Classical period

The origin of Japan’s long history about reverence for nature started with native religion. No one is quite sure how long religion has been practiced in Japan. The natives’ belief system was based on and in the worship of kami. Kami are the elements of the landscape or forces of nature (“Kami”). In the 6th century Shintoism was created to distinguish native religion from Buddhism and Confucianism (“Shintoism”). Shinto most literally means, “the way of kami” (Hirai). Shintoism became more popular…

The Meiji Restoration transformed and introduced Japan to an industrialised western culture which influenced Japan’s social structure and values. The Meji restoration brought tremendous social change as millions of people were suddenly able to choose their occupation and move without restriction. By providing a new financially secure environment, the government increased it’s investment in new industries and technologies. As Japan citizens began to live in cities that introduced them to abroad…

Japan’s transformation and expansion was preceded by the unequal treaties imposed by the American commodore. The emperor of Japan would modernize and adapt through education, military and local administration reform in order to create a strong national identity among Japan’s people. As the Meiji government established a constitution an economic transformation would occur, where great company’s like Mitsubishi would dictate the Japanese economy and create an impressive growth. The Japanese…

The ancient Japanese culture can be traced back to 8000 BC during the Jomon Period in Japan, although most archaeologists agree that it could go as far back as 100,000 years (“Early Japanese History”). The ancient Japanese culture is one of the most studied and historic cultures in the world. The Jomon period is known for is their advanced pottery techniques for that time period -- hence the name Jomon, which means "patterns of plaited cord” (“Ancient Japan”). The ancient Japanese culture was…

“Sapokanikan” is the first single released from Joanna Newsom’s 2015 album Divers. Shorter than most of the songs on her last album Have One On Me, the song resembles a union of the styles she used on Have One On Me and her debut album The Milk-Eyed Mender. “Sapokanikan”, like much of Joanna’s music, relies heavily on obscure references to tell a greater tale. Newsom’s overall message is about death and being forgotten and her references, language, and imagery tie together to paint a picture of…

Ebola is a virus that is very deadly. Four out of five strains can make people sick. While inside of the body it is possible to do the following things: kills cells, full bleeding internally, wrecks the immune system, and harms every organ in the body. It is very infrequent to catch Ebola. The only way that people can get infected with the disease is from direct contact with fluids from those who are already infested with Ebola. Ebola was first recognized in 1976. “The name came from a river…

Lakia Andrews Professor Sloan English 110 18 November 2014 The Ebola Epidemic In a country where people are dying every day from different diseases, Ebola has become the talk of the year. Although this disease has been around for several years, it is now being acknowledged. A few Americans have been forced into quarantine because of the outbreak. The disease can only be spread through a transfer of bodily fluids, unlike diseases like the flu and the common cold. Government officials are trying…

The latest outbreak of Ebola has become a tragedy for humanity; it is the deadliest outbreak in history killing and infecting thousands, but many more will suffer the economic consequences. There are tremendous economical troubles that are associated with this epidemic. Not only for Liberia, considered the epicenter of Ebola cases, but economists are analyzing the devastating economical effects of the virus in other West African countries like Guinea and Sierra Leone. According to World Bank,…

Many social and economic changes took place in the middle and late Edo period that gave rise to such developments as “Pictures of the Floating World.” The steady commercial growth, albeit an entirely domestic one as a result of Japan’s isolationist policy, and peace that were established by the Tokugawa shogunate eventually led to a highly prosperous merchant class. Regarded as the lowest rank in the social hierarchy, some of the townspeople were even more affluent than the samurai, who occupied…

The Edo period (Tokugawa Shoganate period) was a self-efficient society based on a principle of total utilization of finite resources. It was officially established on March 24th 1603 and ended with the Meji Registration on May 3rd 1868. At this time, peace and prosperity roamed throughout Japan. The Tokugawa Shoganate period was the last primitive Japanese government which lasted between 1603 and 1867. The leaders of this government were the shogun and each shogun was a part of the Tokugawa…