introduction of japan

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Imperial China and refers to Japan's eastward position relative to China. Before Nihoncame

into official use, Japan was known asWa(?) orWakoku(?).

The English word for Japan came to the West via early trade routes. The early Mandarin or

possibly Wu Chinese (

) word for Japan was recorded by Marco Polo as Cipangu. In

modern Shanghainese, a Wu dialect, the pronunciation of characters 'Japan' is Zeppen[z

pn]. The old Malay word for Japan,Jepang, was borrowed from a Chinese language

Jih'pen'kuo , and this Malay word was encountered by Portuguese traders in Malacca in the

16th century. Portuguese traders were the first to bring the word to Europe. It was first recorded

in English in a 1565 letter, spelled Giapan.

HISTORY

Prehistory and ancient history

The Golden Hall and five-storey pagoda ofHry-ji, among the oldest wooden buildings in the

world, National Treasures, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site

A Paleolithic culture around 30,000 BC constitutes the first known habitation of Japan. This

was followed from around 14,000 BC (the start of theJmon period) by

a Mesolithic to Neolithic semi-sedentary hunter-gathererculture, who include ancestors of

both the contemporary Ainu people and Yamato people,[17][18]

characterized by pit dwelling and

rudimentary agriculture.[19]Decorated clay vessels from this period are some of the oldest

surviving examples of pottery in the world. Around 300 BC, the Yayoi people began to enter the

Japanese islands, intermingling with the Jmon.[20]

The Yayoi period, starting around 500 BC,

saw the introduction of practices like wet-rice farming,[21]a new style of

pottery,[22]

and metallurgy, introduced from China and Korea.[23]

The Japanese first appear in written history in the ChineseBook of Han. According to

theRecords of Three Kingdoms, the most powerful kingdom on the archipelago during the 3rd

century was called Yamataikoku. Buddhism was first introduced to Japan from Baekje, but the

subsequent development ofJapanese Buddhism was primarily influenced by China.[24]

Despite

early resistance, Buddhism was promoted by the ruling class and gained widespread

acceptance beginning in the Asuka period (592710).[25]

The Nara period (710784) of the 8th century marked the emergence of a strong Japanese

state, centered on an imperial court inHeij-ky(modern Nara). The Nara period is

characterized by the appearance of a nascent literature as well as the development of

Buddhist-inspired art and architecture.[26]

Thesmallpox epidemic of 735737 is believed to

have killed as much as one-third of Japan's population.[27]

In 784, Emperor Kammu moved the

capital from Nara to Nagaoka-kybefore relocating it to Heian-ky(modern Kyoto) in 794.

Byd-in (1053) is a temple ofPure Land Buddhism. It was registered to the UNESCO World Heritage
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Site.

This marked the beginning of the Heian period (7941185), during which a distinctly indigenous

Japanese culture emerged, noted for its art, poetry andprose. Lady Murasaki'sThe Tale of

Genjiand the lyrics of Japan's national anthemKimigayowere written during this time.[28]

Buddhism began to spread during the Heian era chiefly through two major

sects, Tendai bySaich, and Shingon byKkai. Pure Land Buddhism greatly becomes

popular in the latter half of the 11th century.

Politics

Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperoris very limited. As a

ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the

unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected

members of the Diet, while sovereignty is vested in the Japanese people.[50]

Akihito is the

current Emperor of Japan; Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan, stands as next in line to the

throne.

Japan's legislative organ is the National Diet, a bicameral parliament. The Diet consists of

a House of Representatives with 480 seats, elected by popular vote every four years or when

dissolved, and a House of Councillors of 242 seats, whose popularly-elected members serve

six-year terms. There is universal suffrage for adults over 20 years of age,[2]

with a secret

ballot for all elected offices.[50]

In 2009, the social liberal Democratic Party of Japan took power

after 54 years of the liberal conservative Liberal Democratic Party's rule.[51]

The Prime Minister

of Japan is the head of government and is appointed by the Emperor after being designated by

the Diet from among its members. The Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet and appoints

and dismisses the Ministers of State. Naoto Kan was designated by the Diet to replace Yukio

Hatoyama as the Prime Minister of Japan on June 2, 2010.[52]

Although the Prime Minister is

formally appointed by the Emperor, the Constitution of Japan explicitly requires the Emperor to

appoint whoever is designated by the Diet. Emperor Akihito formally appointed Kan as the

country's 94th Prime Minister on June 8.[53]

Historically influenced by Chinese law, the Japanese legal system developed independently

during the Edo period through texts such asKujikata Osadamegaki.[54]However, since the late

19th century the judicial system has been largely based on the civil law of Europe, notably

Germany. For example, in 1896, the Japanese government established a civil code based on a

draft of the German Brgerliches Gesetzbuch; with postWorld War II modifications, the code

remains in effect.[55]

Statutory law originates in Japan's legislature and has the rubber stamp of

the Emperor. The Constitution requires that the Emperor promulgate legislation passed by the

Diet, without specifically giving him the power to oppose legislation.[50]

Japan's court system is

divided into four basic tiers: the Supreme Court and three levels of lower courts.[56]

The main

body of Japanese statutory law is called the Six Codes.[57]

Foreign relations and military
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Japan is a member of the G8, APEC, and "ASEAN Plus Three", and is a participant in the East

Asia Summit. Japan signed a security pact with Australia in March 2007[58]

and with India in

October 2008.[59]

It is the world's third largest donor ofofficial development assistance after the

United States and France, donating US$9.48 billion in 2009.[60]

Japan has close economic and military relations with the United States; the US-Japan securityalliance acts as the cornerstone of the nation's foreign policy.

[61]A member state of the United

Nations since 1956, Japan has served as a non-permanent Security Council member for a total

of 19 years, most recently for 2009 and 2010. It is one of the G4 nations seeking permanent

membership in the Security Council.[62]

Japan is engaged in several territorial disputes with its neighbors: with Russia over the South

Kuril Islands, with South Korea over the Liancourt Rocks, with China and Taiwan over

the Senkaku Islands, and with China over the EEZ around Okinotorishima.[63]

Japan also faces

an ongoing dispute with North Korea over the latter's abduction of Japanese citizens and

its nuclear weapons and missile program (see also Six-party talks).[64]

Japan maintains one of the largest military budgets of any country in the world.

[65]Japan

contributed non-combatant troops to the Iraq Warbut subsequently withdrew its

forces.[66]The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is a regular participant in RIMPAC maritime

exercises.[67]

Japan's military is restricted by Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which renounces Japan's

right to declare war or use military force in international disputes. Japan's military is governed

by the Ministry of Defense, and primarily consists of the Japan Ground Self-Defense

Force (JGSDF), the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force(JMSDF) and the Japan Air

Self-Defense Force (JASDF). The forces have been recently used in peacekeeping operations;

the deployment of troops to Iraq marked the first overseas use of Japan's military since World

War II.[66] Nippon Keidanren has called on the government to lift the ban on arms exports so

that Japan can join multinational projects such as the Joint Strike Fighter.[68]

Climate

The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate, but varies greatly from north to south.

Japan's geographical features divide it into six principal climatic zones: Hokkaid, Sea of

Japan, Central Highland, Seto Inland Sea, Pacific Ocean, andRyky Islands. The

northernmost zone, Hokkaido, has a temperate climate with long, cold winters and coolsummers. Precipitation is not heavy, but the islands usually develop deep snowbanks in the

winter. In the Sea of Japan zone on Honsh's west coast, northwest winter winds bring heavy

snowfall. In the summer, the region is cooler than the Pacific area, though it sometimes

experiences extremely hot temperatures because of the foehn wind. The Central Highland has

a typical inland climate, with large temperature differences between summer and winter, and

between day and night; precipitation is light. The mountains of

theChgokuand Shikoku regions shelter the Seto Inland Sea from seasonal winds, bringing

mild weather year-round. The Pacific coast experiences cold winters with little snowfall and hot,

humid summers because of the southeast seasonal wind. The Ryukyu Islands have a
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subtropical climate, with warm winters and hot summers. Precipitation is very heavy, especially

during the rainy season.[80]

The average winter temperature in Japan is 5.1 C (41.2 F) and the average summer

temperature is 25.2 C (77.4 F).[81]

The highest temperature ever measured in

Japan40.9 C (105.6 F)was recorded on August 16, 2007.[82]The main rainyseason begins in early May in Okinawa, and the rain front gradually moves north until reaching

Hokkaid in late July. In most of Honsh, the rainy season begins before the middle of June and

lasts about six weeks. In late summer and early autumn,typhoons often bring heavy rain.[83]

Enviroment

Environmental issues in JapanIn the period of rapid economic growth after World War II,

environmental policies were downplayed by the government and industrial corporations; as a

result, environmental pollution was widespread in the 1950s and 1960s. Responding to rising

concern about the problem, the government introduced several environmental protection laws

in 1970.[88]The oil crisis in 1973 also encouraged the efficient use of energy due to Japan's lack

of natural resources.[89]

Current environmental issues include urban air pollution (NOx,

suspended particulate matter, and toxics), waste management, watereutrophication, nature

conservation, climate change, chemical management and international co-operation for

conservation.[90]

Japan is one of the world's leaders in the development of new

environment-friendly technologies, and is ranked 20th best in the world in the

2010 Environmental Performance Index.[91]As a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol, and host of

the 1997 conference which created it, Japan is under treaty obligation to reduce its carbon

dioxide emissions and to take other steps to curb climate change.[92]In a 1984 the

Environmental Agency had issued its first white paper. In the 1989 study, citizens thought

environmental problems had improved compared with the past, nearly 1.7 % thought things

had improved, 31 % thought that they had stayed the same, and nearly 21 % thought that they

had worsened. Some 75 % of those surveyed expressed concern about endangered species,

shrinkage ofrain forests, expansion of deserts, destruction of the ozone layer, acid rain, and

increased waterand air pollution in developing countries. Most believed that Japan, alone or in

cooperation with other industrialized countries, had the responsibility to solve environmentalproblems. In the 2007 opinion poll, 31.8% of the people answered environmental conservation

activity leads to more economic development, 22.0% answered the environmental activity does

not always obstruct the economic, 23.3% answered environmental conservation should be

given preference even if it may obstruct the economic and 3.2 answered economic

development should place priority than environmental conservation.[2]

The OECD's first Environmental Performance Review of Japan was published in 1994, which

applauded the nation for decoupling its economic development from air pollution, as the

nation's air quality improved while the economy thrived. However, it received poorer marks for

water quality, as its rivers, lakes and coastal waters did not meet quality standards.[3]

Another
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report in 2002 said that the mix of instruments used to implement environmental policy is highly

effective and regulations are strict, well enforced and based on strong monitoring capacities.[4]

In the 2006 environment annual report,[5]the Ministry of Environment reported that current

major issues are global warming and preservation of the ozone layer, conservation of theatmospheric environment, water and soil, waste management and recycling, measures for

chemical substances, conservation of the natural environment and the participation in the

international cooperation.

Economy

Tokyo Stock Exchange, the largest stock exchange in Asia.[93]

Some of the structural features for Japan's economic growth developed in the Edo period,

such as the network of transport routes, by road and water, and the futures contracts, banking

and insurance of the Osaka rice brokers.[94]

During the Meiji period from 1868, Japan

expanded economically with the embrace of the market economy.[95]

Many of today's enterprises werefounded at the time, and Japan emerged as the most developed nation in Asia .[96]The period of overall

real economic growth from the 1960s to the 1980s has been called the Japanese post-war economic

miracle: it averaged 7.5 percent in the 1960s and 1970s, and 3.2 percent in the 1980s and early

1990s.[97]Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s during what the Japanese call the Lost Decade, largely

because of the after-effects of the Japanese asset price bubble and domestic policies intended to wring

speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. Government efforts to revive economic

growth met with little success and were further hampered by the global slowdown in 2000.[2]

The

economy showed strong signs of recovery after 2005; GDP growth for that year was 2.8 percent,

surpassing the growth rates of the US and European Union during the same period.[98]

As of 2011, Japan is the third largest national economy in the world, after the United States and

China, in terms ofnominal GDP,[99]and the fourth largest national economy in the world, after

the United States, China and India in terms ofpurchasing power parity.[7]

As of January 2011,

Japan's public debt was more than 200 percent of its annual gross domestic product, the

largest of any nation in the world. In August 2011, Moody's rating has cut Japan's long-term

sovereign debt rating one notch from Aa3 to Aa2 inline with the size of the country's deficit and

borrowing level. The large budget deficits and government debt since the 2009 global recession

and followed by earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 made the rating

downgrade.[100]

The service sectoraccounts for three quarters of the gross domestic

product.[101]Japan has a large industrial capacity, and is home to some of the largest and most

technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronics, machine tools, steel and

nonferrous metals, ships, chemical substances, textiles, and processed foods. Agricultural

businesses in Japan cultivate 13 percent of Japan's land, and Japan accounts for nearly 15

percent of the global fish catch, second only to China.[2]

As of 2010, Japan's labor force

consisted of some 65.9 million workers.[102]Japan has a low unemployment rate of around four

percent. Almost one in six Japanese, or 20 million people, lived in poverty in 2007.[103]

Housing

in Japan is characterized by limited land supply in urban areas.[104]
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A plug-in hybrid carmanufactured by Toyota, one of the world's largest carmakers. Japan is the

second-largest producer of automobiles in the world.[105]

Japan's exports amounted to US$4,210 per capita in 2005. Japan's main export markets are

China (18.88 percent), the United States (16.42 percent), South Korea (8.13 percent), Taiwan

(6.27 percent) and Hong Kong (5.49 percent) as of 2009. Its main exports are transportation

equipment, motor vehicles, electronics, electrical machinery and chemicals.[2]Japan's main

import markets as of 2009 are China (22.2 percent), the US (10.96 percent), Australia (6.29

percent), Saudi Arabia (5.29 percent), United Arab Emirates (4.12 percent), South Korea (3.98

percent) and Indonesia (3.95 percent). Its main imports are machinery and equipment, fossil

fuels, foodstuffs (in particular beef), chemicals, textiles and raw materials for its

industries.[106]

By market share measures, domestic markets are the least open of

anyOECD country.[107]

Junichiro Koizumi's administration began some pro-competition reforms,

and foreign investment in Japan has soared.[108]

Japan ranks 12th of 178 countries in the 2008 Ease of Doing Business Index and has one of

the smallest tax revenues of the developed world. The Japanese variant of capitalism has

many distinct features: keiretsu enterprises are influential, and lifetime employment and

seniority-based career advancement are relatively common in the Japanese work

environment.[107][109]Japanese companies are known for management methods like "The

Toyota Way", and shareholder activism is rare.[110]

Some of the largest enterprises in Japan

include Toyota, Nintendo, NTT DoCoMo, Canon, Honda, Takeda

Pharmaceutical, Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Sharp, Nippon Steel, Nippon Oil, andSeven & I

Holdings Co.[111]

It has some of the world's largest banks, and the Tokyo Stock

Exchange (known for its Nikkei 225 and Topix indices) stands as the second largest in the

world by market capitalization.[112]Japan is home to 326 companies from the Forbes Global

2000 or 16.3 percent (as of 2006).[113]

Science and technology

Japan is a leading nation in scientific research, particularly technology, machinery

and biomedical research. Nearly 700,000 researchers share a US$130 billionresearch and

development budget, the third largest in the world.[114]

Japan is a world leader in fundamental

scientific research, having produced fifteen Nobel laureates in either physics, chemistry or

medicine,[115]

three Fields medalists,[116]

and one Gauss Prize laureate.[117]

Some of Japan's

more prominent technological contributions are in the fields of electronics, automobiles,

machinery, earthquake engineering, industrial robotics, optics, chemicals, semiconductors and

metals. Japan leads the world in robotics production and use, possessing more than half

(402,200 of 742,500) of the world's industrial robots.[118]

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is Japan's space agency; it conducts space,

planetary, and aviation research, and leads development of rockets and satellites. It is a
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participant in the International Space Station: the Japanese Experiment Module (Kibo) was

added to the station during Space Shuttle assembly flights in 2008.[119]Japan's plans in space

exploration include: launching a space probe to Venus,Akatsuki;[120][121]

developing

theMercury Magnetospheric Orbiterto be launched in 2013;[122][123]and building a moon

base by 2030.[124]

On September 14, 2007, it launched lunar explorer"SELENE" (Selenological

and EngineeringExplorer) on an H-IIA (Model H2A2022) carrier rocket from Tanegashima

Space Center.SELENEis also known as Kaguya, after the lunar princess ofThe Tale of the

Bamboo Cutter.[125]

Kaguyais the largest lunar mission since the Apollo program. Its purpose is

to gather data on the moon's origin and evolution. It entered a lunar orbit on October

4,[126][127]flying at an altitude of about 100 km (62 mi).[128]The probe's mission was ended when

it was deliberately crashed by JAXA into the Moon on 11 June 2009.[129]

More than 99 percent of the population speaks Japanese as their first language.[2]

It is

an agglutinative language distinguished by a system ofhonorifics reflecting the hierarchical

nature of Japanese society, with verb forms and particular vocabulary indicating the relative

status of speaker and listener. Japanese writing useskanji (Chinese characters) and two sets

ofkana (syllabaries based on simplified Chinese characters), as well as the Latin

alphabet and Arabic numerals.[173]

Besides Japanese, the Ryukyuan languages, also part of the Japonic language family, are

spoken in Okinawa; however, few children learn these languages.[174]

The Ainu language,

which is unrelated to Japanese or any other known language, is moribund, with only a few

elderly native speakers remaining in Hokkaido.[175]

Most public and private schools require

students to take courses in both Japanese and English.[176]

Education

Announcement of the results of the entrance examinations to theUniversity of Tokyo

Primary schools, secondary schools and universities were introduced in 1872 as a result of the

Meiji Restoration.[177]Since 1947, compulsory education in Japan

comprises elementary and middle school, which together last for nine years (from age 6 to age

15). Almost all children continue their education at a three-year seniorhigh school, and,according to the MEXT, as of 2005 about 75.9 percent of high school graduates attend a

university, junior college, trade school, or otherhigher education institution.[178]

The two

top-ranking universities in Japan are the University of Tokyo and Kyoto

University.[179][180]

The Programme for International Student Assessment coordinated by the

OECD currently ranks the overall knowledge and skills of Japanese 15-year-olds as sixth best

in the world.[181]

Health

In Japan, health care is provided by national and local governments. Payment for personal

medical services is offered through a universal health insurance system that provides relative
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equality of access, with fees set by a government committee. People without insurance through

employers can participate in a national health insurance program administered by local

governments. Since 1973, all elderly persons have been covered by government-sponsored

insurance.[182]Patients are free to select the physicians or facilities of their choice.[183]

Japan 'the most healthy country'

Japanese children can look forward to a long and healthy life.

People who live in Japan can expect to remain in good health longer than anybody

else in the world, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

WHO scientists have developed a new way of calculating the number of years that a

person can be expected to live in full health.

It is known as the DALE (Disability-Adjusted Life Years) system, and gives a truer

picture of the health of a country than simply studying death rates. Using thesystem to rank the world's 191 countries has uncovered some surprise findings.

In Japan the average healthy life expectancy is 74.5 years.

CuLTURE

Kinkaku-ji or 'The Temple of the Golden Pavilion' in Kyoto,Special Historic Site, Special Place of Scenic

Beauty, and UNESCO World Heritage Site; its torching by a monk in 1950 is the subject of

a novel byMishimaJapanese culture has evolved greatly from its origins. Contemporary culturecombines influences from Asia, Europe and North America. Traditional Japanese arts

includecrafts such as ceramics, textiles, lacquerware, swords and dolls; performances

ofbunraku, kabuki, noh, dance, and rakugo; and other practices, the tea

ceremony,ikebana, martial arts, calligraphy, origami, onsen, Geisha and games. Japan has a

developed system for the protection and promotion of both tangible and intangibleCultural

Properties and National Treasures.[184] Sixteen sites have been inscribed on the UNESCO

World Heritage List.[185]

Art

The Great Wave off Kanagawa, one of a series ofwoodblock prints by Hokusai

The Shrines of Ise have been celebrated as the prototype of Japanese architecture.[186]Largely

of wood, traditional housing and many temple buildings see the use oftatami mats and sliding

doors that break down the distinction between rooms and indoor and outdoor

space.[187]

Japanese sculpture, largely of wood, and Japanese painting are among the oldest of

the Japanese arts, with early figurative paintings dating back to at least 300 BC. The history of

Japanese painting exhibits synthesis and competition between native Japanese aesthetics and

adaptation of imported ideas. The interaction between Japanese and European art has beensignificant: for example ukiyo-e prints, which began to be exported in the 19th century in the
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_Temple_of_the_Golden_Pavilionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Special_Places_of_Scenic_Beauty,_Special_Historic_Sites_and_Special_Natural_Monumentshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Special_Places_of_Scenic_Beauty,_Special_Historic_Sites_and_Special_Natural_Monumentshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_Monuments_of_Ancient_Kyoto_(Kyoto,_Uji_and_Otsu_Cities)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkaku-jihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan#cite_note-182http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan#cite_note-181


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movement known as Japonism, had a significant influence on the development of modern art in

the West, most notably on post-Impressionism.[188]Famous ukiyo-e artists

include Hokusai and Hiroshige. The fusion of traditional woodblock printing and Western art

led to the creation ofmanga, a comic book format that is now popular within and outside

Japan.[189]

Manga-influenced animation for television and film is called anime.

Japanese-made video game consoles have been popular since the 1980s.[190]

Music

Japanese music is eclectic and diverse. Many instruments, such as the koto, were introduced

in the 9th and 10th centuries. The accompanied recitative of the Noh drama dates from the

14th century and the popularfolk music, with the guitar-like shamisen, from the

sixteenth.[191]Western classical music, introduced in the late 19th century, now forms an

integral part of Japanese culture. The imperial court ensemble Gagaku has influenced the work

of some modern Western composers.[192]Notable classical composers from Japan

include Toru Takemitsu andRentar Taki. Popular music in post-war Japan has been heavily

influenced by American and European trends, which has led to the evolution ofJ-pop, or

Japanese popular music.[193] Karaoke is the most widely practiced cultural activity in Japan. A

1993 survey by the Cultural Affairs Agency found that more Japanese had sung karaoke that

year than had participated in traditional pursuits such as flower arranging (ikebana) or tea

ceremonies.[194]

Cuisine

The primary staple is Japanese rice. In the early modern era ingredients such as red meats that

had previously not been widely used in Japan were introduced. Japanese cuisine is known for

its emphasis on seasonality of food,[201]

quality of ingredients and presentation. Japanese

cuisine offers a vast array ofregional specialtiesthat use traditional recipes and local

ingredients. The Michelin Guide has awarded Japanese cities more Michelin stars than the rest

ofthe world combined.[202]

2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Earthquakes and tsunamis are among the most frightening natural phenomena. If a severe

earthquake or tsunami occurs in a densely populated area, it can practically swallow the city.

This is what recently happened in Japan.On March 11, 2011, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit

off the east coast of Japan, followed by a disastrous tsunami. It was the largest ever

earthquake in Japan's recorded history. Houses, cars and much else were washed away by

high tsunami waves. There has been a massive power failure in most of the country.Japanese

officials confirmed that radioactive materials have leaked into the atmosphere, following a fire

at reactor number 4 at the Fukushima power plant. Here are some of the images from Japan
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11/12

after the ferocious tsunami and earthquake hit, causing many injuries, fires and massive

disaster.

A fishing boat is noticeably out of place after being swept ashore during the massive

tsunami.An upside-down house lies among much other debris. This city was verybeautiful only a week ago, before it collapsed due to the earthquake.

Damaged water pipes shoot water into the air after the earthquake.An aerial view of

damage to Wakuya, Northern Japan. A tsunami doesn't take long to turn a city into a

pile of debris.Another image from Wakuya, Japan. The earthquake was very powerful.

Many people are believed to be buried and many are missing across the country.

Aerial view of Sendai, Japan, after the earthquake and tsunami. The huge tide just

appears to eat anything in its path.

A mud- and petroleum-covered chair lying on the streets of Hachinohe, Japan.

Sources say that the tsunami has hit the coast of Hokkaido, Chiba, Ibaraki, Aomori

Pref and Tokyo Bay.Tons of debris filled up in a canal in the downtown area of Ofunato,

Japan. It was one of the worst ever earthquakes in Japanese history. Only five other

recorded earthquakes on earth have been as powerful as this one.

A fishing vessel lies deep in the woods in Hachinohe, Japan. The quake and the

tsunami were so powerful that the Japanese nuclear power stations had to shut down

immediately. Four other nuclear plants close to Japan also shut down for safety

reasons.

Japan nuclear alert8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan on Friday, causing a tsunami. A huge rescue

mission is underway on Saturday amid growing fears of radiation leaks at nuclear power

stations damaged by the disaster.

Here's a round-up of events so far in Japan on Saturday.

There are growing fears about damage to two nuclear power stations following Friday's 8.9

magnitute earthquake.

introduction of japan

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