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Ancient, China developed all of the hallmarks of advanced civilization, including written language, advanced cities, specialized labor and bronze technology, as much as 2000 years before Japan. As a result, China, and its culture, had an enormously large influence on the younger culture, sharing its philosophies, political structures, architecture, Buddhism, clothing styles and even its written language. In fact, the earliest known written account of Japan was found in a Chinese book.
With such a powerful influence, it stands to reason that, when Japan was described early in its development, it was from a Chinese perspective. And when the Chinese looked east to Japan, they looked in the direction of the dawn.
Early Japanese History
By the time the first Japanese ambassador was sent to the Chinese Han eastern capital in 57 AD, Japan was called Wa (Wo), a name that also designated the Japanese people. According to contemporary Chinese accounts, these early Japanese:
Lived on raw vegetables, rice and fish . . . had vassal-master relations, collected taxes, had provincial granaries and markets . . . [and] had violent succession struggles.
In the first century AD, one clan, the Yamato, began to dominate its neighbors, and by the 5th century AD,Yamato became a synonym for Japan. As a single, central government emerged, Japan increasingly followed Chinese culture, including its methods of administration.
By about 600 AD, the Prince Regent of Japan, Shotoku (574-622 AD), who was a big fan of Chinese culture, introduced a wide array of Chinese influences to Japan:
Under Shotoku’s direction, Confucian models of rank and etiquette were adopted . . . [He also] adopted the Chinese calendar, developed a system of highways, built numerous Buddhist temples, had court chronicles compiled, sent students to China to study Buddhism and Confucianism, and established formal diplomatic relations with China.
In addition, Shotoku is widely credited in Japan with coining the name Nippon (“Sun Origin”) for Japan:
Prince Umayado [Prince Shotoku], in the year 607, at the time of the first embassy to the Sui dynasty, sent a letter to the Sui emperor, Yangdi, ‘from the Son of Heaven in the land where the sun rises to the Son of Heaven in the land where the sun sets.
Apparently, the Chinese were offended that Shotoku tried to put himself as “Son of Heaven” on the same plane as the Chinese emperor, also “Son of Heaven.”
Regardless, in 645 AD, according to Japanese history, a palace coup led to the introduction of the Taika (meaning “great change”) Reform. Intended to further centralize the government, the reform eliminated private ownership of lands and put them under the control of the centralized government – with the “people direct subjects of the throne.” As part of this reform, Nippon, Nihon (both meaning “origin of the sun”) andDai Nippon (Great Japan) were used “in diplomatic documents and chronicles” in place of Wa (Wo).
In Chinese records, the change of the name was less well received and their accounts differ:
Nippon appeared in history only at the end of the 7th century. Old Book of Tang, one of the Twenty-Four Histories, stated that the Japanese envoy disliked his country’s name Wonguo and changed it to Nippon, or “Origin of the Sun.” Another 8th century chronicle, True Meaning of Shiji, however, states that the Chinese Empress Wu Zetian ordered a Japanese envoy to change the country’s name to Nippon.
Another Chinese account of the transformation, found in the official history of the Tang dynasty, the Xin Tang Shu, reported:
In . . . 670, an embassy came to the Court [from Japan] to offer congratulations on the conquest of Koguryo. Around this time, the Japanese who had studied Chinese came to dislike the name Wa and changed it to Nippon. According to the words of the Japanese envoy himself, that name was chosen because the country was so close to where the sun rises.
In any event, the name stuck, and for the last 1400 years or so, the world has referred to Japan as Nippon, the land of the rising sun.
source:::::Today i foundout.com
natarajan

We don’t know if this guy was scammed, but we do know you shouldn’t trust an email that includes the words ‘bank’ and ‘Nigeria’. Source: Supplied
THEY’RE the scourge of the internet (well, as well as cat videos and angry conversations about chemtrails) – but surely this Nigerian scam email has to be the worst.
Not only does it claim to come from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, himself – but it has the audacity to offer monetary compensation FOR SCAMS.
No, you didn’t win a lottery you didn’t enter this time. And no, someone isn’t trying to smuggle gold out of a strange African country by using your bank account.
You can receive $300,000 – US – for being scammed. From the United Nations, no less. Who just finished a seven-month-long meeting period to agree to this mass-cash payout to the entire duped world. And no proof required!
But it gets better. Are you a foreign contractor that hasn’t been paid? Then here’s $300,000, from the UN. Did your international bank transaction just fail? Don’t worry, the UN has $300k just for you.
Or maybe your international business failed because of “Government problems etc”? You’re up for a handy slice of UN cash too.
There are a few different versions of this one floating about – and have been for years – but this one at least spells the name of the UN Secretary-General correctly.
And no, it doesn’t actually come from Nigeria. This one allegedly comes from Benin, a small African country. Right next to Nigeria. It does, however, reference one Gwen Abiola Oloke, who Google suggests is the boss of a bank in Nigeria.
Also, this could be the first time an email address actually includes a person’s honorific – the ‘Mrs’ in Mrs Gwen Abiola Oloke is PART of her email.
The full, unedited text of the scam is below.
Attn:
How are you today and hope all is well with you and your family?You may
not understand why this mail has been sent to you but i will implore you
to
take your time to carefully go through this mail.
We have had meetings for the pass 7 months which ended 4 days ago at our
office head quarters in New York(UNITED NATIONS). This email is to all
the people that have been scammed in any part of the world,the UNITED
NATION has agreed to compensate them adequately with the sum of US$
300,000.
This includes every foreign contractor that has not received their
contract sum and people that have had unfinished transactions as regards
international bank transfers or international businesses that failed due
to Government problems etc.
We found your name on our list and that is why we are contacting you.This
has been agreed upon and has been signed. You are advised to contact Mrs.
Gwen Abiola Oloke of ZENITH BANK Benin Republic PLC as she is our
representative in Benin Republic, contact her immediately for your
Cheque/International Bank Draft of USD$ 300,000. This funds are in a Bank
Draft for security purpose,so she will send it to you and you can clear it
at any bank of your choice.
Therefore you must ensure to send her your full Name and telephone number
current mailing address as regards receiving your draft.
Contact:Mrs. Gwen Abiola Oloke immediately for your Cheque:
Person to Contact Mrs. Gwen Abiola Oloke
Email: mrsgwenabiolaoloke@accountant.com
Thanks and God bless you and your family.Hoping to hear from you as soon
as you cash your Bank Draft.
Making the world a better place.
Regards,
Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General(UNITED NATIONS)
source::: news.com.au
natarajan