Japan

Japan is a country comprised of an archipelago of 6,852 islands.Currently the Japan Self Defense Force is the military of Japan.

Feudal Japan witnessed many wars and clashes between various clans to unify Japan. The Samuria became an elite warrior class under Diamyo, who led the clan. Much of the rest of the armies were conscripted from the peasants. In 1185 the Minamato Clan united Japan under the Kamakura shogunate. In 1274 and 1281 Japan was invaded by the Mongols but storms forced the invaders to withdraw. However by th 1400's Japan was divide into various clans fighting for control of Japan. In the 1600's the Tokugawa shogunate came to power and ruled a united Japan in sef-imposed isolation until the 1850's when American's and European's opened up Japan to the world. This led to the Meiji restoration with the fall of the Shogunate and the restoration of the empire. Japan rapidly industrialized and developed a modern army. With modernization the Samuria lost their palce in Japan.

Modern Japan
Japan fought the first Sino-Japanese War against Qing China from 1894-95. Japan gained Taiwan and Korea was taken out of China's sphere of influence and into Japan's. However there was still resistance in Taiwan so a Japanese military campaign was begun to subdue Taiwan. This was accomplished in October 1895.