1. Japan

2. Geography 4 Main islands: Hokkaido Honshu Shikoku Kyushu

3. A Japanese Culture Overview Official name – Japan Population – 127,463, 611 Official Language – Japanese Currency – Yen Capital City – Tokyo

5. Traditional religious & philosophical influences Shintoism – Attention towards the cyclical aspect of nature Buddihism – Fear of irreversible loss of identity Zen – Nothingness, the concept of emptiness and contrast between full and empty

6. Japanese cuisine

7. Japanese people eat seafood such as octopus, shark, and fish. The fish is also called sashimi. When eating, it’s dipped in soy sauce and horseradish mustard. Rice is an important part of their meals. It is Japan’s biggest crop. The Japanese people put raw fish over their rice. They use chopsticks to pick up the food. The food is arranged to look beautiful on plates. Some other things they eat are soup, sour pickles, seaweed, veggies, Tofu and grilled chicken.

8. Japanese customs Greetings The Art of eating and drinking Visiting Houses and Hospitality Punctuality and Work Ethics

9. Behavior habits They bow to greet one another. The lower you bow the more respect you give. They have festivals to show respect for their land. They also respect their land by not littering. Old and special people get special greetings. For example, people bow VERY low. The Japanese use the carp (a type of fish) to symbolize strength and courage. They will hide their own feelings not to hurt other's

10. Clothing

12. Geisha

13. Sumo wrestling

14. Sumo wrestlers weigh up to 300 pounds. Men have to gain weight and become fat and strong. Their goal is to knock each other out of the circle.

15. Conclusion