1. Japan Life after WWII in the “land of the rising sun”

3. Japan at a glance  Population: 127,450,000  Density: 874 /square mile  Urban: 79%  Ethnic Groups: 99% Japanese  Languages: Japanese  Main Religions: Shinto & Buddhist  Life Expectancy: 85 Female, 78 Male  Literacy: 99%  Government: Parliamentary Government with a Constitutional Monarchy  Suffrage: Universal, 20 and over  Currency: Yen  GDP Per Capita: $37, 100  16% of the population is below the poverty line

4. Geography and Climate  Japan is an archipelago in the pacific ocean of 6,852 islands  Japan’s 4 main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu  Honshu; the largest island, is home to Tokyo, the capital of Japan  The greater Tokyo area is the worlds most populated metropolitan area with about 35 million people

5. Geography and Climate  Mountains cover more than 80% of Japan’s land  Japan sits atop two tectonic plates that often sink below a third plate  Because of this, Japan is more likely to have volcanic eruptions and earthquakes than many other places on earth  For example, Mt. Fuji, Japan’s highest peak, is a volcano  Due to the mountainous terrain, the majority of Japan’s citizens live in densely populated urban areas  Although varied, the climate of Japan can generally be described as temperate Mt. Fuji on the island of Honshu

7. Government and Economy  After World War II, Japan’s government and economy were in shambles  It’s cities had been bombed, many Japanese were homeless and without jobs  After WWII, the United States occupied Japan until 1952  The U.S. helped set up a new government with a constitution based on our own  Under the new constitution, the rights and responsibilities of Japanese citizens are very similar to those of Americans (Voting, Freedom of Speech, Religion…etc)

8. Government and Economy  Today, Japan has a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government  The Diet is the highest law-making body in the country (kind of like congress)  Before 1945, Japans emperor was the head of government  Now a prime minister heads the government, while the emperor is a symbolic head of state with no real power in government

9. Government and Economy  The Japanese values of hard work and saving money helped rebuild the economy  In addition, the United States helped Japan through financial loans and advice  Today, Japan has one of the most powerful economies in the world practicing a free enterprise/market economy like the U.S.  The Japanese people enjoy a high standard of living and have some of the highest education standards in the world  Although limited in natural resources, Japan manufactures and exports a wide variety of consumer goods – such as, automobiles and electronics (Sony, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota, Panasonic…etc)  Farming and fishing are also major economic activities in Japan

11. Ethnicity  Japan’s population is largely homogenous, or largely the same (99% of the population is Japanese)  Most of it’s people are descended from the Mongolian people who settled Japan thousands of years ago  The exception is the approximately 15,000 Ainu people  Scholars believe the Ainu came to Japan from Europe well before other settlers arrived

12. Social Behavior  In western culture, especially in the United States, people think of themselves as individuals  In Japan, as in most of Asia, people think of themselves 1 st as part of a group and do not behave in such a way that would bring dishonor to their group  For example:  The Japanese always display respectful behavior towards their parents and elders  They put the needs of their parents and elders above their own needs  Japanese people also seriously consider an elder’s judgment when making important decisions  Respect for authority is a major culture trait of Japan

13. Social Behavior  In Japan, there has been a long held believe that women are best suited to roles as mothers and housekeepers  Approximately 40% of women hold jobs; however, many of these jobs are temporary or part-time  In business, few women hold management positions

14. Urban Living  More than 90% of Japanese families live in urban areas  Many people live in apartment buildings mainly due to Japans high population density  Population density is the number of people that live in an area per square mile  Because of this, owning a home in Japan is extremely expensive

15. Cultural Borrowing: Japan & U.S.A  Some aspects of Japanese culture have gained popularity in recent years, these include:  Sushi  Habachi  Karaoke  Martial Arts  Origami  Manga  Anime  Japanese Gardens  Japanese Tea Ceremonies  Bonsai  Japan has also engaged in extensive cultural borrowing throughout it’s history  In ancient times, Japan borrowed much from neighboring countries in their art, literature and form of government  In modern times, two of Japan’s most popular sports (Baseball & Soccer) originated in other cultures

16. Sushi

17. Origami

18. Manga & Anime

19. Bonsai

20. Karate & Jiu-Jitsu