The palace is surrounded by enormous public gardens. Exhibits at the city's numerous museums range from replicas of kabuki theatres (at the Edo-Tokyo Museum) to classical art (at the Tokyo National Museum).

Capital: Tokyo

Prime minister Fumio Kishida

Currency: Japanese yen

In Japanese, the name “Japan” is Nihon or Nippon, which means “Land of the rising sun" was once believed that it was the first country to see the sun rising in the east in the mornings

Japan has the third longest life expectancy in the world with men living to 81 years old

Japan consists of over 6,800 islands.

The emperor was renamed as the main head of state, and when the imperial family moved to Edo in 1869, former samurai from Satsuma and Chōshū became the most influential members of the government instead of the 15 years old emperor

During this time, Japan saw significant reforms that were overseen by these people, who are referred to as the Meiji oligarchs. The Meiji administration's leaders wanted Japan to develop into a contemporary nation state capable of competing with the impactful powers of the West.

The Meijii restoration

In Japanese history, the Meiji Restoration refers to the political change that happened in 1868 and ultimately led to the fall of the Tokugawa or military government.

This put an end to the Edo (Tokugawa) period (1603 to 1867) and, at the very least, rebuilt direct imperial rule over the nation under Mutsuhito, the emperor Meiji. In a easier sense however the Meiji Restoration in 1868 became correlated with the Meiji period (1868–1912), which brought about the nation's modernization and Westernisation and was followed by an important period of political economic and social development.

For a very long time, the Japanese have been highly conscious of and have responded to strong external influences initially from the Asian continent (particularly China), and more recently from the West.

Japan has always engaged in a cycle of selecting institutions and cultural values from other cultures, then applying these into its own indigenous patterns. This process frequently takes place during times of relative political isolation.

As a result, foreign influences were absorbed while maintaining the essential characteristics of Japanese culture; for instance, Buddhist deities were incorporated into the Shinto pantheon. Even though it was done at tremendous national and personal loss, Japan's rapid modernization in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was actually only an extension of the same mechanisms that had been in place for decades.

Japan's Food, which gives inspiration from its different regions and island, combines tradition, and originality.

1 Rice or noodles are the most common food types to be in most meals, included by soup, pickles and okazu dishes of fish, meat, vegetable or tofu.

2 Sushi and sashimi are the most famous Japanese foods, made with seasoned rice and raw or cooked seafood, often wrapped in seaweed.

3 Tempura, udon, soba, ramen, yakitori and curry are some of the other popular dishes, each with its own variations and flavours.

4 Japan also has a rich culture of sweets, such as kuri Manju, a steamed bun filled with chestnut and bean paste.

a Shinto shrine located in Shibuya, Tokyo. The emperor's grave,

which is situated at Fushimi-momoyama, south of Kyoto, is not part of the shrine.

Although there are many variations in sushi styles and presentation, "sushi rice," also known as shari or sumeshi, is a staple ingredient.

Typical toppings include scallions, menma, nori, and sliced pork.

Chinese noodle dishes are the origin of ramen. There is ramen from almost every region of Japan, including Hokkaido's miso ramen and Kyushu's tonkotsu ramen.