Throughout its thousands of years of existence, Japanese culture has undergone numerous and drastic alterations, ranging from having open cross-cultural communication and inspiration from neighboring countries to extreme isolationism, military imperialism, and now a constitutional monarchy. During the early CE, contact with the Chinese and Koreans drastically affected all parts of Japanese culture, including politics, tools, art, agriculture, writing systems, and more.

One of the most well-known parts of Japanese history today is the samurai, fiercely loyal warriors skilled in all fighting styles. Eventually, they would find a new military government known as a shogunate that overshadowed even the emperor of Japan. By the 1800s, however, the shogun, or military ruler, alongside the rest of the samurai, were forced to give up their political and military power positions as Western trade and industrialization earned the favor of the Japanese people. Japan would go on to set up a new government under an emperor and began setting out to create an empire by quickly growing its industrial warfare capabilities. This eventually came to a head when Japan controlled most of the Eastern Pacific and joined the Nazis and Italians to create the Axis Powers. Japan fought against the Allies in World War II, which eventually led to their defeat and the loss of their empire. Japan would rebuild itself as a more democratic government with stronger international ties.

Today, Japan is known for its deep and complex history and its current status as one of the world’s economic and technological powerhouses. Japanese culture such as clothing, art, poetry, food, and customs have become popularized throughout the Western world.