JAPAN BY HEIDI AND SAMMY

FACTS ABOUT JAPAN Current Population-126,999,808 Location of Japan ºN, ºE Capital-Tokyo Major Language-Japanese Major Religions beliefs-Shinto and Buddhism Name of Leader- Shinzō Abe Currency-Japanese Yen Shinzō Abe

TOKYO Japan’s capital is Tokyo. Out of all of the cities in Japan, Tokyo is the most popular. It is normally filled with tourists and always has lots of people. The population of Tokyo alone, is million (in May 2014).

EARTHQUAKE S Japan gets many earthquakes. The reason that there are so many earthquakes, is because Japan is near the Pacific Ring of Fire. Even though it is a pretty small country, not all of Japan gets hit by earthquakes. Some cities get hit by earthquakes more than others. For example, Tokyo gets lots of earthquakes. One of the most famous places for earthquakes is Fukushima which is 285 kms north of Tokyo. Japan normally gets hit by earthquakes about 1500 times every year.

MAJOR RELIGIONS AND BELIEFS The major religions in Japan are Shinto and Buddhism. Shinto goes back to the beginning of Japanese culture, while buddhism was brought into Japan during the 6th century from mainland of Asia.

MT FUJI Mt Fuji is a very famous mountain located on Honshu island, Japan. It is the highest mountain in Japan and is metres high. Some people climb Mt Fuji by hiking. Others, go snowboarding or like to play in the snow. On a clear day, you can see Mt Fuji from Tokyo. But Mt Fuji is not just fancy to look at, it’s also home to many local animals like snow monkeys.

CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL The Cherry Blossom Festival is a very important and popular time for the Japanese. It only happens once a year and in spring. It is a festival to celebrate when the Cherry Blossom flowers grow back for a short time. The festival goes for pretty much all Spring. It goes until the Cherry Blossoms are no longer out.

JAPANESE FESTIVALS May 5 is Children's’ Day when families celebrate the healthy growth and happiness of children.It started as a holiday in 1984.But has been celebrated in Japan since ancient times.

WILDLIFE Tanuki- Is a kind of raccoon dog that can be found through most of japan.Folktale has it that they could shape change. Tushima leopard cat- This cat is an endangered wild cat inhabiting the Tsushima islands. Snow monkeys- They’re native to Japan,an live in a colder climate than any other primate except for us humans. Red crowned crane-Is an endangered species,with only about one thousand birds remaining in the wild of Japan and another two thousand in China and Korea Red crowned Crane

TanukiTushima leopard cat Snow Monkeys

EXPORTS Japans top five exports 1.Vehicles 2.Machines 3.Electronic equipment 4.Medical and Technical equipment 5.Iron and steel

SOME BASIC PHRASES IN JAPAN Thank you- Arigato Correct-Pingpong Wrong - BooBoo Mama - Haha Dada - Chichi

JAPANESE CUISINE Bento Boxes (pretty much Japanese lunch boxes) Sushi Sashimi Katsu Gyoza Teppinyaki And many, many more. Some examples of popular Japanese cuisine are:

INTERESTING FACTS The Japanese language has about 50,000 different kanji characters and most people never know them all. Japan suffers 1,500 earthquakes in one year Japan has over 50,000 people over 100 years old. The island of Okinawa, more than 2000 kms south of Tokyo, is considered the healthiest place on earth with 457 people over 100. In Japan there are more pets than children In Japan square watermelons are grown by farmers for easier stacking. In Japan 685 kids were sent to hospitals in 1997 after an intense Pokemon episode that caused dizziness vomiting and seizures.

REFERENCES Science in class Sammy’s brother