1) The document introduces a class trip to Japan, providing background about the country's geography, population, exports, and history. 2) Japan is an island country with little farmland due to its mountainous terrain, forcing it to import food and rely on manufacturing and technology. 3) The country is prone to earthquakes but has advanced infrastructure like bullet trains to accommodate its large population within a small land area. Major cities include Tokyo and Osaka.

1. Get Ready to Travel! Pack your bags… Get your passport… And buckle up!! We’re going to Japan !

2. Hi, I’m Mrs. De Groft. You may not recognize some of your classmates but they’ll be your tour guides to Japan . If they leave anything, I’ll let you know! I’m Ashby It’s me, Karen Come on, you know I’m Sam! And I’m the alien, Michael

3. small islands + mountains = little farmland transportation earthquakes manufacturing imports exports high population+ employment= manufacturing + technology= high population+ technology= little farmland + high population = small islands + fault lines = earthquakes + high population = technology A country defined by its geography

4. Relative Size of Japan Japan: 145, 883 Square Miles The US: 3, 794, 083 square miles

5. 37 million live in California and almost 130 million in Japan . Japan has about 4,000 islands! Japan’s islands are located in the Pacific Ocean. Remember, all of Japan is slightly smaller than the state of California. The two most main cities in Japan are Tokyo and Osaka.

6. Japan only has 21,886 square miles for farming out of 145,903 square miles of land. The rest is covered with mountains. To farm, farmers have to cut terraces into the mountains. Japan has a variety of crops but they have overpopulation too. It is very hard feeding all of Japan. That is why they need so many crops and imports .

7. Japan imports a lot of crops. These crops include beef, fruit, oranges, and grains. Luckily they grow rice, wheat and barley. They also export items. They have to feed 128 million people. THAT IS A LOT OF STEAK!!

8. Auto mobiles are their biggest export . Here is how much money they get for auto mobiles parts and other things: Passenger cars $ 43.5 billion. Car parts and accessories $ 10.4 billion. Motorcycles and parts $ 3.1 billion. They get $665.7 billion from exports they send out. You might remember some of these symbols. They are from their top automobile companies.

9. The bullet train is also called Shinkansen. It’s average speed is 122 mph. The bullet train connects Tokyo with other major cities. This isn’t just one train, it is about 300 trains! The bullet train can carry about 1,634 people. The people of Japan need bullet trains because they have a large population and they need to move people fast.

10. Every year there is an average 1,500 earthquakes . Earthquakes can cause tsunami’s. The biggest tsunami was on July 12, 1993 and it mainly effected the island of Hokkaido. Japan is always ready for these disasters because of advanced technology .

11. Because China is so big and Japan is so small it is easier for Japan to prepare for disasters. People in Japan live closer together than in China. The technology helps them build skyscrapers that don’t fall over during earthquakes. They also use it to predict these disasters. Over 35,000 people were killed in the earthquake in China recently In 2004 only 25 people died in a major earthquake in Japan.

12. Moving forward with technology but always with a look back at tradition. Many of the Japanese traditions also developed due to its unique island geography, including their main religions.

13. According to myth, the first Japanese couple were a god and goddess. Their children were the islands of Japan. This painting shows the “birth” of Japan. The first couple also create kami – the spirits who live in the natural world- that led to the Shinto religion.

14. Shinto festivals and parades are fun and full of music. They happen all year long. The Shinto religion is based on the idea that all of nature, plants and animals, have divine power.

15. Here we are at a Buddhist temple. Its is where Buddhists worship. The main religions in Japan are Shinto and Buddhism. Shinto followers worship at shrines. Buddhists go to temples.

16. Traditional Japanese sports have many rituals and are still practiced, like Sumo wrestling; Kendo, a sport similar to fencing and Judo, where they attack with grappling and throwing attacks. Karate is sport brought to Japan from China. Did you know judo is played in the Olympics? Except for Sumo wrestling, most Japanese sports are popular in other countries like the USA.

17. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 4, 1941. That began the US’s involvement in World War 2. It ended when the US bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Emperor surrendered for the first time ever on August 14, 1945. Before Emperor Hirohito surrendered many people thought Japan would never surrender . This is emperor Hirohito after he surrendered to General McArthur . This is Pearl Harbor being bombed .

18. Japan became a country in 701-1,370 years ago! That means it is 1,075 years older than the U.S.A. Japan has always been ruled by an emperor and they used to think he was a god. They stopped worshiping him after Japan’s defeat in World War two. The current emperor in Japan is the 125 th emperor but he doesn’t actually rule the country. Emperor Akihito

19. Here we are in the Tokyo International airport. Its’ been a great trip but now it’s time to say…