Japan is an island country located in East Asia. It is made up of over 6,000 islands, but the four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. The population of Tokyo is over 12 million people, making it one of the most populated cities in the world. Japanese culture is unique, with traditional foods like sushi eaten with chopsticks at low tables. Religion in Japan consists mainly of Shintoism and Buddhism, with many shrines and temples throughout the country.

2. Japan is located in the North Pacific Ocean, to the east of Russia
and the Koreas, and is a part of the continent of Asia. Japan is
actually made up of four main islands and thousands of smaller
ones. The main islands are Hakkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and
Kyushu.
Geography

3. The population
of Tokyo is
over 12 million
people.
Demography

5. •Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands.
•Population: 4,140,000
•Capital: Takamatsu
•Shikoku is covered with many mountains and few
people live there. It is known for its vegetable farms.

6. Japanese Food
Japanese meals typically consist of rice,
noodles, and sushi. Meals are usually eaten
using chopsticks, not forks and spoons.

7. Meals are usually eaten at a table that is low
to the ground and people sit on mats called
tatami. The Japanese like their tables to
look fancy.
The Japanese drink lots
of green tea. The
server bows to the
guests when the tea is
served and the guests
slurp really loud to show
that the tea is good.

8. In Meiji Japan, nationalist
ideology consisted of a blend of
native and imported political
philosophies, initially developed
by the Meiji government to
promote national unity and
patriotism, first in defense
against colonization by Western
powers, and later in a struggle to
attain equality with the Great
Powers
Ideology

10. Japanese Clothing
The kimono has a very long
history in Japan and is still
worn today, however usually
only for special celebrations
and weddings.
Storing a kimono requires
wrapping it in rice paper and
lying it flat in a drawer.
Dust can be shaken off or
vacuumed off, but kimonos
are never dry cleaned nor
hung on hangers.

11. *Temples are places of worship in
Japanese Buddhism. Temples store
and display sacred Buddhist objects.
Todaiji Temple
Kokedera (Moss Temple)
*Buddhism is a religion that
many people in Japan practice.
It is often combined with
Shintoism.
Kinkakuji (Golden Pavillion)
Religion

12. *Shinto shrines are places of
worship. People visit shrines in
order to pay respect to Shinto gods
or to pray for good fortune.
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Toshogu Shrine
*Shintoism is the largest
form of religion in Japan. It
is known for its respect for
nature.
Religion

13. Japanese Festivals
There are many local festivals in Japan because
almost every shrine celebrates one of its own.
Sapporo snow festival Kyoto Gion
Matsuri Festival
Chichibu Yomatsuri Festival

14. Japanese Koi Fish
Koi are ornamental, domesticated varieties of the common carp
that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor ponds and water
gardens. They are also called Japanese carp.
Koi Fish
Common Carp

15. Japanese Language
Konnichiwa - hello
Sayonara – goodbye
The Japanese language is
written using symbols to
represent words and
phrases. There is also a
written version of
Japanese called Romanji
so that you can pronounce
Japanese without knowing
how to read the
characters.

16. The mass media in Japan
include numerous television
and radio networks as well as
newspapers and magazines in
Japan. For the most part,
television networks were
established based on capital
investments by existing radio
networks. Variety shows,
serial dramas, and news
constitute a large percentage
of Japanese evening shows.