Japan

Geography

• located on the continent of Asia
• 377,915 sq. km
• major water: North Pacific Ocean and Sea of Japan
• Includes over 6,852 islands.
• tallest mountain: Mount Fuji

Climate

• Varies from Tripical in the south to cool temperatures in the north.

Language

• Main Language: Japanesse
• Other languages found: Korean, Portugese, Chinese

Religion

• Shinto
• Buddhism

Clothing

• Kimono: a garment that is wrapped around that body in several layers
• Very traditional clothing from ancient times

Food

• Rice with Miso soup
• Side dishes: fresh picked vegetables, vegetables cooked in brooth
• Main Course: Sushi

Dance/Music

• Music: Gagaku is the oldest traditional music
• Included is a mix of other Asian music.
• Two types of dance movements: Mai and Odori

Holidays, Celebrations, and Festivals

• Japanese New Year - Jan. 1th
• Seijin No Hi (coming of age) - Jan. 8th
• Cherry Blossom Festival - April
• Meri-Kurisumasu - December 25th

People of Japan

• Population 126,867,000
• The people are prosperous
• Ethnicities: Japanese, Korean, & Argentina
• Parliamentary government
• Current Ruler: The Emperor Akihito

Finance

• Japan is currently prosperous

Imports/Exports

• Main export partners: United States,China,South Korea,Hong Kong,and Thailand.
• Main import partners: China, United States, Australia, and South Korea.

Imports/Exports

• Japan imports:oil,food stuff,and wood.
• Japan exports:optical equipment,technical equipment,medical equipment, iron, steel,organic chemicals, plastics,and minerals flues.

Plant and Animal Life

• Animals: raccoon dog, wild boar, japanese badger
• Plants:Cherry blossoms, Hydrangeas, Morning glories

Rural Living

• 22% live in the country
• 50% lived in the country at the end of WWII.
• Cities continue to become increasingly important to Japanese life.

Urban areas

• 78% of population live in cities.
• Urban living has influenced customs
• Many live in apartments called "danchi".

History

• Established in 660 BC
• Other countries that have ruled it are China, Tiwan, Korea,
• this country has been involved in world war II and Second Sino - Japanese war

Thing to do

• Cities: Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Kanagawa,
• Sports: Swimming, Playing Tennis, Arts and Crafts, Movies, Karaoke
• Major Attractions: Mount Fuji, Imperial Tokyo, Hirshima Peace memorial park, Osaka castle, The Island Shrine

Fun Facts!

• Japan is a world leader in robotics. Jpanaese engineers are known for producing a range of human- like robots such as ASIMO
• Due to gasses produced by power plants it sometimes rains acid.
• Almost three quarters of Japan's land is earthier forest or mountains and is difficult to be made into farm land.