Introduction to Japan

BASIC FEATURES OF JAPANOfficial Name: Historical Title: Japan  Nihon or Nippon means “Origin of the Sun”  Japan – “Land of the Rising Sun”

A. LandBoundaries Four Major Islands North: Sea of Okhotsk  Hokkaido South: Pacific Ocean  Honshu West: Korean Strait and Sea of Japan  Kyushu North: Pacific Ocean and East China Sea  Shikkkoku

A. LandLand Use: Area: Arable Land: 11%  Land- 374,744 km2 Permanent Crops: 1%  Water- 3,091 km2 Permanent Pastures: 2%  TOTAL: 377,835 km2 Forest & Woodland: 17% Other: 19%

Principal CitiesT O K Y O - F i n a n c i a l a n d c o m m e r c i a l c e n t e r ; J a p a n ’ s c a p i t a l a n d l a r g e s tcity.Y O K O H A M A - L e a d i n g s e a p o r t a n d s h i p b u i l d i n g ; i n d u s t r i a l c e n t e r o fchemicals, machinery, metal and petroleum products.O S A K A - I m p o r a n t s e a p o r t a n d a i r l i n e t e r m i n u s ; O n e o f J a p a n ’ slargest financial centers.N A G O Y A - M a n u f a c t u r i n g c e n t e r o f l a c q u e r w a e , t e x t i l e s a n d p o e t r y .K Y O T O - H i s t o r i c a l c a p i t a l , famous manufacturing center of art goodsincludingsilk brocades and textiles Center of heavy industries.K O B E - L e a d i n g s e a p o r t a n d s h i p b u i l d i n g .

B. TOPOGRAPHYMountains: Water Forms: Mt. Fuji  Shinano Japan’s highest peak.  Longest river. Japanese Alps  Ishikari One of the longest chains of mountains.  Second largest. Mt. Yanga  Biwa Highest elevation in the mountain Alps  Largest lake. Total # of Mountains = 200 Total # of active Mountains = 50

PlainsKantoPlainNobi PlainKinai Plain

PlainsKanto Plain Kanto Plain

CLIMATEJ a p a n b e l o n g s t o a t e m p e r a t e z o n e w i t h f o u r d i s t i n c t s e a s o n s ,but its climate varies from cool to temperate in the north tosubtropical in the south.N O R T H J A P A N h a s w a r m s u m m e r s b u t l o n g c o l d w i n t e r s w i t hheavy snow.C E N T R A L J A P A N h a s h o t , h u m i d s u m m e r s a n d s h o r t w i n t e r s .S O U T H W E S T E R N J A P A N h a s l o n g , h o t h u m i d s u m m e r a n dmild winters.

TWO PRIMARY FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE JAPAN’SCLIMATE:A. MONSOONSB. MAJOR OCEANIC CURRENT The hottest temperature ever measured in japan 40.9 c (105.6 F) occurred in tajimi,gifu on august 16,2007.

THE JAPANESE PEOPLEM o s t J a p a n e s e a r e c l a s s i f i e d a s M o n g o l o i d s ( l i k e Mongolians)because of their physical characteristics.T h e y h a v e a s t r a i g h t b l a c k h a i r a n d d a r k a l m o n d - s h a p e d e y e s .T h e y a r e s h o r t e r i n h e i g h t t h a n p r e s e n t - d a y W e s t e n e r s .T h e i r s k i n c o l o r r a n g e s f r o m f a i r t o y e l l o w i s h to brown.

LANGUAGEJAPANESEA r e u n i t e d b y a c o m m o n s p o k e n l a n g u a g e . T h i s h a s m a d e i teasier for the Japanese to achieve political and cultural unitymore quickly than other Asian nation.T h e J a p a n e s e l a n g u a g e i s m a i n l y P O L Y S Y L L A B I C ( m o s t w o r d sare composed of several syllables.)J a p a n e s e i s n o t d i f f i c u l t t o s p e a k a n d p r o n o u n c e a n d s p e l l i n gis simpler than English or French.

LIFE IN JAPANT h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t a s p e c t i n J a p a n a s t h e b l e n d i n g o f t h e o l d a n dthe new. Although willing to adopt better ways of doing things fromother cultures, the Japanese retain much of that is traditional.A p p r e c i a t i o n o f t h e b e a u t y a n d g r e a t n e s s o f n a t u r e h a s b e e n a p a r tof Japanese life since earliest time.

RELIGIONA. SHINTOISM -”Shinto” means “the way” -is based on the worship of nature and good spirits called KAMI. -they had NO bible. -about 93% of Japanese people practiced Shintoism. -Shinto represents 3 symbols: SWORD, STRING OF JEWEL, MIRROR.

RELIGIONB. BUDDHISM AND ZEN BUDDHISM -It was brought to Japan by the Chinese about 1500 years ago, and spread rapidly among nobles and the upper classes. -Zen Buddhism believes that prayer and religious worship are a waste of time. Personal character and discipline are more important. Meditation (thinking) is the main form of worship.

J AA RP TA SNESE

JAPANESE ARTSTEA CEREMONY The tea ceremony is designed to make a person one with nature, to see beauty in simplicity and economy of movement. It is an art, not a means of offering refreshment.

IKEBANA

BONSAI

KABUKI

BUNRAKU

Manyoshu

Kokinshu

Suim-e

Ukiyo-e

Haniwa

Introduction to Japan

by Michael Labog on Jun 04, 2012

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