Japan is the world's second largest economy that impresses scientists and economists of the world and gives rise to numerous researches of its methods and tactics to achieve such a considerable economic growth. The Japanese society is known in the world for accomplishing an astonishing economic growth in the post-war period and the more astounding fact is that the country, subjected to regular natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunami, taking many human lives and large expenses, is capable of restoring its economic resources at such a fast rate.

The history of Japan is captivating in its all periods, while the postwar period is of special interest for many historians and amateur readers. After World War II Japan was devastated like many countries that participated in the war. However, the country managed to rise to its full height at much faster rate than the other countries did. Consequently, in less than ten years after the war, Japan emerged as a global economic power, even more mighty than it was in the prewar period. What was happening in Japan after World War II?

It takes time to understand Japanese art. Whether you admire Japanese ikebana or listen to Japanese music, they can appear either strange or too much intricate until you know what each aspect of this particular art reflects. Although Japan is considered to assimilate many foreign cultures, their own arts bear neither resemblance nor imitation of the origins, since these cultures have acquired new forms and ideas in the Japanese rearrangement.

For many centuries singing and dancing were the only entertainment at Japanese parties, celebrations and festivals. Hence, many traditional Japanese dances are still popular in Japan along with modern Western style forms and a ballet. Numerous Western schools in Japan cover a classical ballet, avant-garde styles, a jazz-dance and a modern dance, while during the festivals, people dance their national Bon dance or So-ran Bushi.

Since the Japanese archipelago is located in an area where several continental and oceanic meet, there are frequent earthquakes and many volcanoes and hot springs across Japan. If earthquakes occur below or near the ocean, they might trigger tidal waves or a tsunami. Many of us, who live in tectonically quiet regions, would consider it strange to keep a survival kit for the case of emergency. However, every household in Japan does so.

Hakone is a name for both a mountainous area and a volcano, lying west of Tokyo in Japan. Hakone features a substantial tourist activity, since it is an excellent recreational area with many mountains to climb and several parks to take a stroll. Hakone hosts many onsen (hot spring) resort areas and both locals and foreigners come to Hakone for a treatment at health resorts.

Shibuya is a shopping, eating and entertainment district, situated in the west of Tokyo, popular among many young Tokyoites. It is one of the most colorful and busy districts and a cradle of Japanese fashion and entertainment trends. Most large departments and fashion stores in the area belong to either Tokyu or Seibu, two competing corporations. If you love something of lively, fun, crowded, busy, vibrant and outstanding, Shibuya will seduce your imagination!

Traveling around the Gifu Prefecture is a fine opportunity to enjoy the sights of rural Japan in the south of the region and to hike, ski and bathe in hot springs in the north, as a defining feature of the prefecture is the northern stretch of the Japan Alps. No doubt, your travel around Gifu should start with visiting its capital with the same name, a cradle of handcrafts, famous paper umbrellas, lantern making and captivating sights of plum and cherry blossoms.

Probably, eating sushi is a new experience for you, or you go to a Japanese restaurant for the first time. In any case, having some knowledge about sushi will help you not to worry about where to go and how to eat. For a start, all sushi has a base of specially prepared vinegared rice, complemented with other ingredients, including a topping or filling of fish, seafood, vegetables or eggs.

Located in the northern Gifu Prefecture and surrounded by the Japan Alps, Takayama has developed its own way of life and a unique personality through the centuries. In the ancient times, the deep snow cut off Takayama from the rest of Japan and even today some roads to Takayama are closed in winter. The centuries of isolation allowed the town to preserve a unique ancient style and authentic folk traditions that appeal to many visitors.

Hakone is a name for both a mountainous area and a volcano, lying west of Tokyo in Japan. Hakone features a substantial tourist activity, since it is an excellent recreational area with many mountains to climb and several parks to take a stroll. Hakone hosts many onsen (hot spring) resort areas and both locals and foreigners come to Hakone for a treatment at health resorts.

Shibuya is a shopping, eating and entertainment district, situated in the west of Tokyo, popular among many young Tokyoites. It is one of the most colorful and busy districts and a cradle of Japanese fashion and entertainment trends. Most large departments and fashion stores in the area belong to either Tokyu or Seibu, two competing corporations. If you love something of lively, fun, crowded, busy, vibrant and outstanding, Shibuya will seduce your imagination!

Traveling around the Gifu Prefecture is a fine opportunity to enjoy the sights of rural Japan in the south of the region and to hike, ski and bathe in hot springs in the north, as a defining feature of the prefecture is the northern stretch of the Japan Alps. No doubt, your travel around Gifu should start with visiting its capital with the same name, a cradle of handcrafts, famous paper umbrellas, lantern making and captivating sights of plum and cherry blossoms.

Probably, eating sushi is a new experience for you, or you go to a Japanese restaurant for the first time. In any case, having some knowledge about sushi will help you not to worry about where to go and how to eat. For a start, all sushi has a base of specially prepared vinegared rice, complemented with other ingredients, including a topping or filling of fish, seafood, vegetables or eggs.

Located in the northern Gifu Prefecture and surrounded by the Japan Alps, Takayama has developed its own way of life and a unique personality through the centuries. In the ancient times, the deep snow cut off Takayama from the rest of Japan and even today some roads to Takayama are closed in winter. The centuries of isolation allowed the town to preserve a unique ancient style and authentic folk traditions that appeal to many visitors.

Kanto region is a geographical area on Honshu, the main and the largest island of Japan and includes seven prefectures, surrounding Tokyo: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba and Kanagawa. The region is situated on the Kanto plain, but the plain itself makes a little more than forty percent of the region. Today, Kanto region is the most developed, industrialized and urbanized part of Japan.

You will be surprised to hear that Tokyo has a special teenage town, named Harajuku. If you are young and trendy, a visit to Harajuku is a necessity, if you are in your middle age or old, it is an opportunity to experience once more in your life the happiness of being young. Harajuku is a shopping and entertaining district with an abundance of small shops, elegant boutiques, fashionable restaurants and cozy cafes.

Japan is an undisputed leader in the Asian electronics and communications industry and one of the world leaders in the sphere. With eminent components and equipment capabilities, Japan provides much of the technology, needed for the manufacture of advanced electronics and communications products. The achievements and inventions of the country are great and incomparable to any other manufacture in the world.

Japan has always been one of the most successful countries in the development and application of robotics. Today, Japan uses a wide range of robots, applied to human services, working systems, manufacturing, construction and entertainment. Since the mid-1980s, Japan started to work in space robotics. What has Japan managed to achieve in this project?

The Japanese samurai warriors came into existence in the 12th century, when two powerful Japanese clans, the Taira and Minamoto, fought wars against each other. They existed for more than a thousand of years and fought in hundreds of battles and wars. Along with a sword as a symbol of samurai, this warrior is known for the obedience to an ethic code of behavior, called bushido or The Way of the Samurai.

From the very beginning it is important to point out that the Japanese word for cooked rice (gohan) has a general meaning of "meal" that stresses the importance of rice in the Japanese cuisine, as well as in the country's culture. Rice has been cultivated in Japan for over two thousand years, making the most important crop and the most important ingredient for many dishes. Once in the history of Japan, rice was even used as a currency.

The personality of Japanese samurai arouses unbounded feelings and associations. He is strong both physically and emotionally and wields masterfully a martial art and weapons. His main qualities are sincerity in mind and actions, obedience to the ethic code of samurai and readiness to die for his ideals. Although a feudal warrior, samurai was not a ravager; he led wars on the battlefields, strictly following the samurai war rules and respecting the enemy.

Ohara is a northern suburb of Kyoto. Rural and tranquil, the town still preserves the atmosphere of old Japan. Famous for its Sansen-in Temple with beautiful moss gardens, Ohara is a great place to visit. The accommodation in the Ohara traditional Japanese inn and dining in one of fine Japanese restaurants adds much to visitors' impressions of being in ancient rural Japan.

Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, is a new city in the history of Japan that is more famous for its modern attractions and up-to-date architecture. However, it features a magnificent site that preserves the history of the entire Hokkaido accumulated in one place, the Historic Village of Hokkaido. The Historic Village is an open-air museum in the suburbs of Sapporo.

Sapporo, the capital and the largest city of the Northern island of Hokkaido, is one of Japan's newest cities. It was declared a city on August 1, 1922 and is mainly known as home to Sapporo beer and ramen, as well as a host to the first Olympic Games, held in Asia in 1972. Although it is a new city, Sapporo features several historic sites along with a modern appearance and one of the largest entertainment districts in Japan.