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Japan and Its Neighbors

Japan Review, Cambodia, Taiwan, and the Philippines

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Japan

The capital city of Japan is Tokyo.
The spiritual capital is Kyoto
Japan was historically isolationist (cut off from the world by their own choice)
First Europeans to go to Japan… Portuguese (1543)
Unifier of Japan… Tokugawa

Japan

The Japanese had an emperor, Shogun (supreme military leader), Daimyo (lords), and Samurai (knights).

Japanese Terms

Cambodia

Also known as Kampuchea, Cambodia suffered greatly in the late 20^th Century.

Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos were colonies of France and were known as French Indochina.

All saw upheaval and severe economic and political challenges in the 20^th Century.

Cambodia

Perhaps saddest of all of them was Cambodia because it was taken over by an extremist communist group known as the Khmer Rouge under a dictator named Pol Pot.
From 1975 to 1979, in order to completely reorganize Cambodia, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge created forced labor projects and concentration camps for anyone considered “anti-revolutionary” or in need of re-education.
As a result, it is estimated that two million people were starved, executed, or worked to death out of a population of eight million.

Decolonization

Taiwan

Taiwan was known as Formosa up to 1945, from the Portuguese words meaning “beautiful island.”
Anti-communist Chinese forces founded the country Taiwan after they were defeated by the Chinese communists under Mao in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s.
Oddly, Taiwan still claims to be the legitimate nation of China and they even officially call their country the “Republic of China.” (ROC)
The PRC, on the other hand, claims that Taiwan is a rebellious part of China... and they want it back!

Philippines

The Philippines is the second largest archipelago in the world with over seven thousand islands.
The Philippines were a Spanish colony until 1898 when the United States defeated the Spanish in the Spanish-American War.
The Philippines became a “colony” of the United States until after World War Two, when the Philippine long-held desire for independence was granted due in part to the brave Philippine efforts to fight against the occupying Japanese forces.

Philippines

Many are Roman Catholic, with a sizeable Muslim minority (especially in the south).
Horrible typhoon in 2013 called Haiyan created HUGE destruction and loss of life