1. JAPAN
THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN

2. ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What role does Japan’s geography play through out the history of Japan?   LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To understand important factors of Japanese geography.  

3. Nippon -- “Land of the Rising Sun”
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4. JAPAN The people call it Nippon (“source of the sun”)
The capital is Tokyo
Japan is an archipelago - a chain of islands
There are 4 major islands and 3,000 minor
Comparative Distance from Land
Japan Miles
Great Britain - 21 Miles

5. Japan and the United States
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6. Japan by Satellite
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7. PEOPLE Japan is homogeneous there are also no ethnic minorities
The Japanese have a strong sense of national identity

8. Japan’s Population Density
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9. Population Comparisons
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10. The 4 Major Islands Volcanic Islands
Hokkaido- in the north; the most isolated
Honshu - largest and the most populated
Shikoku - southeast
Kyushu - furthest south; closest to Korea
Inland Sea - used for trade

11. LAND AND CLIMATE Japan is about the size of Montana
4/5 of the islands are mountainous
The lowlands are densely populated 20,000 people per square mile

12. CLIMATE Japan is humid continental and humid subtropical
The winters are moderate and the summers are warm
The islands receive plenty of rain for crops
The main crop is rice but not enough is grown to feed the entire population

13. Kansai International Airport
Opened in 1994 in Osaka Bay; Man-made island

16. RESOURCES Fish is a major part of the diet
Japan has few natural resources
Japan’s desire for natural resources was one cause of their support for the Germans in WWII.
It must import raw materials
Japan depends on world trade

17. Very Mountainous: Little Arable Land
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18. Japan’s Land Area and Utilization
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19. Rice Farmer’s Farmhouse: Okutsu Town, Okayama Prefecture
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20. Terrace Farming of Rice
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21. The Japanese Farm the Sea
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Tokyo Fish Market

22. Different Climates and Seasons in Japan
Spring
Summer
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Fall
Winter

23. Mt. Fuji Active Volcano 12,388 Ft. High
Called Fuji-San by the Japanese
Summit believed to be sacred. Forbidden to women until the 1860s.

24. Mt. Fuji
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26. Mt. Aso -- Active Volcano
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27. The country lies on the Ring of Fire

28. Japan experiences 1,500 tremors a year and has 150 volcanoes (60 active)

29. Global Tectonic Plates Japan -- On the “Fire Rim of the Pacific”
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30. Japanese Earthquakes: 1961-1994
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31. Ginza Ruins After The Great Kanto Earthquake -- Tokyo, 1923
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Over 100,000 dead!

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

33. Kobe Earthquake -- January 17, 1995
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34. Japan’s Sub-Oceanic Trenches
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35. Tsunamis – Tidal Waves
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38. Earthquake/Tsunami March 11, 2011

40. Tsumani - 23 ft Earthquake - 8.9 -9.0

44. Fast Travel Throughout Japan
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Shinkansen: Bullet Train
Bullet Train National Lines