Japan: Origins and Evolution

“Study the past if you would define the future.”
― Confucius

It is in human nature to dwell on our identity. We like to know who we are, and feel secure or separated from the context that defines us. The context is geographical, historical, economical. It is an inseparable truth that this affects us consciously and also many a times deeply.

The study of a nation’s history is indeed the study of the individual and the societal evolution. The origins of the race, the influences over the transitions of time make the study relevant to the characteristics that they carry today. Japan and its people have a unique story. The almost homogeneous cultural identity has withstood the test of time, and has evolved generations that gave the world a wealth in architecture, arts, philosophy and technology.

As we prepare for our journey to this country, we would not be able to appreciate or even understand the facets of Zen Buddhism, the various arts and crafts, the architecture, the landscape, the people unless we start with a study of the origins and the evolution of the land.

We look at the tomorrow that dawns on this world and we seek to understand the essence of who we are today. The understanding of the journey of Japan and its people is, we believe, an important step in this direction.

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