Japan

Japan has had a vexed relationship with Jesus ever since European missionaries arrived on its shores. Banned until 1873, successive leaders have asked whether love of the ‘two Js’ is compatible.

The everyday concerns of two Korean farmers are a microcosm of the huge changes their country underwent in the early 20th century.

The ‘way of tea’ is a ritual experience that embodies the natural world with all its imperfections.

Japan’s responsibility for ‘comfort women’ is avoided by the state and written out of national histories. Activists are working to make Japan confront its past.

Puccini’s opera revealed misunderstandings and stereotypes on both sides of the East-West divide.

This episode takes us back to 1853 and the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry’s fleet of ships into Edo Bay.

After a disastrous Second World War, Japan abolished its armed forces and embraced pacifism. With renewed tensions in East Asia, can it last?

When it comes to rapid world-changing events, the Meiji Restoration has few equals.