Japan & the Koreas

Japan The land of the Rising Sun

• Japan is an archipelago made of almost 7,000 islands.

• Most people live on the 4 largest islands, especially Honshu

• There is not much arable land, so farmers built terraces into hillsides and drained swamps.

Terraced farm land

• Japan is part of the Ring of Fire and experiences much earthquake and volcanic activity.

• Seismographs measure movements in the crust to record the thousands of earthquakes each year. 2011 Tsunami

• Japan’s climate varies by latitude – cold winter/cool summer in the North– hot summer/mild winter in the South

• Japan experiences monsoons and typhoons, causing floods and landslides.

• Japan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.

• Cities are crowded and land/housing prices are high.

• Japan recycles 50% of its solid waste to combat pollution and waste disposal.

Downtown Tokyo

• Japan is 99% homogenous, meaning most people share a common language and heritage.

• Shintoism and Buddhism are major religions.• Modernization and education has created a

very large middle class.

Itsukushima Torii

Modern Japanese History• Fearing loss of culture and domination by

European powers, Japan closed its doors to the West in 1639.

• In 1853, the U.S. forced Japan to reopen with unfair trade agreements.

• 1868 – Meiji government began industrializing Japan and ended the unequal treaties by 1900.

Opening Edo Bay, 1853

• Japan waged war against China and Russia to secure much needed natural resources in the early 1900s.

• 1910 – Japan annexed Korea.• Worldwide depression of 1929 led Japan to seek new

markets and resources overseas.• The new leaders promoted militarism, the glorification

of military power.• During WWII, Japan allied with Nazi Germany.– Surprise attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (1941)– U.S. drops 2 atomic bombs in 1945 and Japan surrendered.

Hiroshima, Japan 1945

Post-War Japan• Following WWII, the U.S. occupied Japan until

1952.• Japan began democratic reforms, but was not

allowed to create an offensive military force.• After WWII, Japan had the fastest growing

economy in the world.– Imported raw materials and exported finished

products.

The Two Koreas

North Korea is a communist.

South Korea is not

But they share a common history and culture

Korean War• After WWII, the Soviet Union took charge of

North Korea and established a Communist government.

• The U.S. supervised South Korea. Elections were held and the U.S. withdrew in 1949.

• 1950 – North Korea attacked the South to create a single Communist Korea.

• United Nations forces (U.S. included) helped South Korea.

• 1953 – a cease-fire stopped the fighting.• A demilitarized zone, an area with no troops or

weapons allowed, was created to separate the two Koreas.

DMZ

Checkpoint on the DMZ

JSA - Panmunjom

• North Korea has rich natural resources.• North Korea uses its rivers for hydroelectric

power.• South Korea has warmer climate and better

farmland.• South Korea has twice the population of the

north.• South Korea is densely populated with 25% of

its people living in the capital city, Seoul.

• Communist countries traded with North Korea.• North Korea has frequent power outages and has

experienced severe flooding, famine, and economic disaster.

• The United States and Japan are major trading partners with South Korea.

• South Korea has built industry and nuclear power plants.

Pyongyang Capital of North Korea

SeoulCapital of South Korea

• Many Koreans want the North and South to reunite, as families have been separated.

• North Korea wants a Communist system but the South does not.

The Statue of BrothersSeoul, South Korea