Why was Japan enduring a recession between 1995 and 1999?

I am doing some research for an anime screenplay and would like to know aout Japan's current financial situation. I have been finding different information from different sources and am extremely confused as to which are true. I was told that Japan was enduring a recession between 1995 and 1999 mainly due to the value of the yen being higher than the US dollar. Are Japan still enduring a recession due to the earthquake on March 11th? What other reasons, if any, caused the Japanese econemy to collapse between 1995 and 1999. Thank you............