Tradition and modernity happily co-exist in this country of
around 125 million inhabitants. So while there is still an Emperor
in nominal charge, it is similar to the UK in that it is the Prime
minister and the government that actually rule the country. And,
for all the examples of modernism such as the popularity of video
games, manga comics and its technological innovation and expertise,
there are just as many ancient ways of living that continue to
thrive.
A prime example is the Japanese tea ceremony, a heavily
ritualised preparation of the country's national drink that has
been performed in the same way for centuries.
Geographically, Japan consists of over 6,800 different islands,
the majority of which are uninhabited. The five main ones, running
from northern-most to southern-most are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku,
Kyushu and Okinawa. The largest of these, Honshu, is some 800 miles
long and is home to the main cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.