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126-644: USS Ashuelot was an iron-hulled, double-ended, side-wheel Mohongo -class gunboat in the United States Navy . She was named for a river in New Hampshire . The contract for the construction of Ashuelot was awarded in June or July 1863 to Donald McKay . Her keel was laid down at his shipyard in East Boston, Massachusetts , sometime in 1864; and the ship was launched on 22 July 1865. She

252-493: A junk which took them back downriver to the Ashuelot at Yichang. Matthews' observation of the gorges and rapids during the return passage convinced him that only an especially designed and highly powerful paddle-wheel steamer—whose wheels were powered independently by separate engines—could safely negotiate that part of the upper Yangtze. Thus, instead of continuing the voyage inland after returning to his ship, Matthews turned

378-500: A low unemployment rate of around 2.6%. Its poverty rate is the second highest among the G7 countries, and exceeds 15.7% of the population. Japan has the highest ratio of public debt to GDP among advanced economies, with a national debt estimated at 248% relative to GDP as of 2022 . The Japanese yen is the world's third-largest reserve currency after the US dollar and the euro. Japan

504-701: A security alliance . The United States is a major market for Japanese exports and a major source of Japanese imports, and is committed to defending the country, with military bases in Japan. In 2016, Japan announced the Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, which frames its regional policies. Japan is also a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue ("the Quad"), a multilateral security dialogue reformed in 2017 aiming to limit Chinese influence in

630-660: A sloop preserved at Chatham Historic Dockyard in the United Kingdom, exemplifies this type of gunboat. In the United States Navy, these boats had the hull classification symbol "PG", which led to their being referred to as "patrol gunboats". They usually displaced under 2,000 long tons (2,000 t), were about 200 ft (61 m) long, 10–15 ft (3.0–4.6 m) draught and sometimes much less, and mounted several guns of calibers up to 5–6 in (130–150 mm). An important characteristic of these

756-652: A country's commitment to environmental sustainability. Japan is the world's fifth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide . As the host and signatory of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol , Japan is under treaty obligation to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions and to take other steps to curb climate change. In 2020, the government of Japan announced a target of carbon-neutrality by 2050. Environmental issues include urban air pollution ( NOx , suspended particulate matter , and toxics ), waste management , water eutrophication , nature conservation , climate change , chemical management and international co-operation for conservation. Japan

882-498: A field of icebergs that obstructed the approaches to the coast of Nova Scotia ; and rejoined the flotilla at Halifax on 3 June. There, Fox—who wished to demonstrate the seaworthiness of monitors which, up to that time, had never crossed the Atlantic—moved to Miantonomoh for the voyage. The trio put to sea two days later and reached Queenstown, Ireland , on the 16th. At this port, Ashuelot —which had long been slated for duty in

1008-448: A haven for endangered Americans and for others in peril—native and foreign alike. As the years passed, the squadron increasingly took advantage of Ashuelot ' s comparatively shallow draft and the great maneuverability which sprang from her double-ended configuration by using her more and more in riverine operations. Thus, after the massacre of 22 Europeans—including 10 nuns—in June 1870, she departed Shanghai and proceeded north to

1134-545: A kingdom in central Japan in 660 BC, beginning a continuous imperial line . Japan first appears in written history in the Chinese Book of Han , completed in 111 AD. Buddhism was introduced to Japan from Baekje (a Korean kingdom) in 552, but the development of Japanese Buddhism was primarily influenced by China. Despite early resistance, Buddhism was promoted by the ruling class, including figures like Prince Shōtoku , and gained widespread acceptance beginning in

1260-491: A large cooperative sector, with three of the world's ten largest cooperatives, including the largest consumer cooperative and the largest agricultural cooperative as of 2018 . It ranks highly for competitiveness and economic freedom . Japan ranked sixth in the Global Competitiveness Report in 2019. It attracted 31.9 million international tourists in 2019, and was ranked eleventh in

1386-479: A major catalyst for further administrative reforms. These reforms culminated with the promulgation of the Taihō Code , which consolidated existing statutes and established the structure of the central and subordinate local governments. These legal reforms created the ritsuryō state, a system of Chinese-style centralized government that remained in place for half a millennium. The Nara period (710–784) marked

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1512-554: A new constitution emphasizing liberal democratic practices. The Allied occupation ended with the Treaty of San Francisco in 1952, and Japan was granted membership in the United Nations in 1956. A period of record growth propelled Japan to become the second-largest economy in the world; this ended in the mid-1990s after the popping of an asset price bubble , beginning the " Lost Decade ". In 2011, Japan suffered one of

1638-465: A new system of taxation. The true aim of the reforms was to bring about greater centralization and to enhance the power of the imperial court, which was also based on the governmental structure of China. Envoys and students were dispatched to China to learn about Chinese writing, politics, art, and religion. The Jinshin War of 672, a bloody conflict between Prince Ōama and his nephew Prince Ōtomo , became

1764-579: A party of scientists - headed by the noted American astronomer, Professor James Craig Watson —which had been sent to the Orient to observe the transit of Venus that would take place on 8 December. After welcoming on board these renowned leaders of astrophysical research, she got underway on 3 September and, five days later, entered the Hai River . On the 9th, the astronomers went ashore at Tianjin and proceeded overland to Beijing, their observation point for

1890-512: A riot and in protecting the international settlement at that city. Five days later, Ashuelot got underway to survey the Li-Sye-Chan Channel and—after completing that task—arrived at Zhenjiang on 16 May. Following a call on the daotai of that region, Matthews headed upstream and reached Nanjing on the 21st. There he learned that the viceroy was deeply troubled by reports of a Japanese expedition to Formosa and assured him that

2016-465: A significant shift to urbanization. The early 20th century saw a period of Taishō democracy (1912–1926) overshadowed by increasing expansionism and militarization . World War I allowed Japan, which joined the side of the victorious Allies , to capture German possessions in the Pacific and China in 1920 . The 1920s saw a political shift towards statism , a period of lawlessness following

2142-405: A single smoothbore cannon in the bow , or just two or three such cannons. A gunboat could carry one or two masts or be oar-powered only, but the single-masted version of about 15 m (49 ft) length was most typical. Some types of gunboats carried two cannon, or else mounted a number of swivel guns on the railings. The small gunboat had advantages: if it only carried a single cannon,

2268-867: A variety of designs. President Thomas Jefferson (in office: 1801–1809) and his Democratic-Republican Party opposed a strong navy, regarding gunboats as adequate to defend the United States' major harbors. They proved useless against the British blockade during the War of 1812 . With the introduction of steam power in the early 19th century, the Royal Navy and other navies built considerable numbers of small vessels propelled by side paddles and later by screws . Initially, these vessels retained full sailing rigs and used steam engines for auxiliary propulsion. The British Royal Navy deployed two wooden paddle-gunboats in

2394-529: Is reclaimed land ( umetatechi ). Lake Biwa is an ancient lake and the country's largest freshwater lake. Japan is substantially prone to earthquakes , tsunami and volcanic eruptions because of its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire. It has the 17th highest natural disaster risk as measured in the 2016 World Risk Index. Japan has 111 active volcanoes. Destructive earthquakes, often resulting in tsunami, occur several times each century;

2520-430: Is 377,975.24 km (145,937.06 sq mi). Japan has the sixth-longest coastline in the world at 29,751 km (18,486 mi). Because of its far-flung outlying islands, Japan's exclusive economic zone is the eighth-largest in the world, covering 4,470,000 km (1,730,000 sq mi). The Japanese archipelago is 67% forests and 14% agricultural . The primarily rugged and mountainous terrain

2646-722: Is a unitary state and constitutional monarchy in which the power of the Emperor is limited to a ceremonial role . Executive power is instead wielded by the Prime Minister of Japan and his Cabinet , whose sovereignty is vested in the Japanese people. Naruhito is the Emperor of Japan, having succeeded his father Akihito upon his accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019. Japan's legislative organ

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2772-517: Is divided into 47 prefectures, each overseen by an elected governor and legislature. In the following table, the prefectures are grouped by region : 7.  Fukushima 14.  Kanagawa 23.  Aichi 30.  Wakayama 35.  Yamaguchi 39.  Kōchi 47.  Okinawa A member state of the United Nations since 1956, Japan is one of the G4 countries seeking reform of

2898-730: Is governed by the Ministry of Defense , and primarily consists of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force , the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force , and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force . The deployment of troops to Iraq and Afghanistan marked the first overseas use of Japan's military since World War II. The Government of Japan has been making changes to its security policy which include the establishment of

3024-539: Is not heavy, but the islands usually develop deep snowbanks in the winter. In the Sea of Japan region on Honshu's west coast, northwest winter winds bring heavy snowfall during winter. In the summer, the region sometimes experiences extremely hot temperatures because of the Foehn . The Central Highland has a typical inland humid continental climate, with large temperature differences between summer and winter. The mountains of

3150-439: Is restricted for habitation. Thus the habitable zones, mainly in the coastal areas, have very high population densities: Japan is the 40th most densely populated country even without considering that local concentration. Honshu has the highest population density at 450 persons/km (1200/sq mi) as of 2010 , while Hokkaido has the lowest density of 64.5 persons/km as of 2016 . As of 2014 , approximately 0.5% of Japan's total area

3276-482: Is the National Diet , a bicameral parliament . It consists of a lower House of Representatives with 465 seats, elected by popular vote every four years or when dissolved, and an upper House of Councillors with 245 seats, whose popularly-elected members serve six-year terms. There is universal suffrage for adults over 18 years of age, with a secret ballot for all elected offices. The prime minister as

3402-571: Is the eleventh-most populous country . Its capital and largest city is Tokyo ; the Greater Tokyo Area is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with more than 38 million inhabitants as of 2016. Japan is divided into 47 administrative prefectures and eight traditional regions . About three-quarters of the country's terrain is mountainous and heavily forested, concentrating its agriculture and highly urbanized population along its eastern coastal plains . The country sits on

3528-592: Is the oldest unamended constitution in the world. Statutory law originates in the legislature, and the constitution requires that the emperor promulgate legislation passed by the Diet without giving him the power to oppose legislation. The main body of Japanese statutory law is called the Six Codes . Japan's court system is divided into four basic tiers: the Supreme Court and three levels of lower courts. Japan

3654-574: Is typically used in everyday speech and reflects shifts in Japanese phonology during the Edo period . The characters 日本 mean "sun origin", which is the source of the popular Western epithet "Land of the Rising Sun". The name "Japan" is based on Min or Wu Chinese pronunciations of 日本 and was introduced to European languages through early trade. In the 13th century, Marco Polo recorded

3780-571: Is very heavy, especially during the rainy season. The main rainy season begins in early May in Okinawa, and the rain front gradually moves north. In late summer and early autumn, typhoons often bring heavy rain. According to the Environment Ministry, heavy rainfall and increasing temperatures have caused problems in the agricultural industry and elsewhere. The highest temperature ever measured in Japan, 41.1 °C (106.0 °F),

3906-483: Is written using the kanji 日本 and is pronounced Nihon or Nippon . Before 日本 was adopted in the early 8th century, the country was known in China as Wa ( 倭 , changed in Japan around 757 to 和 ) and in Japan by the endonym Yamato . Nippon , the original Sino-Japanese reading of the characters, is favored for official uses, including on Japanese banknotes and postage stamps. Nihon

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4032-899: The shōgun led to the Boshin War and the establishment of a centralized state nominally unified under the emperor (the Meiji Restoration ). Adopting Western political, judicial, and military institutions, the Cabinet organized the Privy Council , introduced the Meiji Constitution (November 29, 1890), and assembled the Imperial Diet . During the Meiji period (1868–1912), the Empire of Japan emerged as

4158-416: The 1923 Tokyo earthquake killed over 140,000 people. More recent major quakes are the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, which triggered a large tsunami. The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate but varies greatly from north to south. The northernmost region, Hokkaido, has a humid continental climate with long, cold winters and very warm to cool summers. Precipitation

4284-463: The Asuka period (592–710). In 645, the government led by Prince Naka no Ōe and Fujiwara no Kamatari devised and implemented the far-reaching Taika Reforms . The Reform began with land reform, based on Confucian ideas and philosophies from China . It nationalized all land in Japan, to be distributed equally among cultivators, and ordered the compilation of a household registry as the basis for

4410-539: The Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. He was appointed shōgun by Emperor Go-Yōzei in 1603 and established the Tokugawa shogunate at Edo (modern Tokyo). The shogunate enacted measures including buke shohatto , as a code of conduct to control the autonomous daimyō , and in 1639 the isolationist sakoku ("closed country") policy that spanned the two and a half centuries of tenuous political unity known as

4536-519: The Chūgoku and Shikoku regions shelter the Seto Inland Sea from seasonal winds, bringing mild weather year-round. The Pacific coast features a humid subtropical climate that experiences milder winters with occasional snowfall and hot, humid summers because of the southeast seasonal wind. The Ryukyu and Nanpō Islands have a subtropical climate , with warm winters and hot summers. Precipitation

4662-596: The Crimean War . The Russian vessels had the distinction of being the last oared vessels of war in history to fire their guns in anger. Gunboats played a key role in Napoleon Bonaparte 's plan for the invasion of England in 1804. Denmark-Norway used them heavily in the Gunboat War. Between 1803 and 1812 the United States Navy had a policy of basing its navy on coastal gunboats, experimenting with

4788-601: The Early Mandarin Chinese pronunciation of the characters 日本國 as Cipangu . The old Malay name for Japan, Japang or Japun , was borrowed from a southern coastal Chinese dialect and encountered by Portuguese traders in Southeast Asia , who brought the word to Europe in the early 16th century. The first version of the name in English appears in a book published in 1577, which spelled

4914-588: The Edo period (1603–1868). Modern Japan's economic growth began in this period, resulting in roads and water transportation routes, as well as financial instruments such as futures contracts , banking and insurance of the Osaka rice brokers . The study of Western sciences ( rangaku ) continued through contact with the Dutch enclave in Nagasaki . The Edo period gave rise to kokugaku ("national studies"),

5040-470: The Emperor Meiji , drawing Ashuelot to the island empire. She reached Nagasaki on 6 April and, with her sister American warships, remained neutral while furnishing refuge to endangered American citizens and foreigners. She also offered asylum to Japanese officials of both sides who felt themselves to be imperiled. However, late in the spring, unrest in northern China caused Ashuelot to return to

5166-796: The Far East —was detached from her companions and proceeded via the Cape of Good Hope , the Indian Ocean , and the Straits of Malacca to the western Pacific . She finally joined the Asiatic Squadron at Hong Kong on 15 January 1867 and served in Oriental waters throughout her career. The double-ender's first memorable mission began at Amoy early in April of that year when the captain of

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5292-693: The Indo-Pacific region, along with the United States, Australia, and India. Japan is engaged in several territorial disputes with its neighbors. Japan contests Russia's control of the Southern Kuril Islands , which were occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945. South Korea's control of the Liancourt Rocks is acknowledged but not accepted as they are claimed by Japan. Japan has strained relations with China and Taiwan over

5418-755: The Kurils . The Allies (led by the United States) repatriated millions of Japanese settlers from their former colonies and military camps throughout Asia, largely eliminating the Japanese Empire and its influence over the territories it conquered. The Allies convened the International Military Tribunal for the Far East to prosecute Japanese leaders except the Emperor for Japanese war crimes . In 1947, Japan adopted

5544-670: The National Security Council , the adoption of the National Security Strategy, and the development of the National Defense Program Guidelines. In May 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan wanted to shed the passiveness it has maintained since the end of World War II and take more responsibility for regional security. In December 2022, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida further confirmed this trend, instructing

5670-559: The Pacific War and two atomic bombings , Japan surrendered in 1945 and came under Allied occupation . After the war, the country underwent rapid economic growth , although its economy has stagnated since 1990 . Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature, the National Diet . A great power and the only Asian member of the G7 , Japan has constitutionally renounced its right to declare war , but maintains one of

5796-697: The Philippines in December 1878 and Siam in January 1879. The spring of that year brought Ashuelot one of her more interesting assignments. On 30 April, the steamer Irrawaddy —with General Ulysses S. Grant and party on board—entered Hong Kong harbor. After leaving the White House some two years earlier, the former president had begun a cruise around the world; and he wished to visit China and Japan before heading home. Ashuelot dressed ship and manned

5922-455: The Royal Navy 's HMS  Cormorant informed Rear Admiral Henry H. Bell , the commander of the United States Squadron, that "aboriginals" had murdered the survivors from Rover after that American merchant bark had been wrecked on rocks just off the southern coast of Taiwan (Formosa). Bell ordered Febiger—then at Fuzhou —to proceed in Ashuelot to that island to investigate. When the gunboat returned from Formosa with evidence confirming

6048-595: The Sea of Azov , where they repeatedly raided and destroyed stores around its coast. In June 1855 the Royal Navy reentered the Baltic with a total of 18 gunboats as part of a larger fleet. The gunboats attacked various coastal facilities, operating alongside larger British warships from which they drew supplies such as coal. Gunboats experienced a revival during the American Civil War (1861–1865). Union and Confederate forces quickly converted existing passenger-carrying boats into armed sidewheel steamers . Later, some purpose-built boats, such as USS  Miami , joined

6174-406: The Sea of Okhotsk to the East China Sea . The country's five main islands, from north to south, are Hokkaido , Honshu , Shikoku , Kyushu and Okinawa . The Ryukyu Islands , which include Okinawa, are a chain to the south of Kyushu. The Nanpō Islands are south and east of the main islands of Japan. Together they are often known as the Japanese archipelago . As of 2019 , Japan's territory

6300-418: The Security Council . Japan is a member of the G7 , APEC , and " ASEAN Plus Three ", and is a participant in the East Asia Summit . It is the world's fifth-largest donor of official development assistance , donating US$ 9.2 billion in 2014. In 2024, Japan had the fourth-largest diplomatic network in the world. Japan has close economic and military relations with the United States, with which it maintains

6426-504: The Senkaku Islands and the status of Okinotorishima . Japan is the third highest-ranked Asian country in the 2024 Global Peace Index . It spent 1.1% of its total GDP on its defence budget in 2022, and maintained the tenth-largest military budget in the world in 2022. The country's military (the Japan Self-Defense Forces) is restricted by Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution , which renounces Japan's right to declare war or use military force in international disputes. The military

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6552-446: The Yangtze . In China, during anarchic and war conditions, they continued to protect British interests until World War II; other western Powers acted similarly. More and larger gunboats were built in the late 1930s for the Far East. Some sailed there; others were transported in sections and reassembled at Shanghai . Most British gunboats were based initially in East Asia. When war with Japan broke out, many of these vessels withdrew to

6678-401: The end of the shogunate and the restoration of imperial power in 1868. In the Meiji period , the Empire of Japan pursued rapid industrialization and modernization , as well as militarism and overseas colonization . In 1937, Japan invaded China , and in 1941 attacked the United States and European colonial powers, entering World War II as an Axis power . After suffering defeat in

6804-411: The head of government has the power to appoint and dismiss Ministers of State , and is appointed by the emperor after being designated from among the members of the Diet. Shigeru Ishiba is Japan's prime minister; he took office after winning the 2024 Liberal Democratic Party leadership election . The broadly conservative Liberal Democratic Party has been the dominant party in the country since

6930-490: The samurai . In 1185, following the defeat of the Taira clan by the Minamoto clan in the Genpei War , samurai Minamoto no Yoritomo established a military government at Kamakura . After Yoritomo's death, the Hōjō clan came to power as regents for the shōgun . The Zen school of Buddhism was introduced from China in the Kamakura period (1185–1333) and became popular among the samurai class. The Kamakura shogunate repelled Mongol invasions in 1274 and 1281 but

7056-402: The 1808 Battle of Alvøen of the Gunboat War , five Dano-Norwegian gunboats disabled the British frigate HMS  Tartar . Gunboats used in the Battle of Valcour Island (1776) on Lake Champlain during the American Revolutionary War were mostly built on the spot, attesting to the speed of their construction. Spanish admiral Antonio Barceló , experienced in the usage of small vessels in

7182-462: The 1923 Great Tokyo Earthquake , the passing of laws against political dissent , and a series of attempted coups . This process accelerated during the 1930s, spawning several radical nationalist groups that shared a hostility to liberal democracy and a dedication to expansion in Asia. In 1931, Japan invaded China and occupied Manchuria , which led to the establishment of puppet state of Manchukuo in 1932; following international condemnation of

7308-530: The 1950s, often called the 1955 System . Historically influenced by Chinese law , the Japanese legal system developed independently during the Edo period through texts such as Kujikata Osadamegaki . Since the late 19th century, the judicial system has been largely based on the civil law of Europe, notably Germany. In 1896, Japan established a civil code based on the German Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch , which remains in effect with post–World War II modifications. The Constitution of Japan , adopted in 1947,

7434-441: The American consul at Amoy and his staff to that island, Ashuelot operated along the China coast between Shanghai and Hong Kong until sailing for Japan late in May 1872. She reached Nagasaki on 1 June and remained in Japanese waters for two months before moving to northern China. The ship arrived at Yantai on 3 September, reached Tianjin a fortnight later, and began another mission protecting American interests in that vicinity into

7560-425: The Asiatic mainland. She put to sea on 17 June and, six days later, reached Tianjin —then menaced by Chinese rebels. She worked along the coast of northern China until sailing for Japan late in August. She moved from port to port along the coast of Asia and among the nearby islands, reaffirming the American presence and power in that part of the world, frequently seeking out trouble spots so that she might be on hand as

7686-501: The Baltic and Black Seas between 1941 and 1945. US riverine gunboats in the Vietnam War , included Patrol Boats River (PBR), constructed of fiberglass ; Patrol Craft Fast (PCF), commonly known as Swift Boats , built of aluminum; and Assault Support Patrol Boats (ASPB) built of steel. U.S. Coast Guard 82-foot (25 m) Point-class cutters supplemented these US Navy vessels. The ASPBs were commonly referred to as "Alpha" boats and primarily carried out mine-sweeping duties along

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7812-419: The Crimean War was formulated in 1854 to allow the Royal Navy to bombard shore facilities in the Baltic. The first ships the Royal Navy built that met this requirement were the Arrow -class gunvessels . Then in mid-1854 the Royal Navy ordered six Gleaner -class gunboats followed later in the year by an order for 20 Dapper -class gunboats . In May 1855 the Royal Navy deployed six Dapper -class gunboats in

7938-425: The Indian Ocean. Others were given to the Republic of China Navy (such as HMS  Sandpiper , which was renamed Ying Hao ) and some were captured by the Japanese. Some were later redeployed to the Mediterranean theatre and supported land operations during the North African campaign , as well as in parts of Southern Europe . In late 1941, the US Navy's Yangtze Patrol boats based in China were withdrawn to

8064-405: The Lower Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River during the Rebellions of 1837 in Upper and Lower Canada . The United States Navy deployed an iron-hulled paddle gunboat, USS  Michigan , to the Great Lakes in 1844. Von der Tann became the first propeller-driven gunboat in the world. Conradi shipyards in Kiel built the steam-powered 120 long tons (120  t ) gunboat in 1849 for

8190-598: The National Police Agency is administered by the National Public Safety Commission . The Special Assault Team comprises national-level counter-terrorism tactical units that cooperate with territorial-level Anti-Firearms Squads and Counter-NBC Terrorism Squads . The Japan Coast Guard guards territorial waters surrounding Japan and uses surveillance and control countermeasures against smuggling, marine environmental crime , poaching, piracy, spy ships, unauthorized foreign fishing vessels, and illegal immigration. The Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law strictly regulates

8316-411: The Pacific Ring of Fire , making its islands prone to destructive earthquakes and tsunamis . The first known habitation of the archipelago dates to the Upper Paleolithic , with the beginning Japanese Paleolithic dating to c.  36,000 BC . Between the fourth and sixth centuries, its kingdoms were united under an emperor in Nara , and later Heian-kyō . From the 12th century, actual power

8442-517: The Pacific . Throughout areas occupied by Japan during the war, numerous abuses were committed against local inhabitants, with many forced into sexual slavery . After Allied victories during the next four years, which culminated in the Soviet invasion of Manchuria and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, Japan agreed to an unconditional surrender . The war cost Japan millions of lives and its colonies , including de jure parts of Japan such as Korea , Taiwan , Karafuto , and

8568-690: The Philippines or scuttled. Following the US defeat in the Philippines , most of the remaining craft were scuttled . However, USS  Asheville survived until being sunk in action during the Battle of Java in 1942. During the 1930s, the Soviet Navy began developing small armoured riverboats or "riverine tanks": vessels displacing 26 to 48 tons, on which the turrets of tanks were mounted. Three classes, numbering 210 vessels, saw service between 1934 and 1945: With crews of 10 to 20 personnel, riverine tanks displaced 26 to 48 tons, had armour 4–14 mm (0.16–0.55 in) thick, and were 23 to 25 m (75 to 82 ft) long. They saw significant action in

8694-417: The Royal Navy re-equipped with small 625-long-ton (635 t), shallow-draught gunboats (12 ships of the Insect class ) with sufficient speed to operate in fast-flowing rivers and with relatively heavy armament. During the war and in the post-war period, these were deployed in Romania on the Danube , in Mesopotamia on the Euphrates and Tigris , in northern Russia on the Northern Dvina , and in China on

8820-412: The Swedish archipelago fleet . The designs, copied and refined by the rival Danish and Russian navies, spread to the Mediterranean and to the Black Sea. Two variants occurred most commonly: Many of the Baltic navies kept gunboats in service well into the second half of the 19th century. British ships engaged larger 22 m (72 ft) Russian gunboats off Turku in southeast Finland in 1854 during

8946-417: The United States (9.9 percent), and Australia (9.8 percent). Japan's main imports are machinery and equipment, fossil fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, and raw materials for its industries. The Japanese variant of capitalism has many distinct features: keiretsu enterprises are influential, and lifetime employment and seniority-based career advancement are common in the Japanese work environment . Japan has

9072-399: The United States was not participating in the invasion. At each stop during his continuing ascent— Jiujiang , Wuchang , Hankou , Fow-Kow , and Guizhoufu —the ship's captain exchanged courtesies with the local officials. After Ashuelot crossed Dongting Lake , she found that rapid current, sharp bends, and the narrowing of the stream significantly slowed her progress and greatly increased

9198-522: The affairs of islands in the western Pacific—such as Formosa and the Ryūkyūs —which had long paid tribute to the Chinese Emperor. When negotiations between the two nations grew more tense late in the summer of 1877, Ashuelot proceeded to Chefoo where she arrived on 13 August. She remained there into the autumn, ready to be of assistance to American citizens in the vicinity should they be endangered by

9324-510: The boat could manoeuvre in shallow or restricted areas – such as rivers or lakes – where larger ships could sail only with difficulty. The gun that such boats carried could be quite heavy; a 32-pounder for instance. As such boats were cheap and quick to build, naval forces favoured swarm tactics: while a single hit from a frigate's broadside would destroy a gunboat, a frigate facing a large squadron of gunboats could suffer serious damage before it could manage to sink them all. For example: during

9450-476: The capital, settling on Heian-kyō (modern-day Kyoto ) in 794. This marked the beginning of the Heian period (794–1185), during which a distinctly indigenous Japanese culture emerged. Murasaki Shikibu 's The Tale of Genji and the lyrics of Japan's national anthem " Kimigayo " were written during this time. Japan's feudal era was characterized by the emergence and dominance of a ruling class of warriors,

9576-550: The civilian ownership of guns, swords, and other weaponry. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime , among the member states of the UN that report statistics as of 2018 , the incidence rates of violent crimes such as murder, abduction, sexual violence, and robbery are very low in Japan. Japanese society traditionally places a strong emphasis on collective harmony and conformity , which has led to

9702-582: The conflicts against Barbary pirates , unveiled in 1781 a kind of small armored gunboat equipped with a heavy, long-range artillery piece. This originated the Spanish Royal Armada 's doctrine of fuerzas sutiles ("subtle forces"), which emphasized the usage of ships equipped with significant firepower but small enough to be difficult to hit back. His gunboats were first employed during the Great Siege of Gibraltar , obtaining great success in

9828-463: The development of new gunboat types. The two countries clashed during the Russo-Swedish war of 1788–90 , a conflict that culminated in the massive Battle of Svensksund in 1790, in which over 30,000 men and hundreds of gunboats, galleys and other oared craft took part. The majority of these were vessels developed from the 1770s and onwards by the naval architect Fredrik Henrik af Chapman for

9954-526: The difficulty and danger of her movement. As a result, soon after the ship reached Yichang , Matthews and a small party of officers and guests disembarked and made an eight-day march on up the Yangtze Valley to determine whether or not it would be prudent for him to attempt to take the ship still higher. The overland journey brought the party to Guizhoufu. After a two-day visit, the Americans boarded

10080-628: The emergence of a Japanese state centered on the Imperial Court in Heijō-kyō (modern Nara ). The period is characterized by the appearance of a nascent literary culture with the completion of the Kojiki (712) and Nihon Shoki (720), as well as the development of Buddhist-inspired artwork and architecture . A smallpox epidemic in 735–737 is believed to have killed as much as one-third of Japan's population. In 784, Emperor Kanmu moved

10206-761: The first time, initiating direct commercial and cultural exchange between Japan and the West. Oda Nobunaga used European technology and firearms to conquer many other daimyō ; his consolidation of power began what was known as the Azuchi–Momoyama period . After the death of Nobunaga in 1582, his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi , unified the nation in the early 1590s and launched two unsuccessful invasions of Korea in 1592 and 1597 . Tokugawa Ieyasu served as regent for Hideyoshi's son Toyotomi Hideyori and used his position to gain political and military support. When open war broke out, Ieyasu defeated rival clans in

10332-526: The fray. They frequently mounted 12 or more guns, sometimes of rather large caliber, and usually carried some armor. At the same time, Britain's gunboats from the Crimean War period were starting to wear out, so a new series of classes was ordered. Construction shifted from a purely wooden hull to an iron–teak composite. In the later 19th century and early 20th century, "gunboat" was the common name for smaller armed vessels. These could be classified, from

10458-415: The government and industrial corporations; as a result, environmental pollution was widespread in the 1950s and 1960s. Responding to rising concerns, the government introduced environmental protection laws in 1970. The oil crisis in 1973 also encouraged the efficient use of energy because of Japan's lack of natural resources. Japan ranks 20th in the 2018 Environmental Performance Index , which measures

10584-633: The government to increase spending by 65% until 2027. Recent tensions, particularly with North Korea and China, have reignited the debate over the status of the JSDF and its relation to Japanese society. Domestic security in Japan is provided mainly by the prefectural police departments , under the oversight of the National Police Agency . As the central coordinating body for the Prefectural Police Departments,

10710-477: The high-handed American diplomat had been far from diplomatic. He then returned to Bangkok, took the exhibit on board, and carried it via Saigon to Hong Kong where it was transferred to a merchantman which took it on to the United States. From time to time in the ensuing years, the gunboat returned to Siam, besides visiting the treaty ports of China and Japan. Relations between the latter two countries were then being increasingly strained as Japan became more active in

10836-448: The hull classification symbol "PTG" (Patrol Torpedo Gunboat). In Britain, Admiral Fisher 's reforms in the 1900s saw the disposal of much of the gunboat fleet. A handful remained in service in various roles at the start of World War I in 1914. The last in active service were two of the second Bramble class which survived until 1926, carrying out river patrols in west Africa. In the circumstances of World War I (1914–1918), however,

10962-633: The largest earthquakes in its recorded history - the Tōhoku earthquake - triggering the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster . On May 1, 2019, after the historic abdication of Emperor Akihito , his son Naruhito became Emperor, beginning the Reiwa era. Japan comprises 14,125 islands extending along the Pacific coast of Asia. It stretches over 3000 km (1900 mi) northeast–southwest from

11088-613: The little task force—dispatched Ashuelot to Boston , Massachusetts, to await the arrival of Assistant Secretary of the Navy Gustavus Vasa Fox , President Andrew Johnson 's personal representative in carrying to Saint Petersburg the Joint Resolution of Congress congratulating Tsar Alexander II on having escaped unscathed from a recent assassination attempt. After embarking her distinguished passenger, Ashuelot got underway again, threaded her way through

11214-625: The most developed state in Asia and as an industrialized world power that pursued military conflict to expand its sphere of influence. After victories in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), Japan gained control of Taiwan, Korea and the southern half of Sakhalin , and annexed Korea in 1910. The Japanese population doubled from 35 million in 1873 to 70 million by 1935, with

11340-482: The mouth of the Hai River which she reached on 26 July. She then ascended that river to Tianjin where the atrocity had occurred and remained at that ancient city into the spring of the following year. She got underway again on 23 April 1871 when the ice of the river had thawed allowing her to put to sea once more. From that time on, Ashuelot and her sister warships of the Asiatic Squadron frequently spent

11466-546: The name as Giapan in a translation of a 1565 Portuguese letter. Modern humans arrived in Japan around 38,000 years ago (~36,000 BC), marking the beginning of the Japanese Paleolithic . This was followed from around 14,500 BC (the start of the Jōmon period ) by a Mesolithic to Neolithic semi-sedentary hunter-gatherer culture characterized by pit dwelling and rudimentary agriculture. Clay vessels from

11592-476: The new gunboat was chosen to join Augusta in escorting the double-ended monitor Miantonomoh to Europe . On the 11th, Ashuelot got underway to test her machinery and to assess her sailing qualities before joining her future consorts at New York . The three ships stood out from that port on 6 May and headed for Canadian waters. However, two days out, Commander Alexander Murray of Augusta —who commanded

11718-560: The northeast coast of the Asian mainland , and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands— Hokkaido , Honshu , Shikoku , and Kyushu —and thousands of smaller islands , covering 377,975 square kilometres (145,937 sq mi). Japan has a population of nearly 124 million as of 2024, and

11844-565: The northern islands. Japan has over 90,000 species of wildlife as of 2019 , including the brown bear , the Japanese macaque , the Japanese raccoon dog , the small Japanese field mouse , and the Japanese giant salamander . There are 53 Ramsar wetland sites in Japan. Five sites have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for their outstanding natural value. In the period of rapid economic growth after World War II, environmental policies were downplayed by

11970-982: The occupation , it resigned from the League of Nations in 1933. In 1936, Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Nazi Germany ; the 1940 Tripartite Pact made it one of the Axis powers . The Empire of Japan invaded other parts of China in 1937, precipitating the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945). In 1940, the Empire invaded French Indochina , after which the United States placed an oil embargo on Japan. On December 7–8, 1941, Japanese forces carried out surprise attacks on Pearl Harbor , as well as on British forces in Malaya , Singapore , and Hong Kong , among others, beginning World War II in

12096-558: The otherwise failed siege, after which they were adopted by the Royal Armada. All navies of the sailing era kept a number of gunboats on hand. Gunboats saw extensive use in the Baltic Sea during the late 18th century as they were well-suited for the extensive coastal skerries and archipelagoes of Sweden, Finland and Russia. The rivalry between Sweden and Russia, in particular, led to an intense expansion of gunboat fleets and

12222-446: The outbreak of war or domestic disorder. On 7 October, she got underway from Nagasaki and headed for Tianjin where she arrived on the 10th. When tension had somewhat relaxed, the gunboat sailed south on 21 November 1877 and, six days later, arrived at Shanghai for repairs. In the spring of 1878, she returned to Nagasaki and operated in Japanese waters until heading back to southern China on 1 November for additional repairs before visiting

12348-528: The period are among the oldest surviving examples of pottery. The Japonic -speaking Yayoi people entered the archipelago from the Korean Peninsula, intermingling with the Jōmon ; the Yayoi period saw the introduction of practices including wet-rice farming , a new style of pottery , and metallurgy from China and Korea. According to legend, Emperor Jimmu (descendant of Amaterasu ) founded

12474-402: The screw sloop of war awaited to take Grant to Japan. On 15 June, Ashuelot got underway and proceeded via Yantai to Nagasaki. She operated in Japanese waters until autumn when she returned to China. By that time the years had taken their toll on the gunboat—so much so that she had come to be known throughout the squadron as "the ironmonger's hope". Nevertheless, since no replacement for her

12600-528: The seven-year-old Emperor was growing to adulthood. During their meetings, the Prince explained to Grant China's position on its dispute with Japan over control of the Ryukyu Islands and requested his good offices in regard to the matter during the general's forthcoming visit to Japan. After leaving Beijing, Grant returned to Tianjin where he boarded Ashuelot for passage to the mouth of the river. There,

12726-553: The ship on the 12th, and she stood out to sea for visits to Shantou and Amoy en route to Shanghai which she reached on the 17th. At the end of a six-day visit there, Grant reembarked in Ashuelot ; and she took him to the mouth of the Hai River and then up that estuary to Tianjin where he again left the ship and proceeded by small boats to Beijing for discussions with Prince Gong who ruled the Chinese Empire as regent while

12852-500: The small navy of Schleswig-Holstein . Initially called "Gunboat No. 1" , Von der Tann was the most modern ship in the navy. She participated successfully in the First Schleswig War of 1848–1851. Britain built a large number of wooden screw-gunboats during the 1850s, some of which participated in the Crimean War (1853–1856), Second Opium War (1856–1860) and Indian Mutiny (1857–1859). The requirement for gunboats in

12978-433: The smallest to the largest, into river gunboats , river monitors , coastal-defense gunboats (such as SMS  Panther ), and full-fledged monitors for coastal bombardments. In the 1870s and 1880s, Britain took to building so-called "flat-iron" (or Rendel) gunboats for coastal defence. When there would be few opportunities to re-coal, vessels carrying a full sailing rig continued in use as gunboats; HMS  Gannet ,

13104-571: The study of Japan by the Japanese. The United States Navy sent Commodore Matthew C. Perry to force the opening of Japan to the outside world. Arriving at Uraga with four " Black Ships " in July 1853, the Perry Expedition resulted in the March 1854 Convention of Kanagawa . Subsequent similar treaties with other Western countries brought economic and political crises. The resignation of

13230-426: The summer of 1873. After being relieved by the screw gunboat Saco , the ship sailed for Nagasaki on 5 July and operated in Japanese waters until the spring of 1874 when—commanded by Comdr. Edmund Matthews —she sailed for China and reached Shanghai on 20 April. On 3 May, the side-wheeler sent a force ashore to join a landing party from the gunboat Yantic and contingents from other foreign warships in putting down

13356-578: The suppression of individual rights . Japan's constitution prohibits racial and religious discrimination, and the country is a signatory to numerous international human rights treaties. However, it lacks any laws against discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity and does not have a national human rights institution. Japan has faced criticism for its gender inequality , not allowing same-sex marriages , use of racial profiling by police, and allowing capital punishment . Other human rights issues include

13482-663: The timely shipment to Philadelphia of the Siamese exhibit that had been prepared by order of the young Thai monarch Rama IV for display at the United States Centennial Exposition . She reached Bangkok on 23 April 1876, and Matthews spent more than a fortnight there dividing his time between the exchange of diplomatic courtesies and questioning people—both American and Siamese about the situation. Ashuelot sailed for Cochinchina , on 9 May and reached Saigon four days later. There, Matthews reported that

13608-431: The tragedy, Bell launched a punitive expedition against the guilty tribesmen (see Formosa Expedition ), but left Ashuelot on the mainland coast to look after American interests in various Chinese treaty ports. The double-ender continued to perform this duty into the early spring of 1868. In Japan at that time, civil disturbances followed the abolition of the shogunate and the assumption of supreme political power by

13734-509: The transit. After disembarking her passengers, Ashuelot operated in Chinese waters until 10 December 1874 when she set course for Nagasaki. She arrived on the 13th and resumed operations in Japanese waters where she operated until sailing for Shanghai on 19 June 1875. In mid-August, the schooner-rigged steamer set course for Fisherman's Island—near Shantou where she guarded a party of rescue workers who were attempting to recover treasure from

13860-403: The treatment of marginalized groups, such as ethnic minorities , refugees and asylum seekers . Japan has the world's fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP , after that of the United States, China and Germany; and the fifth-largest economy by PPP-adjusted GDP . As of 2021 , Japan's labor force is the world's eighth-largest , consisting of over 68.6 million workers. As of 2022 , Japan has

13986-420: The treaty ports of Japan. On 17 February 1883, the gunboat departed Amoy and set a course for Shantou . While she was proceeding through heavy fog before dawn the next morning, Ashuelot struck a rock off East Lamock Island and suffered such severe damage that she had to be abandoned. Eleven men perished with the ship. Gunboat In the age of sail , a gunboat was usually a small undecked vessel carrying

14112-466: The vessel seaward and reached Shanghai on 21 July. Nevertheless, Ashuelot's exploratory voyage from Shanghai to Yichang had blazed a watery trail almost a thousand miles into China—one to be followed until the eve of World War II by the long list of American riverine men-of-war known as the Yangtze Patrol . The gunboat sailed for Japan on 3 August 1874 and reached Nagasaki on the 5th to await

14238-634: The waterways, due to their all-steel construction. The ASPBs were the only US Navy riverine craft specifically designed and built for the Vietnam War. All of these boats were assigned to the US Navy's " Brownwater Navy ". [REDACTED] Media related to Gunboats at Wikimedia Commons Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia . It is located in the Pacific Ocean off

14364-743: The winter locked in by the frozen waters of a northern port. Her next assignment was scheduled to be participation in the expedition to Korea headed by Rear Admiral John Rodgers seeking redress for the murder of the crew of the General Sherman . That American merchant schooner had run aground on a sandbar in the Taedong River during a trading mission and had been burned. However, a board of survey found that Ashuelot ' s hull had suffered significant damage during her icebound months and that both her engine and her boilers required major repairs before she could resume active duty. Thus, she

14490-416: The world in 2019 for inbound tourism . The 2021 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Japan first in the world out of 117 countries. Its international tourism receipts in 2019 amounted to $ 46.1 billion. The Japanese agricultural sector accounts for about 1.2% of the country's total GDP as of 2018 . Only 11.5% of Japan's land is suitable for cultivation. Because of this lack of arable land,

14616-569: The world's strongest militaries . A developed country with one of the world's largest economies by nominal GDP , Japan is a global leader in science and technology and the automotive , robotics , and electronics industries . It has one of the world's highest life expectancies , though it is undergoing a population decline . Japan's culture is well known around the world, including its art , cuisine , film , music , and popular culture , which includes prominent comics , animation , and video game industries. The name for Japan in Japanese

14742-492: The wreck of Japan , a Pacific Mail Steamship Company liner which had caught fire and gone down some 25 miles off Breaker Point on 18 December 1868. Pirates had recently been active in the area, prompting fear that they would attempt to seize any valuables taken from the sunken hulk. The following spring, the gunboat visited Siam to investigate complaints that arbitrary action by the American consul at Bangkok had prevented

14868-453: The yards in honor of her erstwhile Commander in Chief. A short time later, Grant briefly visited the gunboat which had been charged with transporting him while he was in Chinese waters. He returned to her on 5 May and she took him to Canton and Macao. She returned to Hong Kong on the 10th, and he went ashore for two final days at that British crown colony. The general and his party returned to

14994-456: Was available, she was retained in the Asiatic Squadron and patched up for further service. She arrived at Shanghai on 10 October 1879 and remained there undergoing extensive repairs through the spring of 1880. Ashuelot departed Shanghai on 20 June of that year and reached Nagasaki on the 23rd. For the next two and one-half years, she operated along the coast of China, up the Yangtze, and among

15120-404: Was compelled to relinquish her role in operations during the spring of 1871 to open Korea. Her yard work at Shanghai had been completed by autumn when word of serious unrest in southeastern China sent her to the province of Fujian . She arrived at Fuzhou on 21 October and remained there until 29 December 1871 when she headed back toward Shanghai. But for a run to Taiwan early in March to carry

15246-654: Was delivered to the Boston Navy Yard on 30 November of that year; but, since the American Civil War had recently ended, the Navy's need for her services had diminished. As a result, Ashuelot — which had been designed for operations in the shallow rivers and coastal waters of the Confederacy — was not placed in commission until 4 April 1866, Commander John C. Febiger in command. About this time,

15372-481: Was eventually overthrown by Emperor Go-Daigo . Go-Daigo was defeated by Ashikaga Takauji in 1336, beginning the Muromachi period (1336–1573). The succeeding Ashikaga shogunate failed to control the feudal warlords ( daimyō ) and a civil war began in 1467 , opening the century-long Sengoku period ("Warring States"). During the 16th century, Portuguese traders and Jesuit missionaries reached Japan for

15498-468: Was held by military dictators ( shōgun ) and feudal lords ( daimyō ), and enforced by warrior nobility ( samurai ). After rule by the Kamakura and Ashikaga shogunates and a century of warring states , Japan was unified in 1600 by the Tokugawa shogunate , which implemented an isolationist foreign policy . In 1853, a United States fleet forced Japan to open trade to the West , which led to

15624-508: Was recorded on July 23, 2018, and repeated on August 17, 2020. Japan has nine forest ecoregions which reflect the climate and geography of the islands. They range from subtropical moist broadleaf forests in the Ryūkyū and Bonin Islands , to temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in the mild climate regions of the main islands, to temperate coniferous forests in the cold, winter portions of

15750-497: Was the ability to operate in rivers, enabling them to reach inland targets in a way not otherwise possible before the development of aircraft . In this period the naval powers used gunboats for police actions in colonies or in weaker countries, for example in China (see e.g. Yangtze Patrol ). This category of gunboat inspired the term " gunboat diplomacy ". With the addition of torpedoes, they became " torpedo gunboats ", designated by

15876-431: Was the world's fifth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer in 2022. Its exports amounted to 18.2% of its total GDP in 2021. As of 2022 , Japan's main export markets were China (23.9 percent, including Hong Kong) and the United States (18.5 percent). Its main exports are motor vehicles, iron and steel products, semiconductors, and auto parts. Japan's main import markets as of 2022 were China (21.1 percent),

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