Jane Mead, age 12, of Indianapolis, Ind..,her question;

Who discovered Japan?

The islands of Japan were discovered originally by the ancient ancestors of the present day Japanese people. This early history is shrouded in legend and it is often difficult to separate facts from fairy tales. It is generally believed, however.' that the original Japanese came from Asia between 2,000 and 2,500 years ago. From the 6th Century A. D., Japan was in close contact with the brilliant civilization of China.

Rumors of the rich Japanese Islands reached. Europe through Marco Polo and other travelers and even Columbus tried to find them... But the Europeans found them by accident. In 1542, two Portuguese sailors were shipwrecked and washed up on the shores of Japan.