All about Japan

Japan There are 4 main islands in Japan HonshuShikoku HokkaidoKyushu

FACTS ABOUT JAPAN  THE CAPITAL CITY OF JAPAN IS TOKYO  THE CURRENCY THEY USE IS CALLED ‘YEN’. THERE ARE ABOUT 230 YEN(¥) TO £1.  THE MAIN RELIGIONS IN JAPAN ARE BUDDHISM AND SHINTOISM.  THE FLIGHT TIME FROM THE UK TO JAPAN IS AROUND 15 HOURS!

There are 2 alphabets that are used, each containing 46 sounds. Hiragana （ひらがな） is for Japanese words. Katakana （カタカナ） is used for words that are borrowed from other languages. Kanji, which originated in China, is also used.

きんかくじ Kinkakuji Golden Temple Golden Temple The outside is coated with gold leaf. It was built as a retirement home for the Shogun at the time. The outside is coated with gold leaf. It was built as a retirement home for the Shogun at the time.

ふじさん Mount Fuji A very popular tourist attraction. Located to the west of Tokyo. Stands 3,776 metres high. Classed as an active volcano but hasn’t erupted since Top of the mountain is covered in snow for several months of the year. The lowest recorded temperature was -38 degrees!

Tokyo Tower 333 metres high! Finished in 1958 Weighs 4,000 tonnes 150 million visitors since it opened Featured in the film ‘Tokyo Drift’ Cost 2.8 billion yen to build, which is around £5.2 million.

The biggest city in the world!

Nagoya Castle The original castle was built in In World War 2, the castle was used as an army headquarters and as a prisoner of war camp. Reconstructed in 1959, after being damaged severely in the war. Golden tiger headed dolphin!

Hiroshima  The Peace Park in Hiroshima has been created to remember the people who died in the atomic bombings of The Sadako ↑ memorial Paper cranes

Matsuri There are many festivals held in Japan every year, to celebrate a variety of events or special dates. Hina Matsuri- Girl’s day, which is on the 3 rd of March. A display of dolls is put up in the house and special food is made and eaten.

Children/Boy’s day is held on the 5 th of May. This is a day to celebrate the health and happiness of children. Flags are made with tall canes and paper koi carp are strung from the canes and then they blow in the wind, making it look like they are ‘swimming’. The koi carp are a symbol of strength and health.

YUKI MATSURI The Sapporo snow and ice festival is held in early February. Around 2 million people attend this festival to see the beautiful carvings made of ice!

七月 shichigatsu July たなばた A princess called おりひめ wove cloth on the banks of the あまの川 for her father てんてい (sky king). Because she worked so hard, she was afraid she would never meet anyone and fall in love. Her father arranged for her to meet ひこぼし, a cowherd. The pair fell in love and married soon afterwards. However, after they were married, Orihime would no longer weave cloth for her father, and Hikoboshi let his cows stray all over Heaven. In anger, Tentei separated the two lovers across the Amanogawa and forbade them to meet. Orihime cried so much though, that her father allowed them to meet once a year, on the 7 th of July, at night when the stars had come out. During this time, wishes are written onto paper and hung onto bamboo, which is then either burnt or set afloat on a river. This resembles the custom of おぼん.

Expressive Arts Calligraphy, flower arranging, dance and playing instruments are traditional Japanese past times.

Some traditions in Japan include-  Taking off your shoes and putting on slippers before going into the house  Eating with chopsticks  Bowing when greeting someone( the lower you bow, the more important the person is!)  Having rice as part of every meal  Not wearing outside shoes in school. In school you wear ‘wabaki’-inside slippers!