Japan, officially known as Nihon or Nippon, consists of four major islands and has distinct geographical features including mountains, plains, and significant water bodies. The country experiences a temperate climate with variations influenced by monsoons and oceanic currents, and the majority of its population practices Shintoism. Japanese culture is characterized by a blend of tradition and modernity with a strong appreciation for nature and the arts.

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

4. A. Land
Boundaries 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

7. A. Land
Land 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%

8. 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 t
city.
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 f
chemicals, 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 ’ s
largest 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 goods
includingsilk 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 .

15. B. TOPOGRAPHY
Mountains: 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

22. Plains
KantoPlain
Nobi Plain
Kinai Plain

23. Plains
Kanto Plain Kanto Plain

26. 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 to
subtropical 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 h
heavy 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 d
mild winters.

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

28. 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.

32. LANGUAGE
JAPANESE
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 t
easier for the Japanese to achieve political and cultural unity
more 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 s
are 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 g
is simpler than English or French.

33. 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 d
the new. Although willing to adopt better ways of doing things from
other 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 t
of Japanese life since earliest time.

34. RELIGION
A. 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.

38. RELIGION
B. 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.

42. J A
A R
P T
A S
N
E
S
E

43. JAPANESE ARTS
TEA 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.

44. IKEBANA

45. BONSAI

46. KABUKI

47. BUNRAKU

48. Manyoshu

49. Kokinshu

50. Suim-e

51. Ukiyo-e

52. Haniwa