Snapshot of Japan
Explore the traditions, landmarks and icons of Japan
Pacific Ring of Fire
Volcanoes of Japan
Japan's volcanic arcs and tectonic setting
Japan is located at the junction of 4 tectonic plates - the Pacific, Philippine, Eurasian and North American plates, and its volcanoes are mainly located on 5 subduction-zone related volcanic arcs where the Pacific Plate descends under the North American Plate along the Kuril Trench and the Japan Trench and underneath the Philippine Sea Plate along the Izu-Bonin Trench. The Philippine Plate itself subducts beneath the Eurasian Plate at the western end, forming the Ryukyu Trench. The principal resulting volcanic ars are:
- Ryukyu Arc and Southwest Honshu Arcs in the south (Philippine plate subducting beneath between the Eurasian Plate),
- Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc (subduction of Pacific plate beneath Philippine plate)
- Northeast Honshu and Kurile Arc in the north (subduction of Pacific plate beneath the N-American plate)
(more info: www.glgarcs.net/intro/subduction.html)
Besides intense volcanic activity, Japan is one of the places in the world most affected by frequent, and sometimes devastatingly large earthquakes. Its oceanic setting makes it vulnerable for tsunamis as well, as the tragedy of the 11 March 2011 8.9 earthquake and tsunami terrifyingly illustrated.
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Carp Kites - Children's Day
On the 5th day of the 5th month in Japan, Children's Day is celebrated. This festival used to be Boy's Day, but is now a holiday to celebrate all children being happy, and to say thank you to their mothers. However, for most people, 5th May is a day to pray for the health and happiness of their sons. On this day, the sky is crowded with fish-shaped kites and flags called koi nobori. Koi means carp, a kind of fish. They are usually made of white cloth decorated in red or blue. This is because of an old legend about a carp fish that swims upstream and becomes a dragon. When the wind blows the carp kites and flags it looks as if they are swimming.
Cherry Blossoms
The cherry blossom (sakura) is Japan's unofficial national flower. It has been celebrated for many centuries and holds a very prominent position in Japanese culture. There are many dozens of different cherry tree varieties in Japan, most of which bloom for just a couple of days in spring. The Japanese celebrate that time of the year with hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties under the blooming trees.
Mt Fuji
•Mount Fuji, with an elevation rise of 12,388 feet, is the 35th most prominent mountain in the world. It has a circumference of 78 miles and a diameter of 30 miles. Its crater is 820 feet deep and has a surface diameter of 1,600 feet. •Mount Fuji is called Fuji-san (富士山) in Japanese. The origin of Fuji's name is disputed. Some say it derives from the Ainu language used by the Japanese aboriginal people and means "everlasting life." Linguists, however, say that the name is from the Yamato language and refers to Fuchi, the Buddhist fire goddess.
Class Assignment: Use InDesign to create a brochure highlighting Japan's icons. Due week 8.
Origami - An ancient art form!
At first, there was very little paper available so only the rich could afford to do paperfolding. The Japanese found useful purposes for their origami. For example, the Samurai (sa-MURE-ay) would exchange gifts with a form known as a noshi
(NO-shee). This was a paper folded with a strip of dried fish or meat. It was considered a good luck token. Also, the Shinto Noblemen would celebrate weddings by wrapping glasses of sake or rice wine in butterfly forms that had been folded to represent the bride and groom.
As easier papermaking methods were developed, paper became less expensive. Origami became a popular art for everyone, no matter if they were rich or poor. However, the Japanese people have always been very careful not to waste anything. They have always saved even the tiniest scraps of paper and used them for folding origami models.
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