|
Japan, or “Nippon,” is a group of numerous islands in the Pacific Ocean off the east coast of Asia. The most populated islands are the four largest: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. The whole land area of Japan is slightly smaller than the state of California. Japan’s northernmost island has a climate similar to the New England states. The two central islands have a climate similar to Georgia and South Carolina. The southernmost island has a subtropical climate like that of Florida. The Japanese islands are covered with mountains, the most famous of which is Mt. Fuji, a 12,000 ft. snow-capped volcano. Spring in Japan
is signified by beautiful cherry blossoms (sakura) and blooming plum
(ume) trees. Each year from late September to mid-November, colorful
autumn leaves (koyo) attract large numbers of visitors to famous scenic
spots. Japanese
fruit trees consist of apple, pear, cherry, plum, peach and orange.
Mulberry trees furnish food for silkworms. Japanese farmers grow rice,
wheat, sweet potatoes, soybeans, and tea. The Japanese also harvest
seaweed and catch large amounts of fish. The
Japanese adopted many ideas about art, religion, and architecture from
the Chinese. Their form of writing is similar, using small brushes to
draw symbols representing words or ideas. Also like the Chinese,
Japanese people eat with chopsticks. After European traders and missionaries began coming to Japan in the 16th century, the Japanese decided to shut out all foreigners. Japan
remained isolated from the rest of the world for over 200 years, until
1853 when U.S. Commodore Perry persuaded the emperor to open up Japan to American trade. Soon
the Japanese were taking on Western ways – building factories,
railroads, a strong army and navy. Hundreds of years of rule by the
samurai (warrior class) had made imperial Japan a warlike nation. By the end of World War I, Japan had become one of the world’s great powers. During the next 20 years, Japan expanded its empire by conquest. However, Japan had to give up all its occupied territories in 1945 after its defeat in World War II, when the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Following this, an Allied force led by Douglas MacArthur occupied Japan and helped to rebuild the country. During this time, Japan enacted a democratic constitution. Japan
is now one of the great industrial nations, despite a lack of mineral
resources which requires it to import most of its raw materials. Japan
became a leader in steel production as well as building automobiles and
ships. Modern Japanese workers are highly skilled in technology,
producing many televisions, cameras, and other consumer electronics. For
many centuries, Japanese artists and craftsmen have excelled in
ceramics, porcelain, laquerwork, ikebana (flower arranging), bonsai
(cultivating miniature trees), origami (folding paper into shapes),
calligraphy, woodblock prints, and landscape painting. The
Japanese love of natural objects is reflected in their garden design.
Tsukiyama (hill gardens) feature hills, ponds, streams, trees, flowers,
bridges and paths. Karesansui (rock gardens) are an abstract
arrangement of stones, gravel, sand, and sometimes a few patches of
vegetation or boulders. Chaniwa (tea gardens) are built around the tea
house, a place to forget the cares of the world and become absorbed in
the beauty of nature. Most
Japanese people practice Buddhism and the ancient Shinto religion.
Japanese temples (pagodas) have roofs that curve up at the corners and
are ornately carved with dragons and flowers. The city of Kyoto is well known for its temples and religious processions. Since
Japan’s cities are crowded and its highway systems underdeveloped, many
people rely on high-speed Bullet trains (Shinkansen) to get around
rather than driving cars. The bullet train between Hiroshima and Kokura averages a speed of 164 mph which is the world’s fastest scheduled train service. Japanese
houses are small and traditionally constructed of wood. Inside and
outside walls have sliding panels (shoji) made of wooden frames covered
with paper. Floor coverings consist of straw mats (tatami). Japanese
people sleep on futons, sit on floor cushions, and eat at low tables.
Japanese kitchens are equipped with a gas stove, microwave oven, rice
cooker, and refrigerator. When
entering a Japanese house, you should take off your shoes and change
into slippers. Upon entering a room with tatami floor, you remove your
slippers and go barefoot or wear socks. If entering a washroom, you
leave your slippers outside the door and put on special toilet slippers. Sloppiness
is not tolerated in Japanese society. Japanese people are so neat and
orderly, they even fold their dirty clothes. In most Japanese homes,
families are quite polite as well. The Japanese have strict rules of
etiquette for everything from serving tea to exchanging business cards. Did You Know…? Frank Lloyd Wright, the famous American architect, had a fondness for Japan
that began with his first journey there in 1905. An avid collector of
Japanese prints and artifacts, Wright designed 12 Japanese buildings
including houses, hotels, an embassy, a theater and a school. Books “Grandfather's Journey,” and other titles by Allen Say. “Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a Mountain,” by Deborah Kogan Ray. “I Live in Tokyo,” by Mari Takabayashi “Japanese Children's Favorite Stories,” by Florence Sakade. “Japanese Fairy Tales,” by Yoki Imoto. “Look What Came From Japan,” by Miles Harvey. “One Leaf Rides the Wind: Counting In A Japanese Garden,” by Celeste Davidson Mannis. “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes,” by Eleanor Coerr. “The Way We Do It in Japan,” by Geneva Cobb Iijima. “Tokyo Friends,” and other titles by Betty Reynolds. Websites www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html (CIA World Factbook - Japan.) http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/jptoc.html (Library of Congress Country Study: Japan) http://askasia.org/frclasrm/readings/t000013.htm (Timeline of Japanese History.) www.japan-guide.com
(Japan travel and living guide; click on Japan A-Z to learn about
Japanese foods, etiquette, traditions, history, economy, politics,
religion, entertainment, sports, language, transportation and travel.) http://web-japan.org (Japan facts, statistics, and other information; includes Kids Web Japan.) www.kids-japan.com (Kids Japan.) www.travelforkids.com/Funtodo/Japan/japan.htm (Japan travel guide for kids.) www.abcteach.com/directory/theme_units/social_studies/japan/ (Japan theme unit activities and worksheets.) Teri
Ann Berg Olsen is a home educator, librarian, and author of the book
“Learning for Life: Educational Words of Wisdom.” Visit her website at www.knowledgehouse.info.
| 
