Japan
Directions: Read each category on Japanese culture to take notes about what you think is interesting. You can write, draw, make symbols...whatever will help you remember! Be sure to include at least 5-7 interesting facts under the heading.
History
Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the shogunate
Japan has been a unified country under one government since the year 300 AD. For most of its history, Japan has been ruled by emperors who had unlimited power over the people. In the 1600s, a man named Tokugawa Ieyasu fought and defeated the other military leaders in the country and took over the government, turning it into a shogunate, which is basically a military government. He made his capital city in Edo, which is now called Tokyo. The shogunate was kept in power through the military, which included real samurais! The samurai were considered the highest ranked military officials, and were well respected all over the world. During the 200 years of the shogunate, Ieyasu and his descendants chose to keep Japan out of world affairs, which is called “isolationism.” This means that Japan did not try to make allies, or invade, other countries.
Samurai warrior
In the early 1900s, a new group of people took over power in Japan, and decided they no longer liked isolationism. Japan then began fighting wars with many of its neighbors. It won a war against Russia and a war against China, and became one of the strongest countries in the world at the time. Japan believed in "imperialism" during this time, meaning they wanted to take over more land to become even more powerful. During the 1930s, Japan took over parts of Korea, China, and Thailand to gain access to their valuable natural resources. Then, in 1941, Japan's Emperor Hirohito attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor to keep the U.S. from stopping their plans to invade more of Asia. After many years of fighting, the United States decided to drop two atomic bombs on Japan to end the war against them. Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945. Ever since World War II, Japan and the United States have been peaceful allies.
Emperor Hirohito, the man who authorized the Pearl Harbor attack
Ruins of the Genbaku Dome, left standing exactly as it looked after the bombing of Hiroshima
Hundreds of origami paper cranes, which represent peace, are displayed at the Hiroshima memorial as part of the Children's Peace Monument
Government
Today, Japan has a constitutional monarchy, which is a limited form of government. This is the same kind of government as in the United Kingdom. In Japan, the people elect (vote for) their representatives, but there is also an emperor (similar to a king), who is more of a symbol of Japan's history than an actual leader with power. The government is divided up into three branches, just like in the United States. The head of the executive branch is the Prime Minister, but he is like our President. They also have a judicial branch, for the court system, and a legislative branch, for elected representatives who make the laws.
All of these rules are written in Japan's constitution, which took effect in 1947 after the end of WWII. In addition to deciding how the government will be run, the constitution also states that Japan's main purpose is to remain a democratic and peaceful nation for the rest of time. All Japanese citizens can vote after they turn 18 years-old (just like in the United States), but they do not directly elect their executive, which is called a prime minister. Instead, members of the Diet (like our Congress), who are elected by the people, choose the country's prime minister.
Japan's Diet building, where the legislature meets to make laws
Inside the Japanese legislature building, the Diet
Physical Geography
Countries in the Ring of Fire, like Japan, are much more likely to experience earthquakes and tsunamis
Japan is an archipelago, a series of islands, along the eastern edge of Asia. 80% of the small country is hilly or mountainous, but the mountains are mostly separated from each other, so there is no one, long mountain range. All of these mountains leave just 20% of the country for agriculture, industry, and living spaces for the Japanese people. This means the cities have fairly high population densities. Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at over 12,000 feet high. It is also an active volcano, and its snow-capped cone is featured regularly in images of Tokyo.
Japan is also located along the "Ring of Fire," making it very geologically unstable. The Ring of Fire is an area along the edges of the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes are much more likely to happen due to greater plate tectonic movements. About 90% of the world's earthquakes happen in this region. This makes Japan much more vulnerable to (likely to experience) earthquakes and tsunamis.
Mount Fuji stands tall in the background of this idyllic image
Religion
Japan's two main religions are Shinto and Buddhism
Shinto
Shinto is a religion without a founder or sacred text, and it is indigenous (native) to Japan. Shinto believes that humans are fundamentally good, but no one is perfectly good or completely bad. Shinto gods are called "kami", and they are spirits that take the form of concepts that are important to life, such as rain, trees, and wind. Humans become kami after they die, and families revere their ancestral kami. Followers of shinto pray to kami in shrines. Calligraphy and ancient art forms, like music and theater, are also very important in Shintoism.
Buddhism
Buddhism originated in India in the 6th century B.C., and was founded on the teachings of Siddhartha, called the Buddha. The religion spread throughout Asia along the Silk Road, and made it to Japan via China and Korea. Buddhism's main philosophies are aboutleading a moral life, being mindful of your thoughts and actions, and eventually developing wisdom and understanding. Today, there are about 90 million Japanese who consider themselves Buddhist, but it does not play a very large role in their everyday lives. Some people even practice both Buddhism and Shinto.
Shinto shrine in Kyoto, Japan
Statue of Buddha in Japan
Economy
Cars being assembled at Japan's Nissan factory
Japan has a highly developed economy and the third largest GDP in the world at $4.9 trillion. The average Japanese citizen earns almost $38,000/year. Industry is especially important to Japan's growing economy. It is the third largest car manufacturer, has the most electronics goods, and continues to innovate new technologies and file new patents each year. Japan is also a leader in robotics. They currently have over 250,000 robotic workers in their many factories. However, Japan lacks many of the natural resources needed for industrial work, such as oil, iron ore, aluminum, and copper, so it must import these resources from other countries.
Agriculture only accounts for 1.4% of Japan's total GDP. This is primarily because only 12% of Japan's land is suitable for growing agricultural crops. The land that does have farming often uses terrace systems to make it more productive (make it grow more food in a smaller space). The main agricultural products grown in Japan are rice and mandarin oranges. Fishing, on the other hand, is a very important part of Japan's economy. Japanese fishermen use both offshore fishing from boats and fisheries, where fish are raised, like cows are raised on a farm. Japan accounts for about 15% of all fish caught around the world, which has led some to believe Japan is partly to blame for decreasing amounts of fish in the oceans.
This Japanese rice farmer has created an elaborate design by planting different colored rice in an artistic pattern
Daily Life: Clothing and Food
Clothing
Most Japanese citizens wear clothing similar to Americans as their everyday style, although there are some significant fashion trends that you only really find in Japan, such as Harajuku. For special occasions like weddings, graduation ceremonies, and New Years holidays, many Japanese choose to wear traditional clothing, like kimonos.
Japanese teens...they're just like you! Most people in Japan wear clothing very similar to the U.S.
Harajuku is a popular fashion trend, but it isn't one specific style or look. It is a place where people are encouraged to try new, daring fashion outfits without shame
Here are the components of traditional Japanese clothing for men and women, worn during special occasions.
Food
Japan is known for its food, and many tourists travel to and around Japan just to try the large variety of regional dishes. Although different cities and towns have their own special types of cuisine, most Japanese food includes rice, fish, and vegetables. Careful preparation and artful presentations are important to the Japanese when they are cooking and eating. Rice used to be traded as currency (money) and has been a Japanese food staple for over 2,000 years. Fish can be served raw, grilled, deep fried, cooked, and many other ways as well. One of the most famous rice and fish dishes is, of course, sushi, which is popular all over the world thanks to cultural diffusion. Vegetables also play a very important role in Japanese cooking, perhaps because meat was outlawed in Japan for over 1,000 years prior to 1868!
Sushi in Japan is much simpler than in the United States. It is usually just a piece of raw fish on top of rice.
Tempura are pieces of lightly battered, deep fried vegetables and fish.
Ramen is a noodle soup dish, originally from China, but it is now one of the most popular dishes in Japan. Its ingredients vary, but typically include a flavorful broth, wheat noodles, pork, a soft boiled egg, and vegetables.
Entertainment
Many of Japan's most popular forms of entertainment have spread to and become popular in the United States, such as Nintendo, karaoke, manga and anime.Surprisingly, Nintendo began as a company that sold playing cards back in the 1880s. It wasn't until the 1970s that the Nintendo company began creating video games, like Donkey Kong. In the 1980s, Nintendo began developing its Super Mario Brothers games and well-known gaming systems. Now, Nintendo is a powerhouse in the gaming industry. Karaoke began in Japan, and is an activity where participants sing along to popular songs from lyrics displayed on a screen. Oftentimes, friend groups will pay for a private room where they can choose their own songs and sing all night long! Manga and anime are comics drawn in a very particular Japanese style, but they are popular all around the world. Comics range in topics, and can be about history, a science-fiction future, and love stories. In Japan, you can even find Manga cafes with hundreds of comic books available to read while you hang out at the restaurant. Japanese anime has gained popularity in the United States through movies like Spirited Away.
Two Japanese women in a karaoke bar
Manga cafe filled with manga comic books
Hello Kitty, another popular cartoon created in Japan that has spread around the world
Images from popular anime movies by Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki
The History of Nintendo
Art
Just like American art, Japanese art is incredibly varied; it includes pottery, sculpture, painting, and poetry. Most Japanese art is inspired by the natural world, which may be due to the influence of Shinto and Buddhism on Japanese society. These belief systems see spirits in nature, which makes Japanese people feel much closer to the natural world. This is why so much Japanese art is centered around landscapes that include mountains, oceans, blossoming trees, and so on. Many paintings also show one landscape transitioning through the seasons, from summer to winter. This trend uses the Buddhist awareness of natural cycles and the inevitability of change.
Some less traditional forms of art include calligraphy, flower arranging, tea ceremonies, and traditional dances. Calligraphy, or shodo is one of the most appreciated Japanese arts. It was imported to Japan from China, and includes different styles. Flower arranging as an art form aims to purposefully put together different types of plants so they are in perfect harmony and balance. Tea ceremonies have their own unique rules and etiquette, which have been observed for hundreds of years. Two of the most popular forms of dance in Japan are Noh and Kabuki, which is the most popular. Kabuki is recognized for its sparse stage decorations but dramatic performances by the dancers, who are usually masked as they perform dances that correspond to Japanese legends.
Japanese flower arranging, called "ikebana"
Japanese calligraphy art
One of Japan's most popular dance forms is called Kabuki