Fast Facts about Japan
- Title: Nippon-koku, literally translates to “[the] State of Japan.”
- Location: As an island (archipelago) nation of East Asia, it lies in the Pacific Ocean as four large islands – Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku - and many smaller ones.
- Population: 127,368,088 people, most concentrated in cities.
- Capital: Tokyo.
- National Animal: Koi, Green Pheasant, Raccoon Dog, and Red-Crowned Crane.
- Dominant Language: Japanese.
- Currency: Yen
- Major Exports: Motor vehicles, semiconductors, and office machinery
- Dominant Religion: Shinto and Buddhism.
- Political System: Parliamentary with constitutional monarchy since 1947, so the emperor is a symbol of the nation with infinitesimal political power. Since 1989, the reigning emperor is Emperor Kinjō (or Emperor Akihito in English). The head of government is the prime minister, Shinzō Abe, who was elected in December 2012. The lawmaking body is the National Diet, which is composed of two houses, the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors.
- Military: The Japan Self-Defense Forces, or JSDF, are the unified military forces of Japan, established after the end of the Allied Power’s occupation of Japan at the end of World War II. Consists of any army, navy, and air force.
Music from Japan
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Modern Music
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Modern Music
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Traditional Music
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Video Links about Japan
"Akira": Japanese Anime Movie
Akira (アキラ) Japanese Theatrical Trailer 1 (2010). Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded& v=FtPhrCTjMtQ Dating back to 1917, the Japanese art of anime has grown to encompass a vast array of productions that have caught the West’s attention, including animated television series, manga graphic novels, and full-length animated movies. “Akira” is a landmark Japanese anime movie. The film is credited for elevating anime’s worldwide popularity. Written and directed by Katsuhiro Ōtomo in 1988, “Akira” acts as a social commentary on the unsettled situation of post-World War II Japan in which the Allied powers occupied the country, integrating powerful imagery of the destruction left by the nuclear explosion. As a futuristic dystopian story, “Akira” takes place in 2019 Tokyo, centering on teen biker Tetsuo Shima and his incredible psychic powers. Here is a trailer for the hit movie. |
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National Geographic 's "Wild Japan" Documentary
National Geographic: Wild Japan – Nature Documentary (2012). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com /watch?feature=player_embedded&v=clSO7tewXBs
National Geographic’s documentary on the wildlife of Japan provides a unique way for students to be introduced to – and for biology classes to integrate - the foreign country, since it provides a lens other than the typical ones of Tokyo or anime into Japan. Amid the bustling urbanization and industrialization of Japan, the country’s natural fauna is often overshadowed and overlooked. Outside of Japan’s fast and furious megacities, however, lie forested islands, mountains, and volcanoes. With beautiful footage of bears ensnaring fish in their mouths and canopies of Japanese cherry blossoms, the vivid documentary weaves through all the climates of Japan’s myriad islands, highlighting animals while also pinpointing legends associated with the native birds and the nighttime traditions of fish hunting. Exposing Japan as being populated by more than citydwellers, “Wild Japan” offers a captivating look at Japan's underappreciated nature. |
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Tokyo - Megacity
Tokyo – Megacities (2013). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com
/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tHr9h9BZ3Cw With global warming a hot topic in school science classrooms, this mini 20-minute documentary on the megacity of Tokyo and its consequent immense contribution to air pollution serves to be a good resource to twin text with Al Gore’s documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.” Hailed as the “Grand Daddy of Megacities” in the clip, Tokyo is presented as a highly advanced, technological city in which playgrounds can be seen on the rooftops of skyscrapers and property rates are astronomically high. At high risk to seismic activity, Tokyo is a vulnerable metropolitan area that also serves as one of the epicenters of the world economy. Although its pollution statistics are not directly stated in the video, the clip is a natural lead-in to the consequences of Tokyo’s industrial lifestyle. |
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Japan's Culinary Corner
Sushi
As a $14 billion industry in Japan, traditional sushi offers combinations of vinegered rice, seaweed ("nori"), vegetable - like avocado or carrots - and raw or cooked seafood.
Served with wasabi, soy sauce, pickeled ginger, sushi is one of the most popular dishes of Japanese culture. Held as an art, sushi has as much to do about aesthetics - physical attractiveness - as it does with taste. The picture slideshow presents common sushi types and their dipping sides.
The website "All About Sushi" is a simple Internet guide to a background in the types and ingredients found in sushi and a what-to-expect breakdown of sushi restaurants. Retrieved from: http://www.aboutsushi.net/index.php?page=home The video "Sushi - Origins and History" is part of an educational series by Geo Beats. The clip chronicles the accidental discovery and evolution of sushi. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bdUx0kvvnyk |
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Web Pages about Japan
"Kids Web Japan"
Kids Web Japan. Retrieved from http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/
Sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Kids Web Japan” is a website designed to introduce students – the targeted age range is 10-14 year-olds – to Japan’s culture. Offering information about Japanese fashion trends and technological advancements like the bullet train and free-dried food, short stories in the traditional Japanese magna form, and pages about Japan’s climate and government, “Kids Web Japan” is a dense, extensive site. However, with its playful, bright layout and color, the wealth of knowledge the website possesses is disguised in a child-friendly visual navigation system. |
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"The Japan Times"
"The Japan Times." Retrieved from http://www.japantimes.co.jp/
As an online newspaper written entirely in English, “Japan Times” provides news coverage from the country’s perspective. It chronicles current events in Japan, including crime and legal issues, social concerns, business reports, sports like sumo, and the culture and arts. The newspaper even reports on world news about the U.S., so readers can get an international point-of-view on American happenings. “The Japan Times” is a thorough and comprehensive resource for Japan’s top news and editorials. Users can even switch to “The Japan Times Weekly,” which provides the website in its native tongue, the Japanese language. The website even has a section informing users of the current time and weather in Japan’s capital city. |