Day 2: Political/Cultural Geography

Japanese politics, like its culture, is very rich and diverse. Historicaly Japan has experimented with many forms of government from feudal warlords in the Tokagawa Shogun era to an Emperor until 1945. According to Wikipedia today's Japanese political system has been around "since adopting its revised constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament called the Diet". Thus Japan's government is somewhat similar to the parliamentary system that has been used in England for centuries. Like England, Japan, also has a prime minister. The current Prime Minister of Japan is Naoto Kan. Japan does still maintian their monarchy, but also like England it is more of a figurehead. Actually in the Japanese Constitution the emperor and his family is referred to as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Thus the power of the emperer is very limited with the majority of the power residing withing the actual elected officials of Japan.


Prime Minister Kan                                                                         Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko
                                                                                                                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Akihito_090710-1600a.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Japan

 

 

Culturally Japan is very rich. Depending upon the region one is in one might experience Japanese modern culture at the same time as its classic edo period culture. Japan's current culture can be described as a hybrid since its breaking free of isolationism during the Tokogawa Shogunate and Meiji Period. Since then Japan has been greatly influenced by the outsides cultures from Europe, Asia, and North America. This is not to say that Japan does not have its own culture, for it does. One that is rich in tradition and antiquity. Within this culture one might find the art of ikebana (flower arranging), ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), calligraphy, and Kabuki (type of theatre).

 

Ikebana

 

When it comes to religion Japan once again finds itself within a field of diversity. Japan has no national religion, or even a real majority religion. The religious practice that appears most common in Japan is reffered to as Shinbutsu Shujo and is the incorporation of various different religions into one. This practice was supposed to be officially ended with " the Shinto and Buddhism Separation Order of 1886, but continues in practice" today(wikipedia). These orders were passed because the main religions incorporated in Shinbutsu Shujo are Shinto and Buddhism, which by themselves are two very unique religious phillosophies. Japan follows a practice of full religious freedom thus one can find Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism on the islands. The religion that is unique to Japan is that of Shinto, which has a very rich and deep history on the islands. In fact there is a " longstanding practice of officially associating a family line with a local Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine" (wikipedia).

 

Shinto Shrine