1. How did Japan’s geography influence the Japanese sense of identity?
The Land of the Rising Sun
The Land of the
Rising Sun
Focus Question:
How did Japan’s geography influence
the Japanese sense of identity?

2. 1281. For the second time in less than a decade, Mongols from northern China had sent a fleet of ships to invade Japan.
According to Japanese mythology, two divine beings, the male Izanagi and the female Izanami, stood on the bridge of heaven and churned the ocean with a spear to make a small island of curdled salt. From that mystical beginning grew a string of islands – Japan. Izanagi and Izanami looked at their creation and said, “Why should we not produce someone who shall be lord of what is below Heaven?” So they went on to bear the deities called kami who inhabited the land from that time forward.
For most of their long history, the Japanese have believed that their country is favoured and protected by those gods. In 1274, Mongol rulers sent a large fleet from Asia that landed on Kyushu, the southern island of Japan. However, a typhoon forced the invaders to retreat. In 1281, the Mongols returned with thousands of ships and more than 100, 000 men. The Japanese in their smaller, swifter boats defended their island well, but again a ferocious storm destroyed most of the Mongol fleet. The Japanese called the storm kamikaze, a divine wind sent by the gods to defend their islands.
Q: How might these experiences influence the worldview of the Japanese people?
Q: How might it influence their view of other people and places?

3. Origin Stories
Origins stories describe how a certain people came to be
They usually provide clues about how the people identify themselves and their culture
They also have connections to geography
What origin stories can you think of?
Izanagi had a daughter named Amaterasu, known as the Sun Goddess
Amaterasu at one point went into a cave and refused to come out by blocking the entrance with a boulder
The world was plunged into darkness – she was then tricked into coming out by other gods

4. Divine Connection
The emperors of Japan were considered to be direct descendants of Amaterasu
Who wrote this history/myth?
This meant that the emperor was believed to be divine, or god-like
He represented the gods on Earth
Our Divine Land is where the sun rises and where the primordial energy originates. The heirs of the Great Sun have occupied the Imperial Throne from generation without change from time immemorial. Japan's position at the vertex of the earth makes it the standard for the nations of the world. Indeed, it casts its light over the world, and the distance which the resplendent imperial influence reaches knows no limit.
- Aizawa Seishisai, 1800s
Q: How does the author show pride in his country?
Q: How does the connection between Japan and the Sun contribute to his pride?

5. Geography Japan's land area is almost 380,000 square kilometers
This is about 60% the size of Alberta
By the year 1600, Japan's population was 12 million
Much of Japan's terrain consists of mountains, forests and steep valleys
Only 18% is arable and inhabitable land
Mountains are used for borders
The largest flat area of land in Japan is only 200 Km wide
Kanto Plain
What does this mean for population and settlement?

6. Isolated Japan is an island country called an archipelago
This is an island chain
Consists of four main islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu) and around 3000 smaller ones
This means that it is isolated from its closest neighbouring countries
Russia, the Koreas and China
Japan is separated from the mainland by 185 Km of rough water that is hard to cross
However, there is evidence of contact between Japan, China and Korea from as early as 200AD
Europeans did not have the means to travel to Japan before the 1500s

7. Adopting Elements of Culture
The Japanese freely adapted or adopted elements of culture from other people
They borrowed the Chinese system of writing characters
They were called kanji
They began writing in Chinese, but then they started using kanji (Chinese characters) to write in the Japanese language
Then, a new system developed which combined kanji with Japanese characters
Called kana