About Japan
While your child may seem to know everything there is to know about Japan, you, the parent, may be somewhat clueless about this far-away country. While this is by no means the rule, many parents are quite shocked when, while telling others about their child's trip abroad, they realize they can't answer a lot of the questions other people may have about their child's temporary new home. Here are some basic facts about Japan to help you get started.
日本 |
|
| Name Information: While we may call the country Japan, the actual name is Nihon (sometimes Nippon), which translates loosely to "the Land of the Rising Sun." The name Japan was taken from an old Chinese name for the country. | |
| Language: Japanese | Capital: Tokyo |
| History: The earliest known settlements in Japan date back to a Paleolithic culture existing around 30,000 BC, with a hunter-gatherer population around 14,000 BC. While later people are known to have come to Japan by island-hopping from Korea, there is no evidence as to where these earlier cultures originated.The agricultural society began around 300 BC, during the Yayoi period, and by around 500 AD, the writing system came to Japan from China. Throughout most of Japan's history, China has been a large influence on culture, religion, language, and writing. Buddhism too came to Japan aroaund 500 AD, but instead of replacing Shinto, the traditional religion, the two religions complimented each other and both flourished. Nara served as the capital of Japan from 710 to 740 AD and many famous landmarks (primarily Buddhist) survive in this area today. From 745 to 1868 AD, the capital was located in Kyoto, now known as the historic capital of Japan. Kyoto is home to many of Japan's National Treasures and UNESCO World Heritage sites, and some say it is the prettiest city in the country. In 1868, with the end of the Tokugawa clan's rule over the shogunate and the opening of Japan by Commodore Perry, the capital was moved to Edo, which was renamed to Tokyo, where it remains today. |
|
| Regions and Cities: Japan is composed of four main islands and thousands of smaller islands off the eastern coast of the continent of Asia. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, and its closest neighbors are China and Korea (to the west) and Russia (to the north). There are eight main regions of Japan made up of 47 prefectures. Three of these regions are the smaller of the main islands and the other five make up the largest island of Honshu. Tokyo is located in the Kanto region, named after the plain on which the metropolis sits. JCMU is located in Shiga Prefecture, which is in the Kansai region. Kansai is well known for being home to the Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe metropolis and Lake Biwa. |
Regions of Japan and Major Cities |
| Area: 145,883 sq mi Japan is roughly the size of California. |
|
| Government: Japan is a constitutional monarchy, where the Emperor of Japan, Akihito, is the current monarch. The Emperor is a ceremonial figurehead and has not held any power within the Japanese goverment since the end of World War II. The Emperor of Japan is the last head of state entitled Emperor in the world. Unlike many other monarchies of the past and present, Japanese history does not consist of numerous dynasties with different families in position as monarch: the current Emperor claims descendence from Jimmu, the first emperor. Japan has a bicameral parliament, called the National Diet, and the head of government is the Prime Minister of Japan. The Prime minster is designated by the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, which make up the National Diet. Positions within the Diet are elected by popular vote. |
|
| Geography: Japan is made up of over 3000 islands located on the Pacific coast of Asia along the Pacific Ring of Fire.About 70% to 80% of the country is forested, mountainous, and unsuitable for agricultural, industrial, or residential use. This has resulted in an extremely high population density in the habitable zones that are mainly located in coastal areas. Japan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. | Climate: Japan's climate is mostly temperate, similar to the climate of the United State's East Coast. Hokkaido is cold with lots of snow in the winter, while Okinawa is similar to Florida. Summertime in Japan is very warm and humid, and summer is also the rainy season, with lots of precipitation.Earthquakes are frequent, though generally mild. Hikone is relatively far from most plates and as a result strong earthquakes are rarely felt. |
| Religions: Major Japanese religions include Buddhism and Shintoism, which are rarely mutually exclusive in practice. Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines are on nearly every corner in Japan and many traditions carry on to this day. | Holidays: Major Japanese holidays include New Year's Day (Jan 1), National Foundation Day (Feb 11), Golden Week (April-May), and the Emperor's Birthday (Dec 23). Golden Week consists of four national holidays in one week and many Japanese vacation during this week. |
| Pop Culture: The Japanese follow the activies of the Royal Family, Hollywood celebrities, and Japanese celebrities. Japanese celebrities include actors and actresses, musicians, "idols" (media personalities who often are singers/actresses/models rolled up into one), comedians, voice actors/actresses and television personalities. Some Japanese celebrities that may be known in the US include: Ken Watanabe, Beat Takeshi, Ayumi Hamasaki, Shonen Knife, Gackt, Puffy Ami Yumi and Hayao Miyazaki. |
Sports: The most popular sports in Japan are sumo, baseball, and soccer. Other popular sports include martial arts (karate, judo, kendo, etc), archery, golf, track and field, boxing, motor racing, "puroresu" (pro-wrestling), and cricket. One of the most popular sports figures in Japan is Ichiro Suzuki, a baseball player for the Seattle Mariners. Before joining the Mariners, Ichiro played for the Orix BlueWave out of Kobe though his popularity rose after his move to America, and Mariner games are often broadcast on Japanese television. |
