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. 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

4. PEOPLE Japan is homogeneous there are also no ethnic minorities
The Japanese have a strong sense of national identity

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. The country lies on the Ring of Fire