Japan is a country rich in history and tradition that goes back thousands of years. The Japan that the world knows and see's today is a result of postwar reconstruction that took place in 1946 shortly 
after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After this devastating event, the monarchy of Japan was largly dismantled and a new Japanese Constitution was drafted which began Japan's progress towards what would become modern day Japan.
Language: Japanese (The written Japanese language uses a combination of three writing systems: kanji, hiragana, and katakana.)
Main religions: Shinto, Buddhism, and Christianity
Capital: Tokyo (population 12,064,000 as of 2000; land area 2,102 square kilometers)
Emperor: The current Constitution took effect in 1946, soon after World War II. It states that the Emperor is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people," without powers relating to government. The Emperor is limited to symbolic roles, such as performing "acts in matters of state" as stipulated in the Constitution.Like in Britain and Scandinavian countries, the Japanese monarch does not have a political function. In all his state functions, the Emperor must have the advice and approval of the cabinet. Based on cabinet decisions, he convenes the National Diet and dissolves the House of Representatives.
Main industries: automobiles, precision machinery, consumer electronics, computers, and other electronic goods
