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Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The country first emerged into a centralized state during the Nara period, and the first distinctly indigenous Japanese culture emerged in the Heian period. From the 12th century until 1868, Japan was ruled by successive feudal military s

Japan is a sovereign island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asian mainland and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and China in the southwest.

History

Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The country first emerged into a centralized state during the Nara period, and the first distinctly indigenous Japanese culture emerged in the Heian period. From the 12th century until 1868, Japan was ruled by successive feudal military shoguns who ruled in the name of the Emperor.

During the 16th century, Japan was first visited by traders and Christian missionaries from Portugal, beginning commercial and cultural trade with the West. It is during this period that Japan became unified under the reign of the Tokugawa shogunate. Japan soon entered into a long period of isolation in the early 17th century, which ended in 1853 when a fleet of United States Navy ships commanded by Matthew Perry forced Japan to open to the West. The end of the isolation led to the Boshin War and returning Japan to imperial rule in the Meiji Restoration, and establishing the Empire of Japan.

Until the end of the 19th century, Japan quickly modernized and becoming an industrial world power that pursued military conflict to expand its sphere of influence in Asia. By the 20th century, stemmed from Japan's victories in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War and World War I, the ever influential and fascistic Japanese military took control of the empire. Japan's imperialistic ambitions became its downfall in World War II and becoming the first nation to subjected to nuclear warfare. After its surrender, Japan adopted a new constitution that ended the empire, restoring democracy, and renouncing its right to declare war.

The following is a bulleted list of historical events that took place in Japan in the DC Universe.

  • In the 1940s, PT boat commander Captain Storm fought up against Japanese naval vessels in the Sea of Japan, and the outlying Pacific region.[1]
  • Master Koroshi became the undisputed master of empty hand fighting in Tokyo, Japan. After functioning in this capacity for over twenty years, Koroshi was ultimately murdered by King Snake.[2]
  • The revived Justice Society of America fought the Injustice Gang of the World in Tokyo, Japan. During the battle, the Fiddler used his special violin to hypnotize Wildcat into attacking Hawkman.[3]
  • During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Monitor took esteemed astronomer Doctor Kimiyo Hoshi and transformed her into the new Doctor Light.[4]
  • The Spectre fought with Superman in Japan over control of the Spear of Destiny.[5]
  • Aquaman declared war on Japan upon learning that they had been harboring a hunter named Demon Gate - the man responsible for killing Aquaman's adoptive mother, Porm.[6]
  • The Martian Manhunter defended Japan from the alien Antares probe. This event helped to establish him as Japan's premier hero, the "Jade Warrior".[7]
  • During the global Y2K blackout, Superman flew to Japan and assisted in emergency response operations.[8]
  • Metallo takes advantage of the Toyman's intellect and fashions an enhanced robotic body for himself. He rampages through the streets of Japan until he is stopped by the combined efforts of Superboy and Robin.[9]
  • Superboy and Robin shared in another adventure in Japan, teaming up once again to stop the machinations of the Toyman.[10]
  • Miss Martian defeated a villain known as Gunshot in Tokyo.[11]

Points of Interest

Residents

DC Universe

Trivia

See Also

Links and References

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