Japan|Introduction

Background: While retaining its time-honored culture, Japan rapidly absorbed Western technology during the late 19th and early

20th centuries. After its devastating defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become the second most powerful economy in the

world and a staunch ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, actual power rests in networks

of powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown in the 1990s following

three decades of unprecedented growth.