Lesson 3

The beauty of the natural landscape has always been a great source of pride for the people of Japan. Celebrations and rituals to mark the changing of the seasons have traditionally played an important part in all Japanese life. Cherry blossoms are the most beloved flowers for the Japanese people, and when the trees bloom in spring it becomes a time of celebration. Cherry blossoms represent the following to the Japanese people: New beginnings Beauty The shortness of beauty and life

Haikus are a form of Japanese poetry. Many Japanese writers have created Haikus about the cherry blossom trees. Temple bells die out. (5) The fragrant blossoms remain. (7) A perfect evening! (5)

How do you think the extremes of dangerous weather and natural disasters will shape Japan’s worldview?

Japan is located in an area where several continental and oceanic plates meet. Earthquakes are caused by shifts in these plates. Every few decades, major earthquakes strike Japan. Earthquakes!

Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that occur on the ocean floor near Japan can create huge ocean waves known as tsunamis. Tsunami means “harbour wave”. When a tsunami hits land it causes severe instant flooding, and greatly devastates all that it comes into contact with. Tsunamis!!

In the late summer and early fall, Japan can experience typhoons. Typhoons are violent tropical storms, much like hurricanes, and they cause great damage when they come into contact with land.

Since Japan’s weather can be calm one minute, and violent the next, the people of Japan became stoic. Stoic: a person or group of people who learn to quickly adjust and adapt to change. After each disaster the Japanese rapidly rebuild and start over. The ability to be stoic is a huge part of Japanese life.

Japan had very little trade with other countries in its early history. Even though it did not have help from other countries, Japan was able to survive and prosper on its own. They have become a very self-sufficient country as a result of the fact that Japan is an island. Self-sufficient: when a country does not depend on receiving resources or trade with other countries.

Japan’s economy was built mainly on its natural resources. It relied heavily on farming, fishing, and craftsmanship in order to feed and employ its people. People used wood from Japan’s vast forests for fuel. Silkworms and cotton provided the material the Japanese used for their clothing. Japan has a very limited amount of arable land. Arable land: land that is suitable for farming.

Japan has a very temperate climate, dependable and abundant rainfall, and a longer growing season than we have in Canada. Japan also has a very short winter, which allows for the Japanese to survive the winter months very easily.

Rice was once the main food consumed in Japan. Today, it remains the food most associated with Japan. Growing rice is very labor intensive, meaning it takes a lot of hard work and time to grow. Rice depends on a lot of moisture to help it grow. In Japan, the monsoon winds provide this much needed moisture. In Japan’s past, rice was used to help determine a person’s value in society. The more rice you could produce = the more you were valued in society.

The Japanese rely on the ocean for much of its food supply. Fish and seaweed became two sources of food that were central to the Japanese way of life.

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