JAPAN

Ayesha Awan
 Olympics
• Japan has taken part in the Olympic
Games since 1912
• It hosted the Olympic Games in 1964,
1972 and 1998
• From 1912 until now, Japan has won
398 medals in total.
 Geography
• Japan has a total of 6,852 islands extending along
the Pacific coast
• Japan has 108 active volcanoes
• Destructive earthquakes, often resulting in tsunami,
occur several times each century
• Climate is predominantly temperate, but varies
greatly from north to south
• There are over 90,000 species of wildlife, including
the brown bear, the Japanese macaque, the
Japanese raccoon dog, the large Japanese field
mouse, and the Japanese giant salamander.
 History
 Jomon Period (- 300 BC) – The early Japanese were gatherers, hunters and fishers.
 Yayoi Period (300 BC - 250 AD) – The introduction of rice agriculture begins the development of a
social hierarchy and hundreds of small countries that started to unify into larger countries.
 Kofun Period (250 – 538) - Japan is for the first time more or less united. Large tombs (kofun) were
built for the deceased leaders.
 Asuka Period (538 – 710) – 538/552 Introduction of Buddhism.
 Nara Period (710 – 784) – 710 Nara becomes the first permanent capital.
 Heian Period (794 – 1185) – 794 The capital moves to Heian (Kyoto).
 Kamakura Period (1192 – 1333) – 1192 Minamoto Yoritomo is appointed shogun and establishes
the Kamakura government in Kamakura. -1274 and 1281 The Mongols try to invade Japan twice,
but fail mainly because of bad weather conditions.
 Muromachi Period (1338 – 1573) - Takauji establishes the Muromachi government and a second
emperor in Kyoto (Northern court). 1542 Portuguese introduce firearms and Christianity to Japan.
 Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573 – 1603) - Oda Nobunaga was keen in uniting Japan. This was
done by one of his generals, Toyotomi hideyoshi
 Edo Period (1603 – 1868) - 1639 Isolation of Japan from the rest of the world except for strictly
regulated trade with 3 countries - 1854 Commodore Matthew Perry forces the Japanese
government to open a limited number of ports for trade.
 Meiji Period (1868 – 1912) - 1868 The capital moves to Tokyo. 2 wars between China and between
Russia
 Taisho Period (1912 – 1926) - 1923 The Great Kanto Earthquake devastates Tokyo and Yokohama
 Showa Period (1926 – 1989) - 1937 Second Sino-Japanese War starts and then Japan surrenders
after atomic bombs are dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 - 1956 Japan becomes
member of the UN
 We’re now in the Heisei Period.
 Food
 Tofu
 Sushi
 Ramen
 Mochi
 Matcha
 Gyoza
 Manga and Anime
 Modern day manga (漫画): Popular Japanse style
comics which originated during the mid-1900s.
 These can be commonly found in bookstores,
bookstands and convenience stores all over Japan.
 A manga series may become popular enough that
it is made into an anime (アニメ) - Japanese styled
animation such as "Dragonball", "Sailor Moon",
"Pokemon" and "One Piece".
 Original scripts may also be written for animé
 One popular anime production company with its
own distinct style is Studio Ghibli, which has
produced award winning works such as "My
Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away".
 Language
 Isolated language – not known to be related
to any other language
 Japanese uses three separate writing
systems: hiragana (for Japanese words),
katakana (for loanwords), and kanji (Chinese
characters).
 Fun Facts
 Slurping food is good manners because it shows you enjoy
the food
 In Japan, Kit Kat candy bars come in flavors like grilled corn,
Camembert cheese, Earl Gray tea, grape, and wasabi.
 In Japan, there is an island full of rabbits called Ōkunoshima.
They were brought there during World War II to test the
effects of poison gas
 The Japanese avoid the number four (shi) because it sounds
the same as the word for death.
 While Westerners regard the heart as the center of
emotions, the Japanese regard the hara (belly) as the
center of emotions and thoughts. They value silent
communication, which they call haragei (“speaking from
the belly”).