[Nyororin]

Err...

First - any culture that developed has been, at some point, in the same situation. I do not believe there has ever been a population that did not face some limit on all those things. (Well, with the exception of time. Time is limitless.)

Secondly - Japan was not as limited as it may look at first glance. There were far far fewer people. The limits that existed were more related to technology and government.