1. Geography & Life— Japan By Mr. Magnuson
As is known, geography can have a great influence on the way of people’s life, the way people think and the way they behave. This lesson is to give the students an idea how to understand and appreciate a different culture from the angle of geography by introducing Japan. As a result, the students can see and communicate with the people from a different culture in a more interactive and positive way.
By Mr. Magnuson

2. Nippon -- “Land of the Rising Sun”

3. Japan Facts It is roughly the size of California
Population of 126,804,433 No. 10 Globally
Life expectancy 82.7
Religions: Shintoism 83.9%, Buddhism 71.4%, Christianity 2%, other 7.8%
A parliamentary government with a constitutional monarchy. This means Emperor is the head of the country, but must follow a constitution created for the people.
Emperor Akihito.
Prime Minister Prime Minister Naoto Kan

4. Capital City: Tokyo It contains about 10% of Japan's total population.
In 2005 Tokyo experienced 85 earthquakes >1 on the Richter scale

5. Tokyo Tokyo's flower: Somei Yoshino (Yoshino cherry blossom)
Tokyo's tree: Gingko
Tokyo's bird: Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

6. Tokyo Tower is 20th largest building in the World

7. Tokyo…City of neon lights

8. Point 1: Cooperation and good manners

9. Japan and the United States ---1/25 Japan Terrain
Area (small)
*377,887 square kilometers(145,902 square miles) with¾ mountains. *The mountains were difficult to live on.*Most people lived on flat coastal plains near the sea.
So many people are sharing such limited space that Japanese people will have to be cooperative and be nice to each other.
Area (small)
Population (high density):
127,288,419 (2008 est)
377,887 square kilometers
(145,902 square miles)

10. Point2: seafood

11. Japanese Whaling The Japanese kill about 1,000 Whales per year
Because of their heritage, eating seafood is a big part of Japanese Culture

12. Is there a global impact?

13. The map of Japan-- Isolated
Japan is a large group of islands located off the Asian mainland-it was difficult for other countries to visit it until its rulers decided to visit others-it was difficult for the food outside to be imported.

14. Bodies of Water Abundant seafood Ishikari R. Sea of Japan
Surrounded all by water
Shinano R.
Tone R.
Korean Straits
All surrounded by waters, the seafood is abundant to the Japanese people and the most easiest to get.
Abundant
seafood
Pacific Ocean
Inland Sea

15. Mountains & Peaks Islands
Kitani Mts.
Hokkaido
Kitakami Mts.
Honshu
Mikuni Mts.
Chugoku Mts.
The islands of Japan are really the tops of mountains. ¾ of Japan is mountains, which is not easy to live or grow crops.
Mt. Fuji
Kyushu Mts.
Shikuku
Kyushu
Okinawa

16. Plains Ishikari Plain Kanto Plain Nobi Plain Osaka Plain
The majority of the country live in this minority area. This is also the main agricultural area.
Nobi Plain
Osaka Plain

17. The final map Russia Kitani Mts. Ishikari R. China Hokkaido N. Korea
Ishikari Plain
Sea of Japan
Kitakami Mts.
Honshu
S. Korea
Shinano R.
Kanto Plain
Tone R.
Kyoto
Mikuni Mts.
Korean Straits
Tokyo
Chugoku Mts.
Yokohama
Conclusion: The waters and the lack of the farmland lead to the seafood to be the most popular dishes in Japan.
Hiroshima
Mt. Fuji
Kyushu Mts.
Pacific Ocean
Shikuku
Nobi Plain
Osaka Plain
Nagasaki
Inland Sea
Kyushu
Okinawa

18. Point3: Wooden Pagoda

19. The Wooden Pagoda
Because of their wood construction, Japan's pagodas have always been extremely vulnerable to fire.
These tall, slender towers, built of interlocking posts and beams, are so resistant to earthquakes and typhoons that Japan's long architectural history records only a very few instances of their collapsing.
Some 1,300 years after it was built, the five-story pagoda of Horyuji in Nara, shows not the slightest sign of instability.

20. Horyuji Temple in Nara, Japan

21. The Forbidden City
Was the home of the Emperor of Japan for several centuries

23. Global Tectonic Plates Japan -- On the “Fire Rim of the Pacific”

24. Mount Fuji Most recognizable landmark of Japan 12,340 feet high
Almost perfect volcano.
Last eruption was in 1707

26. Japanese Earthquakes: 1961-1994
Japan is mostly volcanic rock, so most of the pagodas are wood to withstand both earthquakes and island storms.

27. Kobe Earthquake -- January 17, 1995
7.2 Richter scale
5,500 deaths

28. Kobe Earthquake -- January 17, 1995

29. Tsunamis – Tidal Waves

30. Due to the location of Japan in relation to the “Ring of Fire” Japan is always on the lookout for Tsunami’s

32. Point4: The power of group
As the national flower, Cherry blossom fully reflects the taste of the Japanese people. One tree of cherry blossom is too thin, only when the whole forest all blossom at the same time, can the beauty make sense. So the Japanese don’t value the individuals’ freedom and individual’s power so much. Instead, they think highly of the power of cooperation and the group.
When the cherry blossom floats down all at the same time after the season, the wrack and ruin of the beauty of the momentary resplendence is also what the Japanese people appreciate. That is about Bushido, of which death is the kernel. For Bushido, it is the attitude to death that can test if a knight is a real one. Usually a real knight will take death as a glory, like the Japanese people enjoy the moment when the cherry blossom falls off.

33. Because of the layout of the country and old customs, the Japanese stress the importance of the family unit, and groups.
A symbol of this as is seen in the Japanese culture are cherry blossoms.

34. A strong sense of Unity Point 5: Strong sense of Unity –Isolation
–Natural Disasters-Volcanoes & Earthquakes
–Limited farm land
–Few natural resources
A strong sense of Unity

35. Japan’s Land Area and Utilization

36. Natural Resources

37. Raw Materials

38. Thank you!
--The end--