Empire of Japan (Battle of Belusium)

The Empire of Japan, often referred to as Japan, is a state existing in Eastern Asia. It is an island nation located in the Pacific Ocean. It lies east of the Sea of Japan. Its Japanese name literally means "sun-origin", leading to its name, "Land of the Rising Sun".

Prehistory-Ancient History
A Paleolithic culture around 30,000 BC constitutes the first known habitation of the Japanese archipelago. This was followed from around 14,000 BC (the start of the Jōmon period) by a Mesolithic to Neolithic semi-sedentary hunter-gatherer culture, who include ancestors of both the contemporary Ainu people and Yamato people,   characterized by pit dwelling and rudimentary agriculture. 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 Jōmon. The Yayoi period, starting around 500 BC, saw the introduction of practices like wet-rice farming, a new style of pottery, and metallurgy, introduced from China and Korea.

Japan first appears in written history in the Chinese Book of Han. According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, the most powerful kingdom on the archipelago during the 3rd century was called Yamataikoku. Buddhism was first introduced to Japan from Baekje of Korea, but the subsequent development of Japanese Buddhism was primarily influenced by China. Despite early resistance, Buddhism was promoted by the ruling class and gained widespread acceptance beginning in the Asuka period(592–710).

The Nara period (710–784) of the 8th century marked the emergence of a strong Japanese state, centered on an imperial court in Heijō-kyō. The Nara period is characterized by the appearance of a nascent literature as well as the development of Buddhist-inspired art and architecture. The smallpox epidemic of 735–737 is believed to have killed as much as one-third of Japan's population. In 784, Emperor Kammu moved the capital from Nara to Nagaoka-kyō before relocating it to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto) in 794.

Buddhism began to spread during the Heian era chiefly through two major sects, Tendai by Saichō, and Shingon by Kūkai. Pure Land Buddhism (Jōdo-shū, Jōdo Shinshū) greatly becomes popular in the latter half of the 11th century.This marked the beginning of the Heian period (794–1185), during which a distinctly indigenous Japanese culture emerged, noted for its art, poetry and prose. Lady Murasaki's The Tale of Genji and the lyrics of Japan's national anthem Kimigayo were written during this time.

Geography
Japan has a total of 6,852 islands extending along the Pacific coast of East Asia. The main islands, from north to south, are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. The Ryukyu Islands, which includes Okinawa, are a chain to the south of Kyushu.

About 73 percent of Japan is forested, mountainous, and unsuitable for agricultural, industrial, or residential use. As a result, the habitable zones, mainly located in coastal areas, have extremely high population densities.

The islands of Japan are located in a volcanic zone on the Pacific Ring of Fire. They are primarily the result of large oceanic movements occurring over hundreds of millions of years from the mid-Silurian to the Pleistocene as a result of the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the continental Amurian Plate and Okinawa Plate to the south, and subduction of the Pacific Plate under the Okhotsk Plate to the north. Japan was originally attached to the eastern coast of the Eurasian continent. The subducting plates pulled Japan eastward, opening the Sea of Japan around 15 million years ago.

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: Hokkaido, Sea of Japan, Central Highland, Seto Inland Sea, Pacific Ocean, and Ryūkyū Islands. The northernmost zone, Hokkaido, has a humid continental climate with long, cold winters and very warm to cool summers. Precipitation is not heavy, but the islands usually develop deep snowbanks in the winter.

In the Sea of Japan zone on Honshu'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 humid continental climate, with large temperature differences between summer and winter, and between day and night; precipitation is light, though winters are usually snowy. The mountains of the Chūgoku and Shikoku regions shelter the Seto Inland Sea from seasonal winds, bringing mild weather year-round.

The Pacific coast features a humid subtropical climate that experiences milder winters with occasional snowfall and hot, humid summers because of the southeast seasonal wind. The Ryukyu Islands have a subtropical climate, with warm winters and hot summers. Precipitation is very heavy, especially during the rainy season. The generally humid, temperate climate exhibits marked seasonal variation such as the blooming of the spring cherry blossoms, the calls of the summer cicada and fall foliage colors that are celebrated in art and literature.

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). The highest temperature ever measured in Japan—40.9 °C (105.6 °F)—was recorded on August 16, 2007. The main rainy season begins in early May in Okinawa, and the rain front gradually moves north until reaching Hokkaido in late July. In most of Honshu, 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.

Biodiveristy
Japan has nine forest  ecoregions which reflect the climate and geography of the islands. They range from  subtropical moist broadleaf forests in the Ryūkyū and  Bonin Islands, to  temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in the mild climate regions of the main islands, to  temperate coniferous forests<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;"> in the cold, winter portions of the northern islands. <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;"> Japan has over 90,000 species of  wildlife<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">, including the  brown bear<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">, the  Japanese macaque<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">, the  Japanese raccoon dog<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">, and the  Japanese giant salamander<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">. <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;"> A large network of  national parks<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;"> has been established to protect important areas of flora and fauna as well as thirty-seven  Ramsar wetland sites<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">.

Population
A very homogeneous nation, the vast majority of Japan's population is ethnically Japanese. The dominant ethnic group is the Yamato people, with an Ainu and Ryukyuan minority.

Religion
Most Japanese people practice Shintoism. Religious festivals are annunally celebrated throughout Japan, and are

Government
The Empire of Japan is a constitutional monarchy, where the head of state is the Emperor, and the head of government is the Shogun. But unlike most, where the monarch still possesses significant power, the Emperor of Japan's role is primarily, if not exclusively, ceremonial. True power is in the hands of the Shogun. There are then the daimyos, who form the Imperial Council. Daimyos run their respective provinces, and territorial holdings. The Council is lead by the Shogun, who elect him out of popular vote.

The Emperor, while in theory holds power, is mostly symbolic. While not conisdered to be divine, one of the driving principles is that such roles are beneath him. As a result, most of the roles in government are run by the Shogun and the Imperial Council.

Judicial and Law Systems
Japanese law was influenced by Chinese law. Most crimes are managed by the laws of the province. Larger crimes go to the Imperial Court, which are jduged by the Imperial Council. The Council's principle is to look at the evidence, and then make a conclusion based on it. However, the accused has the right to duel for his honor, and if victorious, they will be granted the right to commit seppuku, or if the Council determines it proper, can re-consider the trial.