それでは、概要を読み進めていきましょう！

Japan has been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic period (30,000 BC), though the first written mention of the archipelago appears in a Chinese chronicle finished in the 2nd century AD.

inhabit
【動】に居住している
a bird that inhabits North America

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日本は後期旧石器時代（the Upper Paleolithic period）（紀元前3万年）から（人が）住んでいましたが、最初の記述（the first written）による群島への言及は、西暦２世紀に完成した中国の年代記に載っている（appears in）
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Between the 4th and 9th centuries, the kingdoms of Japan became unified under an emperor and the imperial court based in Heian-kyō.

unify
【動】を統一する
We unify these.

become ＋過去分詞
状態の変化を表すために＜become＋過去分詞＞を使うことがある。
His reputation became known to the world in no time.
彼の名声は瞬く間に世界に知れ渡った。
リンク先より引用

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４〜９世紀の間、日本の王国は平安京に拠点を置く（based in Heian-kyō）天皇（emperor）と朝廷（the imperial court）の下で統一された（ became unified ）。
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Beginning in the 12th century, political power was held by a series of military dictators (shōgun) and feudal lords (daimyō), and enforced by a class of warrior nobility (samurai).

dictator
【名】独裁者

dictate
英英辞書より
【動】lay down authoritatively　
権威を持って横たわる
the daimyo's attempts to dictate policy
【動】say or read aloud (words to be typed, written down, or recorded on tape).
声に出して言うか読む（タイプする、書き留める、またはテープに記録する単語）。
I have four letters to dictate

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１２世紀以降（Beginning in the 12th century）、政治権力は一連の軍事独裁者（将軍）（a series of military dictators (shōgun) ）や藩主（大名）（feudal lords (daimyō)）によって保持され（held by ）、戦士貴族の階級（侍）（a class of warrior nobility (samurai)）によって執行された。（enforced by）
＊＊＊
たしかに将軍って軍事独裁者ですが、なんだか改めてそう言われるとピンとこないですね。

After a century-long period of civil war, the country was reunified in 1603 under the Tokugawa shogunate, which enacted an isolationist foreign policy.

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一世紀（a century-long）にわたる内戦（civil war）の後、国は徳川幕府の下再統一され、幕府は孤立主義（isolationist）の外交政策を制定した（enacted）。
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幕府にshogunateという固有名詞があるんですね。いいですね。

In 1854, a United States fleet forced Japan to open trade to the West, which led to the end of the shogunate and the restoration of imperial power in 1868.

imperial
【形】帝国の
imperial Japanese army

lead-led-led

＊＊＊
1854年に、米国艦隊は日本に西側と貿易を拓くことを強制し、1865年に幕府を終わらせ帝国の権力の回復（restoration）を導いた（led to）。
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In the Meiji period, the Empire of Japan adopted a Western-modeled constitution and pursued a program of industrialization and modernization. 

pursue
【動】を追求する

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明治時代、大日本帝国は西洋モデルの憲法（constitution）を採用し、工業化と近代化の工程を追求した。
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In 1937, Japan invaded China; in 1941, it entered World War II as an Axis power.

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１９３７年、日本は中国に攻め込んだ。１９４１年、枢軸国（Axis power）として第２次世界大戦に加わった。
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After suffering defeat in the Pacific War and two atomic bombings, Japan surrendered in 1945 and came under a seven-year Allied occupation, during which it adopted a new constitution.

come under
〜の支配下にある

＊＊＊
太平洋戦争と２つの原爆で敗北した（suffering defeat）後、日本は１９４５年に降伏して、７年間連合国の（Allied）占領（occupation）の支配下にあり、その間に新憲法が採択された。
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Under the 1947 constitution, Japan has maintained a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature, the National Diet.

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１９４７年の憲法の下、日本は二院制立法府（bicameral legislature）の国会（ National Diet）をもつ単一議会の（unitary parliamentary）立憲君主政（constitutional monarchy）を維持してきた（maintained ）。
＊＊＊

Japan is a great power and a member of numerous international organizations, including the United Nations (since 1956), the OECD, and the Group of Seven.

＊＊＊
日本は、大国（ a great power）であり、多数の国際機関のメンバーで、１９５６年から国連、OECD（経済協力開発機構 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development）、G7（フランス、アメリカ、イギリス、ドイツ、日本、イタリア、カナダで構成される政府間の政治フォーラム　 the Group of Seven）に含まれています。
＊＊＊

Although it has renounced its right to declare war, the country maintains Self-Defense Forces that rank as one of the world's strongest militaries.

right to do
doする権利

declare
【動】を宣言する

＊＊＊
日本（it）は宣戦布告（to declare war）する権利を放棄して(renounced)いるが（Although）、世界最強の軍隊の１つとしてランク付けされている自衛隊を保持している。
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After World War II, Japan experienced record growth in an economic miracle, becoming the second-largest economy in the world by 1990. As of 2021, the country's economy is the third-largest by nominal GDP and the fourth-largest by PPP.

購買力平価(PPP)
purchasing power parity
購買力平価（PPP）とは、ある国である価格で買える商品が他国ならいくらで買えるかを示す交換レート。
リンク先より引用

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第２次世界大戦後、日本は経済の奇跡的な成長の記録を遂げ、１９９０年までに世界第２位の経済大国になった。２０２１年現在（As of 2021）、国の経済は名目GDP（nominal GDP）で第3位、PPPで第4位です。
＊＊＊

A global leader in the automotive and electronics industries, Japan has made significant contributions to science and technology.

make a  contribution
貢献する

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自動車産業と電子産業で世界的リーダーである日本は、サイエンスとテクノロジーに重大な貢献をしてきた。
＊＊＊

Ranked "very high" on the Human Development Index, Japan has the world's highest life expectancy, though it is experiencing a decline in population.

the Human Development Index
人間開発指数（にんげんかいはつしすう）とは、各国を人間開発（英語版）の4段階に順位付けするために用いられる平均余命、教育、識字及び所得指数の複合統計である。

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人間開発指数で上位にランク付けされている日本は、世界で最も平均寿命（ life expectancy）が高いにもかかわらず、人口減少（a decline in population）を経ている。
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The culture of Japan is well known around the world, including its art, cuisine, music, and popular culture, which encompasses prominent comic, animation and video game industries.

＊＊＊
日本のカルチャーは世界でよく知られていて、アート、料理、音楽そして　有名なコミック、アニメーション、ビデオゲーム産業を包括する（encompass）大衆文化を含んでいる。
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ということで、日本の概要紹介をやっていきましたが、どうでしょうか？

ここまでついてきた読者の方が一体どれだけいるんだ？というくらい退屈な内容でしたね。

ただ、心躍る内容ではないけど、間違いなく勉強になりますね。

特に経済用語などの難しい表現と意味をざっと知ることで、経済学的知識マウントをとることに役立ったかと思います。

復習
Japan has been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic period (30,000 BC), though the first written mention of the archipelago appears in a Chinese chronicle finished in the 2nd century AD. Between the 4th and 9th centuries, the kingdoms of Japan became unified under an emperor and the imperial court based in Heian-kyō. Beginning in the 12th century, political power was held by a series of military dictators (shōgun) and feudal lords (daimyō), and enforced by a class of warrior nobility (samurai). After a century-long period of civil war, the country was reunified in 1603 under the Tokugawa shogunate, which enacted an isolationist foreign policy. In 1854, a United States fleet forced Japan to open trade to the West, which led to the end of the shogunate and the restoration of imperial power in 1868. In the Meiji period, the Empire of Japan adopted a Western-modeled constitution and pursued a program of industrialization and modernization. In 1937, Japan invaded China; in 1941, it entered World War II as an Axis power. After suffering defeat in the Pacific War and two atomic bombings, Japan surrendered in 1945 and came under a seven-year Allied occupation, during which it adopted a new constitution. Under the 1947 constitution, Japan has maintained a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature, the National Diet.

Japan is a great power and a member of numerous international organizations, including the United Nations (since 1956), the OECD, and the Group of Seven. Although it has renounced its right to declare war, the country maintains Self-Defense Forces that rank as one of the world's strongest militaries. After World War II, Japan experienced record growth in an economic miracle, becoming the second-largest economy in the world by 1990. As of 2021, the country's economy is the third-largest by nominal GDP and the fourth-largest by PPP. A global leader in the automotive and electronics industries, Japan has made significant contributions to science and technology. Ranked "very high" on the Human Development Index, Japan has the world's highest life expectancy, though it is experiencing a decline in population. The culture of Japan is well known around the world, including its art, cuisine, music, and popular culture, which encompasses prominent comic, animation and video game industries.

それではまた。