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United States Japan

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.

The capital of Japan is Tokyo and is located on the island of Honshu.

The population of Tokyo is over 12 million people.

• Hokkaido is the 2 nd largest of the main islands. • Population: 5, 600, 000 • Capital: Sapporo • In the winter people ski in the mountains and in the summer they enjoy the lakes and flowers. Land of Flowers

The Seikan Tunnel is a 34 -mile underground tunnel that connects the island of Hokkaido to the island of Honshu.

• Honshu is Japan’s largest island has the largest population. • Population: 98, 350, 000 • Capital: None (because Honshu is divided into several “states” • Along with the capital of Tokyo, the biggest lake and the tallest mountain are located on Honshu.

The largest lake in Japan is Lake Biwa. The lake is 259 square miles and is thought to be one of the oldest lakes in the world (5 -6 million years old). The structure in the lake is a Torii gate and is used at the entrance to Japanese shrines.

The tallest peak in Japan is Mount Fuji. It is an active volcano that last erupted in 1707 -1708. The peak is 12, 388 feet high.

• 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.

• Kyushu is the 3 rd largest of the four main islands. • Population: 13, 200, 000 • Capital: Fukuoka • Strips of farmlands have been cut into the mountainsides and the steep mountains have many volcanoes. • The plains have many cities and factories.

GOVERNMENT United States Japan

Flag of Japan The Japanese flag is a white banner with a red circle in the center. The red circle represents the sun. The flag is called “Hinomaru, ” which means “Circle of the Sun. ” It officially became the flag of Japan on January 27, 1870.

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

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.

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.

Japanese Holidays for Children Girl’s Day March 3 rd Boy’s Day May 5 th

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

Shintoism *Shintoism is the largest form of religion in Japan. It is known for its respect for nature. Toshogu Shrine *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

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

Things to see and places to visit in Japan Gardens Kenrokuen Garden Fujita Memorial Garden Furano Flower Fields

Things to see and places to visit in Japan Castles Matsumoto Castle Himeji Castle

Things to see and places to visit in Japan Bridges Kintai-kyo Bridge Shinkyo Bridge

Things to see and places to visit in Japan Waterfalls Ryuzu Waterfall Kegon Waterfall (Kegon No Taki)

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. Common Carp Koi Fish

Origami is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding. Each design is made from a square piece of paper that is only folded and not usually cut. The most well known design is the crane. Japanese legend says that a person who makes 1, 000 paper cranes will have their heart’s desire come true.

Japanese Language 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. Konnichiwa - hello Sayonara – goodbye