Ancient Japanese History
Fishers, hunters and gatherers from Korea and Siberia trekking across the land bridges (and possibly Polynesian migrants) were the first to settle in the territories now known as Japan. By 300 AD the Yamato kingdom had loosely unified the nation and Buddhism was introduced from China, which soon became the state religion. Believing the country to be more or less stable, emperors began to spend more time on leisure and less time on government, giving the samurai (warrior class) opportunity to rise to power. The influence of the country’s complicated past is still evident in modern-day Japan. The surviving essence of the samurai culture, in particular, is a popular attraction on a tour of Japan. The period to ensue was marked by feudal rule, struggles between the emperor and samurai, attempted invasion by Mongols and the introduction of a new, and uninvited, foreign religion – Christianity. Strict supervision was placed over the Japanese by the emperor and rigid obedience to law became a paramount consequence. Imperial power was effectively restored over the samurai class in 1868 and Japan continued in virtual isolation from the outside world.
