For over two centuries, Japan's military government kept the country isolated. Then in 1868 a national transformation began, culminating with a period of growth after the Second World War that came to be known as the "economic miracle." This time on Japanology Plus, our theme is industrial heritage. Our guest is Osamu Kamei, the vice-director of Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology at the National Museum of Nature and Science. And in Plus One, Japan's silk heritage.

Rice has been an integral part of life in Japan for over 2,000 years. Traditionally, one alternative name for Japan is mizuho no kuni, or "the Land of Abundant Rice." As we learn on this edition of Japanology Plus, when society shifted from hunting and gathering to agriculture during the Yayoi period, communities formed around rice paddies to facilitate the cooperation necessary for bringing in a plentiful harvest. This organizational structure laid a foundation for Japanese society, and the effects can still be seen in Japan's cultural identity and people's shared beliefs today.