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Japan

Japan. A World Apart. A chain of Islands. Archipelago – chain of islands 4 main islands Kyushu, Shikoku, Honshu, Hokkaido Seas isolated and protected Japan from invaders. Inland Sea is a major highway between the islands. . Landforms and Climate. Mountains and plains – 80% mountainous

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Japan

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  1. Japan A World Apart

  2. A chain of Islands • Archipelago – chain of islands • 4 main islands • Kyushu, Shikoku, Honshu, Hokkaido • Seas isolated and protected Japan from invaders. • Inland Sea is a major highway between the islands.

  3. Landforms and Climate • Mountains and plains – 80% mountainous • Arable land limited to coastal plains and river valleys. • Fertile lowland areas are densely populated. • Mild climates – mild summers and winters • Long growing season and plentiful rainfall

  4. Landforms continued • Intensive land use to maximize available land. • Carve terraces, drain marshes and swamps, and deltas. • Can harvest two crops a year. • Rice is major crop. • Fish is major source of protein in Japanese diet.

  5. Limited Mineral resources • Few mineral resources. • Not a problem when people were just farmers and fishermen. • As Japan industrialized it needed to import raw materials. • Caused a dependency on world trade. • Disruptions in trade threatens Japan’s economy.

  6. People of Japan • Homogeneous society • People speak a common language and share a common culture. • Very few ethnic minorities. • Separate, special identity leads to ethnocentrism. • Immigrants rarely given citizenship.

  7. People continued • Strong national identity has led to predjudice against sub-groups. • Ainu – early inhabitants excluded from society. • Burakimin came from butchers and tanners who lived during feudal times. Outcasts because of Buddhists beliefs against killing. • Both groups suffer discrimination today.

  8. War in the Pacific • By 1900 Japan was a modern industrialized nation. • Wanted an overseas empire • 1905 – defeated Russia in the Russo-Japanese War and gained control of Korea and a foothold in Manchuria. • Gained raw materials for its industries

  9. Extreme Nationalism • Japan’s trade fell due to the Great Depression. • Factories closed and unemployment rose. • Led to domestic unrest. • Extreme nationalists argued that Japan should have continued overseas expansion. • Angry that Australia and U.S. excluded Japanese immigrants.

  10. Military Dictatorship • During the 1930’s Japan became a military dictatorship. • Promoted militarism – glorification of the military and readiness for war. • Promoted special mission – to free Asian nations from western imperialism.

  11. World War II • Japan made a major drive into China. • Actions by Italy and Germany brought war to Europe. • 1940 – Japan joins with Italy and Germany to form the Axis. • Japan seizes French Indochina • U.S. places embargo on oil and other supplies.

  12. Pearl Harbor • December 7, 1941 • Japan launches surprise attack on U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. • U.S. declares war the next day. • The War in the Pacific has begun.

  13. Battle of Midway • June 4-7, 1942 • Occurred just 6 months after Pearl Harbor • Imperial Japanese Navy planned a surprise attack on Midway atoll in the Pacific. • U.S. found out and planned a surprise attack on the Japanese Navy • Japan suffered heavy losses and was never able to fully recover it’s naval strength.

  14. Island Hopping • U.S. began attacking a series of Japanese-held islands in the South Pacific. • Guadalcanal- 8/1942-2/1943. • Part of Solomon Islands Campaign which lasted until the end of the war. • Iwo Jima – 19 February – 26 March 1945 • Part of the Home Islands • Famous photograph of Marines raising U.S. flag ove Mt. Suribachi.

  15. Of 22,000 Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima only 216 were captured. The rest were killed or missing in action. • Okinawa – 1 April to 21 June 1945 • U.S. planned to use Okinawa to stage it’s invasion of Japan. • Japan used Kamikaze fighters to inflict serious damage. • Japan lost over 100,000 soldiers

  16. The U.S. had over 66,000 casualties. • Many Japanese civilians committed mass suicides after being frightened by Japanese soldiers telling them of abuses by American soldiers. • Some reported being ordered by Japanese soldiers to commit suicide.

  17. End of the War • U.S. was planning a massive incasion of Japanese homeland. • Predictions were that over 250,000 and maybe as high as 1 million U.S. casualties would occur. • President Harry Truman decided that this cost was too high and ordered the dropping of the atomic bomb.

  18. First bomv was dropped on Audust 6, 1945 on the city of Hiroshima. • More than 80,000 people were killed. • 3 days later a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki killing over 40,000. • 5 days later, on August 14, Japan surrendered and WWII came to an end.

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