after the auction. The item will be shipped upon receipt of funds. WE ARE GOING GREEN, SO WE DO SOMETIMES USE CLEAN RECYCLED MATERIALS TO SHIP.
Please leave feedback when you have received the item and are satisfied. Please respond when you have received the item.
*****
5*'s
*****
If you were pleased with this transaction, please respond with all 5 stars! If you are not pleased, let us know via e-mail. Our goal is for 5-star service. We want you to be a satisfied, return customer.
Please express any concerns or questions. More pictures are available upon request. The winning bid will incur the cost of S/H INSURED FEDEX OR USPS. See rate calculator or email FOR ESTIMATE. International Bidders are Welcome but be mindful if your country is excluded from safe shipping.
Thanks for perusing THIS and ALL our auctions.
Please Check out our other items!
WE like the curious and odd.
BUY, BYE!!
i
