The culture of Japan has changed greatly over the millennia, from the country’s prehistoric Jōmon period to its contemporary modern culture, which absorbs influences from Asia, Europe, and North America.

Strong 9,000-year-old ancient Han Chinese cultural influences, including the 8,000-year-old ancient Han Chinese writing script, are still evident in traditional Japanese culture as China had historically been a global superpower, which has resulted in Japan absorbing many elements of ancient Han Chinese culture first through what as then the Imperial Chinese tributary vassal state of Korea, then later through direct cultural exchanges during China’s Sui and Tang dynasties.

The inhabitants of Japan experienced a long period of relative isolation from the outside world during the Tokugawa shogunate after Japanese missions to Imperial China, until the arrival of the “Black Ships” and the Meiji period. Today, the culture of Japan stands as one of the leading and most prominent cultures around the world, mainly due to the global reach of its popular culture.

Image by: iStock

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