All About Japan!
By: Chandru Sundarrajan, Sriram Palepu, Annabelle Kim - 5th
Basic Information
Relative Location: Japan is an island located to the east of China and North/South Korea.
Absolute Location: Tokyo, the capital city, is located at 35°41′N 139°46′E.
Seasons in Japan
Just like America, Japan has four different seasons - spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Spring in during March, April, May
Summer is during June, July, August
Fall is during September, October, November
- Winter is during December, January, February
The seasons of America and Japan are almost the same because both countries are just about at the same latitude, which are the lines that left to right on the globe.
The tilt of the Earth causes the four seasons. During a full turn that takes one year, the tilt causes different areas of the Earth to get different amounts of sunlight, which makes different temperatures during the four seasons.
Japan's Climate (Weather)
Japan is in the temperate climate zone, which is an area that has weather changes depending on the four seasons. There are four main islands in Japan; Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. All the islands are very close to each other, but each island has different temperatures and the amount of rain.
Honshu: This is the largest island because Tokyo is here and there are more than 110 million people. The temperature is usually 38º F in the winter and 77º F in summer, and precipitation, which is the amount of rain and snow, is really high. It is 170 cm a year.
Hokkaido: This island is the coldest island in Japan and it the one closest to the North Pole. The temperatures is 15º F in winter and 65º in the summer. This island receives a little less precipitation, 110 cm a year.
Kyushu: This island has a more subtropical climate and is like to Nevada, United States. It receives about 140 cm of precipitation a year, and temperatures is 40º F to 80º F all year.
Shikoku: Shikoku also has a subtropical climate, and the precipitation and temperatures are almost like twins with Kyushu.
Land/Water Forms in Japan
Mount Fuji
Lake Biwa
Kibi Plateau
Abukuma-Do Cave
The Japanese Archipelago
Kanto Plain
The Ring of Fire
The Japan Trench
Shimanto-Gawa River
Kagoshima Bay
Biomes of Japan
Japan has two main biomes:
Temperate Deciduous Forest: This biome is made up of trees such as oak, beech, and maple, and is in the Southern islands of Japan. The warm climate here helps such trees to grow.
Coniferous Forest: This biome is made of evergreen trees that have needle-like leaves. These trees are out in cold climates, and that's why they are in Northern Japan.
Natural Disasters
Earthquakes
Tsunamis
Volcanic Eruptions
Bibliography
"Japan Climate." Weather in Japan, Climate & Environment in Japan. STA Travel Co., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://www.statravel.com.au/japan-climate.htm>.
"Kids Web Japan." Nature and Climate. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/nature/>.b
"What Are the Landforms of Japan?" Travel Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. <http://traveltips.usatoday.com/landforms-japan-35872.html>.
"Landforms - Japan's Geography." Landforms - Japan's Geography. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. <http://japansgeography.weebly.com/landforms.html>.