1. Japan

2. Japan at a glance  Population: 126,920,000  Density: 874 /square mile  Urban: 79%  Ethnic Groups: 99% Japanese  Languages: Japanese  Main Religions: Shinto & Buddhist  Climate: Mainly temperate  Life Expectancy: 85 Female, 78 Male  Literacy: 99%  Government: Constitutional Monarchy  Suffrage: Universal, 20 and over  Currency: Yen  GDP Per Capita: $38,200

3. Geography and Climate  Japan is an archipelago (group of islands) in the Pacific Ocean and has 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

4. 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

5. Tsunami of 2011

7. Japan before WWII  In the 1630’s Japan, under Tokugawa Ieyasu, (A showgunate)closed the doors to European settlements to free Japan of European influences.  Christians were ordered to leave the country.  Most European trade was banned  This continued for almost 200 years  China was Japan’s main trading partner

8. Commodore Matthew Perry  In 1853, American naval vessels landed on Japan under the command of Commodore Matthew Perry.  200 years of Japanese isolation ended with Perry’s show of force to open Japan to Western contact.

9. OPENING JAPAN

10.  In 1867 a group of samurai overthrew the Shogunate and restored the emperor as the head of government.  1868-1911 is known as the Meiji Restoration: a time when the Japanese built modern cities and developed the economy.  They grew wealthy and powerful and assumed control of Taiwan, Korea and Manchuria.

11. Japan at War  During WWI Japan joined the Allied forces and was able to expand its holdings of ex- German colonies in the Pacific.  Following the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and then the Great Depression, Japan was taken over by the military in the 1930’s.

12. Japan in the 1930’s

13. Japan and China  Japan invaded China in 1937 beginning a long war there while strengthening ties with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.  The United States placed a trade embargo on Japan for oil because of this.  Japan retaliated by bombing Pearl Harbor and bringing the US into WWII.

14. US Response to Pearl Harbor

15. 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)

16. 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, Japan’s 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. Cultural Borrowing: Japan & U.S.A  Some aspects of Japanese culture have gained popularity in recent years, these include:  Sushi  Hibachi  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

23. Sushi

24. Origami

25. Manga & Anime

26. Bonsai

27. Karate & Jiu-Jitsu