1. Japan The Land of the Rising Sun

2. Japan’s Physical Geography Japan is an archipelago. A group or string of islands. Japan has 4 major islands and over 2,000 total islands. Japan has frequent earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes.

3. JAPAN’S POPULATION Population: 127.4 million Birth rate: 8 births/1,000 Death rate:8 deaths/1,000 Growth rate: 0.0% Life expectancy:78 (M), 85 (F) Urbanization: 78%

4. Japan’s Answer to Population The Japanese do many things to maintain their limited space. They have smaller houses. They pay higher taxes for large families The average Japanese house is 1,060 sq. ft. The average U.S. house is 2,270 sq. ft.

5. Capsule Hotels

6. Mass Transit Most people in Japan do not own their own cars. The mass transit system is the preferred method of travel.

7. Subway Crowding Comparison of Rush-Hour Ridership in Five Countries Hamburg, Germany = 2.8 passengers per sq. meter New York, U.S. = 3.4 passengers per sq. meter London, U.K. = 5.5 passengers per sq. meter Paris, France = 6.4 passengers per sq. meter Tokyo Japan = 9.0 passengers per sq. meter

8. Bullet Trains First country to develop “Bullet Trains” that would travel over 200 mph.

9. Altering the land Arable (Farmable) land is scarce in Japan Terrace farming practices are used.

10. Creating Land Japan uses technology to create new land out of the sea. Narita International Airport of Tokyo is a great example.

11. Japan’s Economy World’s 3 rd largest economy (passed by China in 2001) among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, ships, processed foods largest importer of coal and second largest importer of oil. Imports most raw materials

12. Japanese Culture in America