The Layered Past of Japanese Culture

The Layered Past of Japanese Culture

For most of its history, the island nation of Japan existed in nearly complete isolation, much from its nearest neighbors. Although the first European trade ships arrived in the mid-16th century, the nation's rulers soon imposed a series of ever-tighter restrictions that effectively kept the nation in isolation until 1844. This resulted in an unusually distinct culture, one with different art forms and different traditions from any other.
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