Things to Know About Japan

When considering a place in Asia to stay or visit, one of your top choices should be Japan. By learning more about Japan you will realize that it is a country rich in history and culture, and home to friendly Japanese often very curious about foreign events.

An old nation in lying in East Asia, Japan is now considered as one of the most powerful countries in the world. With the second largest economy in the world, Japan is a great place to stake your claim in your own business.

About Japanese History and Power

The Tokugawa shogunate brought in a long period of isolation from foreign influence for the country to secure its power in 1603. This policy ruled over Japan for two centuries yet the country started to enjoy stability and a blooming in its indigenous culture.

After the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in the year 1854, Japan opened its ports and started the intensive modernization and industrialization.  In the late 19th century up to the early 20th century, Japan became the regional power defeating China and Russia.

Japan occupied Formosa (Taiwan), Korea and the southern Sakhalin Island. Japan occupied Manchuria from 1931 up to 1032 and launched a full scale invasion on China in 1937.

In 1941, Japan attacked the US forces by bombing Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, which then triggered America’s entry to the World War II. Soon America occupied most of the East and Southeast Asia.

After its fall in the WWII, Japan recovered and soon established an economic power and become a stalwart ally of the US. Though Japan still have their emperor in his throne as a symbol of national unity, actual decision making power are wielded by elected officials with heavy input from bureaucrats as well as business executives.

Japan’s economic experience started experiencing a major slowdown in the advent of 1990s after decades of extraordinary growth. There are still abundant opportunities for enterprising foreigners with a dream. Are you one of the future foreign business owners of Japan? To find out how to do it, contact us.

About Japan Geography

If you want to know more about Japan, you may look at information on its geography. The country extends along the eastern coast of Asia; it has a collection island with Honshu as the mainland. There are other three large islands namely Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyunshu as well as 3,000 smaller islands.

When you put together all those islands, you get a slightly smaller land mass than California. Japan is mostly mountainous, and it also experiences earthquakes frequently due to the inherent volcanic presence in the island.

Japan is an extremely urbanized nation, most of its people live in major cities. There are two major religions in this country – Shintoism and Buddhism. These two belief systems are harmonious and usually share the same temples.

However, for weddings, Christian wedding ceremonies are extremely popular throughout Japan, and the demand exceeds the supply of foreign ministers, so some couples hire foreigners to play the part of a minister in a largely unofficial ceremony, since they have been already legally married at city hall.  To find out how to get a part-time position as a minister, contact us.

Legend of Japan

Around 600BC, Japan was said to be founded by Emperor Jimmu. Japan first interacted with the West in 1542 when a lost Portuguese ship landed in Japan. More westerners came over the next century but the Japanese shogun did not trust them and eventually banned all foreigners and the country was isolated for the next 200 years.

Modern Day Japan

About Japan today: Tokyo is its capital, which is a highly urbanized city with influences from different other cultures from neighboring countries as well as the west. Japan has a total population of 127.4 million people; however this number is dramatically decreasing. Their primary language is Japanese and the country has a 99 percent literacy rate.

On the average, Japanese men’s life expectancy is 77 years old while women live a ripe old age of 84. Japan has many vibrant cities with a high standard of living, which makes it an exciting place to live, work, or start your own business. What kind of business should you start? Contact Us.

The Japanese Consumer

The Japanese consumer benefits most from the availability of compact, sophisticated consumer products that are often popular exports. Consumer electronics, clothing, automobiles, and household appliances are high-quality items that Japanese industry provided in quantity.

There are 45 million cars in Japan, for a ratio of 350 cars per 1000 people. The Japanese rail system was ranked the most advanced in the world in a recent OECD development report.What do Japanese consumers want and need? How could you start a business to fit those wants and needs? For advice on being your own boss in Japan, contact us.




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