Japan has a long and rich history. Although historians are still piecing things together, it is believed that people have been living on the islands since the Paleolithic period. Japan first appears in Chinese history around 57 CE and is referred to as Wo (or Wa, in Japanese) rather than by the name we know today. In the Chinese historical document, Wei zhi, dating back to 297 CE, the people of Wo are described as being highly civilized, with a social ranking system and impressively made buildings.

By 710, after being introduced from what is now modern-day Korea, Buddhism played a major role in Japanese culture. This led to an increase in travel and trade between Japan and its neighbors in China and Korea. It was also during this time that Buddhist temples were built and monks were given high standing in Japanese society.

Perhaps one of the most notable chapters in Japanese history is the Heian period between 794 and 1185. This era is significant because it was during these years that Japan began using its own writing system based on the sounds of Japanese rather than using a modified version of Chinese characters. At first, many male scholars did not use the new form of writing, which allowed women like Murasaki Shikibu to write The Tale of Genji, a wildly popular book read by a wider Japanese audience.

Toward the end of the Heian period, historians begin to see the rise of the samurai. Acting as the armed guards of wealthy landowners who left the capital, the samurai supported their leaders who eventually moved their influence from the farmlands back to the capital. As both warriors for the country and their landowners, the samurai established themselves as high-ranking people within the Japanese social class. By 1588, it was illegal for anyone but a samurai to carry a sword. This made the samurai essential for land protection yet also made it impossible for anyone within Japan
to question their power. But even with their high social rank, the samurai slowly became unhappy with the shogun (or leader), leading to the Meiji Restoration.
  
By 1853, the United States began pushing Japan to open its borders to trade. In 1858, Japan signed a trade agreement with the US, eventually signing others with Holland, Britain, France, and Russia. The led to a rebellion by the samurai, who hoped to give power back to the emperor. Granted, not all samurai wanted the emperor back in power, but by 1871, it didn’t matter because feudalism had been abolished. A few years later, the privilege of wearing a sword was given only to members of the national guard.

The Meiji Restoration marked a pivotal time in Japanese history and introduced the country to a wider variety of traded goods. Some historians argue that the restoration was bad for Japanese culture, while others praise it as a time that led to an increase in Japanese pride in the face of the Western World.