Abstract:

Traveling through Jaoan, there is still a strong contrast to be seen between the thousands of rice paddies covering every little flat space available and the crowded hi-rise apartment blocks, with miles of concrete factories. Most of this build-up came after Japan's destruction in World War II. This video discusses how the people of this little island nation, with so few natural resources, could rebuild so rapidly. As a background to the heritage of the people, we see the influences of ancient China; the closed fuedalism that developed, with emperors, shogun generals, and samurai warriors; then the forcing of the nation by the United States to open for outside trade...and technology; Japan's wars for natural resources with Russia, several Asian nations and its disastrous war, from 1941 to 1945, against the United States.