Japan is an island country in the Pacific with a varied geography as well as cultural landmarks such as the many shrines and temples which are a symbol of Japanese religion, Shintoism. Japan is an industrial center with many technological hubs such as the vehicle manufacturing and electronic industries. Japan is also widely known for its technological innovation and advancement, as evidenced by the electric bullet trains that connect the islands. Japanese culture is both respective of ancient tradition as well as continuously evolving. It comprises both traditional Japanese sports like sumo, karate and martial arts along with modern entertainment and aspects of social culture adapted from the West. Japan has both a functioning if volatile democracy, with a lot of recent turnover in political leadership, as well as a monarchy where the emperor’s power is limited to ceremonial duties only.
