Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asian continent and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea in the south.

Appearance
Female version:

Japan is the only country with an animal attribute, which reflects the crazy side of its culture and reminds of a Nekomimi/Nekochan (girl with cat's ears) or a Kitsune. She often wears the clothing of Japanese students, including black loafers, long white socks, short navy blue skirt, with a white top and a little red scarf.

Japan may also be shown wearing a type of business suit.

She is also represented wearing a kimono (in it's different version such as the yukata, relax version, or the furisode, worn usually for the tea ceremony) with geta ( sort of shoes made of wood), sometimes with a katana.

Male version:

In this version, Japan has no animal attributes and wears more normal clothes. He represents the serious and shy side of the country, more close to reality than what anime shows.

Personality
Japan, most of the time, acts cute. But when it's about work, no one stops her. She never jokes when it's about business.

She is very outward and extroverted, to the point where she can make some of her friends annoyed, but she doesn't mean to be rude

When she gets angry, she threatens others with her katana.

Interests
Japan loves its pop culture based on manga, anime and all the other crazy stuff. Since USA showed her baseball she's been in love with the sport and even better than USA sometimes.

When she's too lazy to cook she eats a box of noodles heated in her microwave. When she's not eating at home she always brings a bento box for food on the run. (basically a box with delicious food in it).

She likes wandering under the blossoming cherry trees.

Tea is something really important to her (some say she's a member of a secret coalition of tea fans), in particular when it's about tea ceremony.

In general, tradition is really valuable to her.

Flag meaning
The flag is named "Hi no maru" but also "Nisshōki". The red circle represents the goddess of the sun Amaterasu.

Others symbols
The National Day of Japan is related to the birthday of the Emperor, so it often changes. At this moment it is the 23 of February. The fact Japan has an emperor while it is not an empire is one of its particularities' unique qualities.

Nicknames
"The Land of the Rising Sun" comes from the way Japanese people call their country "Nihon" or "Nippon", which you can write in kanji (one of the forms of writing of the language) :日本, here 日 means "sun" and 本 means "origin". The origin of the expression would date back to the letter written by the prince Shotoku to the Chinese emperor: "from the Son of Heaven in the land where the sun rises to the Son of Heaven in the land where the sun sets.".

Yayoi period
The Yayoi period (or 弥生時代 Yayoi jidai) dated 1000 BC - 300 AD. This period started at the beginning of the Neolithic in Japan, continued through the Bronze Age, and towards its end crossing into the Iron Age.

Some have argued that the period previously classified as a transition from the Jōmon period should be reclassified as Early Yayoi. Although the beginning date of this transition is debatable, the range is estimated ranging from the 10th to the 6th centuries BC.

The Yayoi period include the appearance of new Yayoi pottery styles and the start of an intensive rice agriculture in paddy fields. A hierarchical social class structure dates from this period and originated in China. Techniques in metallurgy based on the use of bronze and iron were also introduced from China to Korea and over to Japan in this period.

The Yayoi culture flourished from southern Kyūshū to northern Honshū. Modern Japanese are mostly descendants of the Yayoi people.

Kofun period
This period started in 250 and it is taking its name from the funeral hummock, in the shape of a lock and surrounded by water, dedicated to the person who had power.

During this period was created the political regime Yamato under the control of a lord who had control of the regions Honshu and Kyushu and founded a kingdom. The Kami (divinities) had a lot of importance to them, but also for the numerous clan who were born and had their own protective Kami as the Soga, the Katsuraki and the Heguri.

With time the Yamato deleted the clans and took the agricultural lands. They started to unite the land by developping n central administration and a court.

This period marks the birth of Japan as a state.

Asuka period
This period started around the years 538 and its name comes from the first capital of the Yamoto kingdom sometimes (the court was moving). During this period the country oppened its fronters to the Korean, which brought Buddhism (at the middle of 6th century), Korean knowlegde, and Chinese culture. In this period the country changed his name Wa (倭) to Nippon (日本).

The links with China become stronger under the dynasty Soga which changed the country by being largely inspired by the Chinese politic and education.

But the dynasty Soga is eradicated and the country enter in a era of political instability and war and loose it's commerce with Korea. After that the clan Fujiwara implement the reforms Taika which implement the first penal code in the country and taxes. One system of government is implemented in every regions.

Nara period
This period started around the years 710.

Heian period
This period started around the years 794.

Kamakura period
This period started around the years 1185.

Muromachi period
This period started around the years 1336.

Aduchimomoyama period
This period started around the years 1573.

Edo period
This period started around the years 1603.

Meiji period
This period started around the years 1868.

Taishō period
This period started around the years 1912.

Shōwa period
This period started around the years 1926.

Heisei period
This period started around the years 1989.

Reiwa period
This period started around the years 2019.

Geography
Japan is an archipelago of 377 944 km2situated in East Asia and composed of 6,852 islands, but only 480 have inhabitants. The four most important are: The country is sadly known for his numerous natural disasters due to its position near four tectonic plates: Philippines Sea plate, Eurasian plate, Pacific plate and North American plate (not sure for the last one).
 * Honshū
 * Hokkaidō
 * Kyūshū
 * Shikoku

Family

 * China — stepmother
 * Thailand — old friend (depends on the point of view, some will consider him as Japan's actual husband)
 * South Korea — daughter (depending on the person)

Friends

 * France
 * Germany
 * United States of America — "Don't touch him!"
 * Canada
 * South Korea — friend
 * Serbia
 * Spain
 * Greece
 * Italy
 * Australia
 * Indonesia
 * Vietnam — "good friend! I gave them aid and money!"
 * Bulgaria
 * Costa Rica — give me bananas!
 * Malta — friends forever
 * Malaysia — old trading partner
 * Mongolia
 * Singapore — trading partner
 * Philippines — actual friend

Neutral

 * China — frenemies

Enemies

 * North Korea — "I don't like you, get out of my sight or else I'll try more nukes in your sea!"
 * Russia — "you are too mean to be around me. I don't trust you at all!"

Past Versions

 * Japanese Empire — enemy (mother/father or past self) — "I don't have to remember it..."

United States of America
The two had really hard times during WW2, but after the two nuclear bombs, Japan got under USA tutelage and completely changed to become this cute Lil' thing. Japan got traumatized, and USA seems to regret this excessive use of nuke. The two countries are in good relation and Japan is always ready for some baseball. USA really appreciates Japan's pop culture. There have even been hints of Japan possibly liking USA a bit more, and some fans ship the two.

France
Japan has a strange fascination with France. Japan is very interested in the sophisticated side of her culture (wine, castles) while France loves her pop culture (manga and anime). France is the second country consuming the most of manga after Japan herself.

Greece
These two countries both share a love for cats, hinting to Greece's stray cat population. They have really good relationships strengthened by the fact they have the common point to be two very old civilizations and so are very interested in each other's culture. Their relation is good in every domain.

Serbia
In 1882 Japan recognized Serbia as an Independent State in the congress of Berlin, their first diplomatic relation began in 1882. During WW2 the two countries were in opposite camps, their relation was at its lowest point. Japan has exported a lot of products to Serbia since the dissolution of Yugoslavia (but was also an important trading partner of Yugoslavia and they had a really good relationship) and is one of most important Asian trader of Serbia.

South Korea
Their relationship is somewhat up and down, due to the fact that they've had some issues in the past when it comes to WWII that haven't been resolved, but they're okay friends and share a lot in common. Recently, however, there have been trade disputes that have started a trade war between the two countries, and their relations are currently at their lowest point.

Thailand
They've had really good diplomatic relations for 130 years, and their first commercial relations started 600 years ago. Their royal families had been linked from a long time ago and Japan is the first foreign investor. They love visiting each other's landscape. Thailand is very inspired by Japan's culture.

China
The two countries have always had a very taut relation and fought many times, the most recent is the second Sino-Japanese war from 1937 to 1945 (so WW2). They're not at the point to make a war today but they're still rivals. Even if Japan is now considering collaboration rather than competition and has made the first move.

Malaysia
Their relation started in the 15th century as Japan having trade with Malacca Sultanate. But their relationship starts deteriorating at 8th December 1941,1 day after attack on Pearl Harbor. As the Japanese Empire attack Straits Settlement( which is name for British Malaya at that time), British Raj, Australia, British and Malay soldiers try their best to defend British Malaya but fail as Japanese Empire soldier have more soldier. This causes them to retreat to Singapore to make one last stand. Failed, Straits Settlement is now on the hand of the Japanese Empire. At first, people see Japanese soldier as their liberator,however it appear to be not. In 1945, the Japanese Empire surrender to Allies. Their relationship return positive in 1957. Afterward, they became trading partners.

Indonesia
In 1942 the Japanese Empire attacked Dutch East Indies(which is name for Indonesia during Dutch colonization) which was a Dutch colony and encouraged Indonesia and encouraged him to have a nationalist speech, so they were seen as a liberator. But fast their relation got worse because Indonesians people were persecuted. It stopped when the Japanese Empire was defeated in 1945, even if soldiers helped Indonesia into its war for its independence against the Netherlands. In the middle of the '50s, the two countries started to talk about war reparation and signed in 1958 the Agreement on Compensation which marked the start of their diplomatic relationship. Today the relationship between the country is good, they are good trade partner and Japan is major donor of development aid to Indonesia.

Trivia

 * The representation of Japan in Countryhumans is mostly inspired by how act the characters in his / her pop culture. In reality, people see it more as a country of serious people working all the time.
 * The male version of Japan represents more the serious and shy side of the country.