Top 10 Japanese Inventions

2. Top 10 Japanese Inventions Japanese tech companies are better known for improving upon foreign inventions, but there have been plenty of significant technologies to come out of Japan in the last 50 years. Here are ten of the best. • 10. The Flat-Panel Display The first LCD and Plasma televisions were also created by Japanese companies, Sharp and Pioneer respectively. • 9. The Floppy Disk The floppy disk is counted among the many inventions of the colorful Yoshiro Nakamatsu, AKA Dr. NakaMats. Early Sony Mavica Model • 8. The Digital SLR Camera The first known digital camera with single-lens reflex elements was the Sony Mavica, revealed to the public in 1981. • 7. The Video Cassette The video cassette and VCR, both Sony creations made available in 1971, represented the start of a new era in home entertainment. Thanks to the video cassette, consumers were finally able to watch films at home, and at a time of their choosing. Studios benefited enormously too, as they were granted a new revenue stream in the form of the home video market, which eventually overtook the box office in value.

3. Top 10 Japanese Inventions continued… • 6. The Camcorder As hard as it is to believe now, the process of on-location video recording used to require at least two people 5. The Pocket Calculator Although the first so-called ‘compact’ calculator was also made in Japan, it wasn’t until 1971, birth year of the Busicom LE-120A, that truly portable calculators became widely available. 4. The Portable Music Player Before the iPod, the Sony Walkman was synonymous with music on the go. While technically not the world’s first portable cassette player, the Walkman was by far the most successful, bringing the concept of portable music to the masses. • 3. The Quartz Wristwatch Released in 1969, the Seiko Astron was the world’s first quartz wristwatch. It was a substantial upgrade over old-fashioned mechanical watches, as it eliminated the need for easily damaged moving parts, while keeping time more accurately. 2. The High-Speed Passenger Train The 12-car 0-Series Shinkansen bullet train, which ran from 1964 to 2008, was the world’s first high-volume, high-speed passenger train. • 1. The Compact DiscCreated jointly by Sony and Philips in the late 1970s, the compact disc, and the Sony-developed CD player, are perhaps the most important technologies to come out of Japan. Its successor technologies, the DVD and Blu-ray disc, are also both joint Sony/Philips creations.

4. Not in notes: Japan – Physical Geography • Four major islands – Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, plus hundreds of smaller ones. • Mountainous terrain, mostly temperate climate. • Little arable land for crops. Few natural resources. • Many volcanoes, many active ones! Mount Fuji is most famous volcano. • Many earthquakes and tsunamis every year.

5. Not in notes: Japan in the 20th Century • Japan had a growing population and heavy industry, but few resources. Asia was colonized by Western powers, and Japan wanted an empire. • Japan invaded China in the 1930’s to secure oil, farmland, and other resources. This led to war with the USA and Europe. Japan lost the war, and got atom-bombed. • After WW2, Japan was occupied by the USA until 1953, and eventually rebuilt. During the Cold War, Japan was a reliable and valued ally despite being disarmed.

6. History • Around 10,000 B.C. to A.D. 500 - First inhabitants migrated from Siberia • 700-1200 – Not Unified, Ruled by Powerful Landowners • Samurai – Professional Soldiers • 1200-1850 – Rule of Shoguns • Shogun – military general • 1941 Bomb Pearl Harbor • World War II – Japan versus USA and Allies • After WWII • US Helps Japan Modernize

7. Human Geography • Population • 127 million people, but slightly smaller than California • 30 million in Tokyo • Government • Democratic, but still has an Emperor. • Ethnic Groups • Very homogenous(same) compared to USA • 99% of people are Japanese, one major homogeneous culture. • Economy • Uses imported resources to manufacture products • 3rd largest economy in world.

8. Cultural Exchange Japan to USA USA to Japan Sports Baseball Soccer Music Rock n Roll Pop Movies • Martial Arts • Karate • Judo • Tai Chi • Sumo • Art • Animation (Anime) • Technology • Electronics • Automobiles

9. Current Issues • Earthquake of 2011 • Friday March 11, 2011 • 8.9 on Richter Scale • One of the Top 5 largest earthquakes since 1900. • Shinkansen - Japanese “Bullet Train” - Speeds up to 375 mph • Economy • Cheaper labor in other Asian countries

10. Summary Question • How might Japan’s isolation and its uniform population have both helped and hindered it in its attempts to achieve prosperity?