Warm-up (read article to answer the following questions) 1. What is the Japanese word for “death from too much work”? 2. Who usually dies from too much work in Japan – men or women? 3. When did this word (for “death from too much work”) come into existence? 4. How many work-related suicides occurred in Japan in 2007? 5. What was the most common reason for suicide according to gov’t figures?

 Four main islands, over 1,000 smaller ones  Most of the country (about 65%) is mountainous, covered with dense forests  Most people live on the coastal plains  Climate varies from North to South

 Every summer, thousands of people climb Mount Fuji  Spiritual pilgrimage, athletic challenge

 12 th -19 th century: Japan was mostly a feudal country, ruled by powerful regional families and military warlords

 When American ships arrived at Japan in 1854, the shogun (ruler at the time) was forced to trade with the West. This resulted in Japan imitating western nations and becoming the most advanced nation in Asia

Japan expanded its power in the region by taking control of much of eastern Asia TaiwanChina

 December 7, 1941 – Japan bombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii  This led to U.S. involvement in WWII

 1945 – The U.S. drops two nuclear warheads on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9), resulting in 220,000 deaths.  q4 q4  t&p=61F2891E9CC9A8CB&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index =5 t&p=61F2891E9CC9A8CB&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index =5

 The U.S. occupied Japan from  Helped create a new constitution ▪ Democracy ▪ Military abolished  The U.S. still has bases in Japan, with about 50,000 troops stationed there.  The Japanese surrendered after the second nuclear bomb was dropped

 Even though much of Japan was devastated by the war, the U.S. and other world powers helped Japan rebuild its economy.  Today, the U.S. is Japan’s largest trade partner.

 Generally, Japan is resource poor. Therefore, Japan's economic successes depend on imported raw materials  Imports: raw materials  Exports: electronics, cars, computers

Economy  Japan is looking to make nuclear power account for 20 to 22% of Japan’s electricity supply by 2030 Currently, all of Japan’s commercial nuclear reactors remain offline to pass a beefed-up safety screenings based on new, more stringent regulations drafted after the Fukushima meltdowns. The government is planning to restart reactors that have met the post-Fukushima safety requirements.

 Japanese school year:  240 days a year  Mon-Fri, half day on Saturday  April – March  6 week summer vacation  Students are also responsible for cleaning the classrooms, halls, bathrooms, and tending the garden

 Education system is very competitive  Advancing to each level involves passing tough exams  Some students go to another school after hours to prepare for the exams – called juku (cram schools)  The classes may run until late, and a 12-hour day is not unusual for the Japanese high school student (before homework).  The most difficult = university entrance exams

 In Japan, it is important to be part of a group – whether family, school, company, or club  North Americans value individuality – the ability to express your own ideas and make your own way in the world  This way of living seems lonely and selfish to many Japanese

 In Japan, like in China and Korea, the first name follows the family name  Example: Kim Il Sung and Kim Jung Il

 Small homes compared to U.S. (small country, large population of 126 million)

Culture: Recreation  Karaoke  Ikebana (flower arranging)  Sumo  Karate  Origami  Manga (comics)  Baseball

Population

Warm-up: Is the statement describing North Korea, South Korea or Both? 1.Is developed 2.Has a Dictator 3.Experienced widespread famine 4.Is similar to the United States in government 5.Involved in Korean War 6.Can easily travel to 7.Remains isolated from the world 8.Once occupied by Japan 9.Once occupied by the US 10.Once occupied by the USSR