Japan
Daphne Buss
Population
Japan's population as of 2014 is 127,253,075.
Physical Features
Japan is covered with forests and steep mountains. The country has a total of over 200 volcanoes.
Geography
Japan is made up of islands surrounded by water. In relationship to Japan, Russia is to the north, Philippines to the south, and South Korea to the west. The Pacific Ocean is to the east of Japan with no country quite near.
History
- The first Japanese settlers came from China and South Korea thousands of years ago.
- Japan adopted the Chinese writing system in A.D. 500s.
- In 1336 rival shoguns fought for control in a Civil War.
- Up until 2002, Saturday school was required by law in Japan.
People and Places
- A Japanese book would start on what Americans consider the back page, because the Japanese start their writing from the right.
- In Japan there are more people per square mile than about any other place in the world.
- Over 80% of Japan practices Buddhism and/or Shinto.
- The total land size of Japan is slightly smaller than the state of California.
Lifestyle
- Baseball is a very popular sport among the Japanese.
- During New Years, Buddhist temples will ring their bells 108 times to get rid of evil.
- The Japanese eat rice with just about every meal.
- Many Japanese kids attend special classes that start after school and last late until night.
Society
- Japan created the brand names of Sony, Panasonic, Honda, Mazda, Canon, and Nintendo.
- Japan has to import around half of the food they eat because its hard to farm on the land.
- Many Japanese people in the cities use public transportation.
- Japan's royal family is important even though the emperor has no real power.
Fun Facts
- Japanese men sometimes shave their heads as a form of apology.
- Japan's population consists of 21% elderly.
- Japan experiences about 1500 earthquakes per year.