Japan

1. Japan The Land of the Rising Sun

2. Japanese Facts • Japanese call their country Nippon which means “source of the sun.” • Flag = white with a red circle in the middle • Capital = Tokyo • Largest city = Tokyo • Language = Japanese • Currency = Yen • Population = 127,400,000 • Government = constitutional monarchy • Crops = rice, vegetables, fruit, sugar beets, wheat • Industry = fishing, automobiles, computer electronics, calculators

3. Land and Climate • Japan is a chain of volcanic islands (archipelago) • Made up of 4 main islands – Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu • Most famous peak is Mt. Fuji • Most cities, farms and businesses are found along the coastal plains • The four large cities of Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, and Osaka form a Megalopolis, or a huge urban area made up of several large cities and communities near them. • Ocean currents and winds affect Japan’s climate. • The climate differs in the north and south. • Northern Japan can be cold and snowy in the winter • Southern Japan is warm and humid

7. Land and Climate (cont.) • Japan experiences thousands of earthquakes per year. • Japan also has to deal with tsunamis which are huge sea waves caused by undersea earthquakes. • Japan is part of the region known as the “Ring of Fire” which refers to an area surrounding the Pacific Ocean where the earth’s crust often shifts.

10. Economy • Japan is known as an industrial giant • Has little natural resources • Leads the world in automobile manufacturing • Also produces many consumer goods such as electronics • Has many skilled workers because education is highly valued in Japanese culture • There is little farmland, but they do grow rice, potatoes, and fruit wherever possible. This is called intensive cultivation. • Has a lot of pollution from businesses and that causes acid rain.

13. History and Government • Clans lived in Japan around 400 AD • Early on, used Chinese writing and accepted the Buddhist religion. • From the 1100’s to the 1860’s Japan was ruled by shoguns and samurais. • Shogun – military leader • Samurai – powerful landowning warriors • By 1860 Japan began to westernize

15. History and Government (cont.) • In 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, causing the US to enter WWII. The Japanese introduced the Kamikaze. • Kamikaze – A fighter plane used for suicide missions by Japanese pilots during WWII. • The US attacked Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic bombs and forced the Japanese to surrender. • US helped rebuild the Japanese economy after WWII.

17. History and Government (cont.) • Japan’s democracy is in the form of a constitutional monarchy. • Constitutional monarchy – The emperor is the official head of state, but elected officials run the government.

19. People • Japan’s population is about 40% of the US. • Most people live along the coastal plains, the largest of which is the Kanto Plain on Honshu. • Their cities look much like ours • Houses are small and close together • Men work long hours and women often stay home and care for the children • Many people wear Kimonos, but others dress more like the western culture – jeans and t-shirts

22. Everyday Life • Family is often the center of life – It is very common for grandparents to live with mother, father and the children • Two major religions: Shinto – belief in love of nature, and Buddhism – need for inner peace • Temples are Buddhist, Shrines are Shinto • Haiku is a type of Japanese poetry – composed of 17 syllables and 3 lines (5,7,5) • Sumo wrestling is the national sport of Japan – other popular sports include judo, karate, and baseball • Pastimes include: rock n’ roll, TV, and movies

28. The Great Buddha of Kamakura

30. Japanese Words • Ohayoo Gozaimasu (oh-hi-yo-go-zai-mus) = Good morning • Konnichi wa (co-knee-chee-wah) = Hello • Komban wa (con-bon-wah) = Good evening • Sayonara (sigh-oh-nah-rah) = Goodbye • Hai (high spoken very quickly) = Yes • Iie (ee-yah) = No • Arigato (ah-ree-gah-toh) = Thank you • Dozo (doh-zoh) = Please

31. Japanese Icons