Seeking to prove itself the equal of the great European powers, Japan went on to conquer most of China, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific: most of these territories having previously been under occupation by the Europeans. Japan would remain war-torn for over 150 years, but the Tokugawa Shogunate eventually rose up to bring the conflict to an end in 1600, ushering in a long period of peace, prosperity and flourishing of the arts not seen in centuries.īut the arrival of the colonialist Europeans and Americans shattered the tranquil Japanese isolation in the 19th Century, and lead to the overthrow of the Shogunate in favour of creating a new, modern state, whose rapid industrialisation in the late 19th Century, humiliation of Russia in war in 1905 and quick conquest of Korea, Taiwan and much of northern China in the early 20th Century astounded and terrified the world. Centralised government collapsed during the 15th Century, resulting in the Warring States Period, where Japan was carved up into hundreds of tiny warring mini-states ruled by military strongmen. Although heavily influenced by classical Chinese culture at first, Japan would go on its own path to create a highly original culture of its own. Japanese antiquity is somewhat murky at best, with the first written mention of Japan coming from China circa 50AD, and no one is sure when a centralised government first established itself on the islands. It is also a mountainous land of great geological violence, prone to devastating earthquakes and volcanic activity. It is also one of the most densely populated countries in the world, home to over 126 million with an estimated 337 people per square kilometre.
It became the dominant power in the Pacific prior to being defeated by the United States in the second half of World War II.Īlthough geographically fairly small, the Japanese archipelago is home to one of Asia’s most sophisticated and proud civilisations, and has influenced recent world history, trade and culture to a previously unthinkable extent. By the 1930's, Japan had developed into a modern military-industrial machine that was almost the technological equivalent of the United States and European powers.
In the 19th century, Japan's isolation finally ended and it began the process of rapidly modernizing. His successor, Hashiba Hideyoshi, would complete the unification of Japan 11 years after political and personal tensions lead to Nobunaga's assassination by a vassal clan. He eventually attained military control of more than half of the territories of Japan on behalf of the Shogun. He was a brutal warrior who once set fire to an enemy complex, killing tens of thousands of civilian non-combatants (including women and children) in order to put down a rebellion of farmers and monks. Samurai Daimyo Oda Nobunaga helped Ashikaga Yoshiaki to reclaim the title of Shogun for his clan in 1568, and Nobunaga used the leader as a puppet to enable his own conquests. In-fighting between warlords was common, and power often ebbed and flowed between different clans and families. Throughout most of Japanese history, the country has been in a feudal state, with regional populations being loyal to a warlord who is granted land and titles from the emperor (or "Shogun"). It has gone through periods of war with its closest neighbors across the sea: China and Korea, and has had significant cultural influences from both, such native Shinto's two competing religions: Buddhism and Confucianism. It has been inhabited since the upper paleolithic era (about 30 thousand years ago), and its people have lived in relative isolation for much of its history.
#Civ 5 guide series
Japan is a series of four large island and numerous smaller islands that were formed by volcanoes. NOTE: This guide assumes you have the Gods and Kings, Brave New World, Wonders of the Ancient World and updated Civ packs. Eager readers should look to other guides as well to come to a more informed gameplay strategy. That said, this guide, written from the point of view of one person’s gameplay experiences, is merely here to point new and inexperienced players in the right direction. This guide is not meant to be definitive, as every game is different and thus the player must be prepared to make appropriate changes to adapt to the conditions. But it is not a one trick pony: it still has a few other tricks sheathed away.
For a keen Domination-minded player, Japan offers you armies that will keep on going no matter how bruised and bloodied they get.