Ancient Japan

1. Ancient Japan Early in its history Japan was influenced by _________ . Since Japan lies just across the sea, elements of _______________________ easily made its way into the area. Among the elements of Chinese culture that influenced Japan was ________________. ____________________and ___________________ carried it to Japan. Before long, Buddhism was the main religion. The first central government in Japan was based on China’s government. For many centuries, __________________ ruled in Japan just as they did in China. The imperial capital at __________ was a center of art, literature, and learning. At times, some of Japan’s emperors were more concerned with ____ than with running the country. As the emperors’ power faded, Japan fell under the control of shoguns: ___________________________________ . Powerful generals, a shogun ruled Japan in the emperor’s name. Serving under the shogun were armies of samurai,or _____________________________ . They were fierce in battle and devoted to their leaders. As a result, the samurai were very __________________ in Japanese society. With their support, the shoguns continued to rule Japan well into the 1800s. Not everyone was happy with the rule of the shoguns. In 1868 a group of samurai ________________ the shogun and gave power back to the ____________________. Modern Japan When World War II began, Japan allied itself with _______________ and __________. It wanted to build an _____________ in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The Japanese drew the United States into the war in __________ when they bombed the naval base at _______________________________, Hawaii.

2. Modern Japan After many years of fighting, the Americans took drastic measures to end the war. They dropped _______________________ on two Japanese cities, ___________________ and __________________. Shocked by these terrible weapons, the Japanese _____________________ . Since the end of World War II, Japan’s government has been a ____________________________________ headed by an _________________. Although the emperor is officially the head of state, he has _______________________. His main role is to act as a _______________ of Japan and of the Japanese people. In his place, power rests in an elected legislature called the ________ and in an elected prime minister. From the capital city of _________ , the Diet and the prime minister make the laws that govern life in Japan today. Until the 1950s, Japan’s __________________ was not that strong. Within a few decades, though, the economy _________ tremendously. The most successful area of Japan’s economy is _________________________. Japanese companies are known for making high-quality products, especially _______ and __________________________ . Many factors have contributed to Japan’s economic success: 1.___________________________: It works closely with business leaders to control production and plan for the future 2. ___________________________: Well-educated, highly trained workers; its companies are both efficient and productive 3. __________________________________: Most Japanese work hard and are loyal to their companies

3. Japan’s trade has been so successful that it has built up a huge ___________________________. A trade surplus exists when a country ____________ more goods than it _____________. Because of this surplus, many Japanese companies have become very wealthy. Japan is able to export more than it imports in part because of high _____________. A tariff is ______________________________________________________________. Although its economy is based on manufacturing, Japan has ___________________________________. As a result, the country must import ________________________________ . Japan has little ______________ land. Farms cannot grow enough food for the country’s ____________________________________________. Instead, the Japanese have to buy food from other countries. Japan is a ________________ populated country. Slightly smaller than California, it has nearly ___________________ as many people. Most of these people live in _______________ cities. Tokyo is the center of Japan’s __________________ and ________________________ industries. The city is busy, noisy, and very crowded. More than ____ million people live in a relatively small area.

4. Because space is so limited in Tokyo, people have found creative ways to adapt. Buildings tend to be fairly tall and narrow so that they take less land area. People also use space under ground. Many people commute to and from Tokyo in trains that are very crowded. During peak travel times, commuters are crammed into train cars.