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Table of Contents
Introduction Introduction- Page 1 Physical Features Climate Page 2 Nature- Page 3 Geography- Page 4 History History- Page 6 Imperial History- Page 8 Culture Food- Page 9 Clothing- Page 10 Housing- Page 10 Art- Page 11 Economy Economy- Page 12 Demographics Demographics- Page 13 Conclusion

The girl in the kimono sits quietly on a bench while cherry blossom petals drift around her. She hears the sound of cicadas buzzing in the distance, even louder than the laughter of the children at the Hanami festival. She had wanted to get away from the commotion to think, so she found herself beside a pond with bright, penny coloured koi and an ancient, fragrant cherry tree. It was peace in the simplest terms. Japan may seem like an alluring place of serenity and beautiful scenery, but a step inside reveals a clash of war, beauty, and conflict: the rich and rather violent history disputes the current state of peace. It has made its fair share of mistakes, but also nurtured and changed millions of lives for the better.

Physical Features Climate In Japan, snow meters high cover entire villages, while the south stays balmy and warm. Japans climate is extremely different from one part of the country to the other. However, unlike some tropical countries where there are only two seasons- dry and rainy, Japan has four distinctive seasons. Blooming cherry blossoms mark the beginning of spring while bright red foliage signal the coming of autumn. Japans geographical diversity within itself divides it into 6 different climatic zones- Sea of Japan, Seto Inland Sea, Central Highlands, Ryukyu Islands, Hokkaido, and the Pacific Ocean. Hokkaido is located the furthest north, with heavy snowfalls in winter and cool, dry summers. The Ryukyu Islands is warmest year round, with warm winters and hot summers, although precipitation is heavy. The Seto Inland Sea is the most temperate because the Chugoku and Shikoku mountains shelter it from any extreme weather. The Central Highlands has weather similar to Canada, with big ranges from day to night, and hot, dry summers accompanied with cold, snowy winters. Overall, Japan has an average of 5C in the winter and 25C in the summer. However, this does not provide an overview of Japans climate 5C is not enough for snow to form, while most residents of Hokkaido get snowed in for weeks every winter, and Ryukyus people can still wear shorts and t-shirts during December. In fact, the lowest temperature ever recorded was -41C in Hokkaido almost a century ago, while the highest is the opposite41C, recorded in August 2007. Rainy season comes to Okinawa, the island furthest south, in May, and moves upward until it reaches Hokkaido in late July. Typhoons bring heavy precipitation in early autumn, and may be accompanied by hurricanes and tornados. Japans location is a hotspot for natural disasters, especially earthquakes and tsunamis due to location in the Pacific Ring of Fire. The Great East Japan earthquake that hit Japan on March 11th, 2011 was one of the five most powerful earthquakes in the world, with a rating of 9.0 on the Richter scale. Almost 50 earthquakes with a magnitude over 7 or above have hit Japan since 684, countless smaller earthquakes happen every day. Some of the

earthquakes have moved the earth a few centimeters, others have made entire islands disappear, and many have caused tsunamis. Japan has state-of-the-art technology to detect and track storms efficiently, and to design disaster-resistant buildings. Cities in Hokkaido have snow stoppers on roofs to prevent a large snowfall from hitting the people below, and extremely strong supporting posts to prevent the roof from caving in under the weight from the snow. Underground pipes sprinkle water on roads to keep them clear, helped by snowplows and other snow removal machinery. In Okinawa, stands of trees are planted around houses to reduce typhoon damage, and stucco is used on roofs to prevent them blowing away. Nature Japan is home to over 90 000 species, and due to the different climates in Japan, these range from the macaque (snow monkey) to the giant salamander, which can reach lengths of 1.5 meters. Nine different types of ecoregions reflect the geography of the islands they are located on. The ecoregions include subtropical broadleaf forests in Ryukyu, coniferous in the northern islands, to mixed broadleaf and coniferous forests inland. Japan has an especially diverse aquatic wildlife, due to the warm and cold currents sweeping along Japan which creates an environment sufficient for many species. There are over 3000 species of fish, like the auspicious red sea bream, and mammals such as dolphins, dugongs, and sea lions. Mammals like the Japanese serow, sika deer, and wild boar graze in patchy forests. The sika deer may be found in cities, and kept in places like the Nara Park where they can be petted. The largest mammals out of the 130 land species are the Asian black bear and the brown bear, which plays an important part in the culture of the Ainu people. Smaller predators include the takuni- a dog that closely resembles a raccoon, foxes, two different species of wild cats, weasels and martens. Over 600 species of birds have been discovered in Japan, although only a handful are endemic. The green pheasant is the national bird of Japan. The red crowned crane, famous for its beauty, grace, and rarity, is an auspicious symbol of fidelity and longevity. Many migrating birds pass and stay in Japan.

There are around 80 species of reptiles in Japan, over half are native. Only a couple of snakes are venomous, not including hyrdophiinae (sea snakes). Sea turtles and hydrophiinae inhabit the warmer waters. There are also about 40 species of amphibians. There are many insects in Japan, including 300 species of butterflies. Firefly viewing is popular, so are catching insects such as dragonflies, cicadas and crickets. The Japanese giant hornet resides in Japan; it is somewhat unwelcome as they predate European honeybees, which produce much of Japans honey. Almost 6000 species of flora are indigenous to Japan and occur naturally. In the subtropical areas of Japan, mangroves, tree ferns and cycads are common, but in the significantly colder Hokkaido, conifers are dominant. Bamboo grows abundantly across Japan with some 500 species. Many native plants like the water dropwort and wasabi are grown for agriculture uses. Geography Japan is an archipelago of almost 7000 unique islands, with the main four being Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. They are called the Home Islands. The total area of Japan is 377 923 km, with about 3100 km composed of water bodies. However, of the total 6852 islands, only 430 are inhabited, as many islands are just large islets and unsuitable for human inhabitants. The archipelago has changed over time from a peninsula to an island. Much of the former land during the Middle Pliocene (around 2.4 million years ago) has sunk below sea waters into modern day Japan. A prefecture is similar to a province; it has a parliament and government system, and is bigger than a city or town. Japan has 47 prefectures: one metropolis (Tokyo) called to, one circuit (Hokkaido) called do, two urban prefectures (Osaka and Kyoto) called fu, and 43 other prefectures called ken. Together they are referred to as the todofuken. Altogether, the prefectures are divided into 8 regions- Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu- Okinawa. Each region is different; there are different customs, languages, laws, and cultures. The food and art are especially distinct.

Mountains cover 73 percent of Japan- there are over 400 mountains higher than 1000 meters. Plains and relatively flat land for agricultural, residential and industrial use cover less than 25%. Major cities are concentrated in the 30% of plains, therefore resulting in one of the worlds highest population density. Although Japan houses 128 million people, it is only slightly larger than the American state of California. Accordingly, mountains are sometimes cultivated up to the summit due to the lack of flat space. 11 percent of Japan is used for agriculture, however, permanent crops and pastures take up only one and two percent respectively. Forests and other natural land take up 17 percent. This means that Japan relies heavily on other resources, like fishing or tourism. There is an abundance of water, saline or not. No point in Japan is more than 150 kilometers from water, and the coastline is 34 751 km long, compared to the much larger United States coastline of 12 380 km. The largest mountain in Japan is Mount Fuji, with a peak at 3776 meters above sea level. It is one of Japans Holy Mountains, along with Mount Taku and Tate. Mount Fuji is still an active stratovolcano, although the last eruption occurred in 1707. In fact, many volcanoes are in Japan: over 10 percent of the worlds volcanoes can be found in Japan because of its position in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

History Japans history is sectioned into 7 different parts: prehistoric, ancient, classic, feudal, edo, empire, and state. Each period is very different from the former because of Japans rapid technological advancement. Prehistoric Japan was the Japanese Paleolithic Age, which may started as early as 15 000 BCE and probably ended during 12 000 BCE. No records of this time have been found, but there have been artifacts like stone axes that have survived. Some researchers claim they have found artifacts from as early as 38 000 BCE, but there has been no substantial proof. Most scientists accept 15 000 BCE as the earliest start of the Paleolithic Age. The ancient Japan period included the Jomon Period, the Yayoi, and the Kofun. The Jomon Period may have overlapped with the Paleolithic Age, it lasted from 14 000 BCE until 300 BCE. This was when signs of stable civilization first started showing. There were rudimentary housing and agricultural attempts. The Jomon people also made clay pots with simple patterns. Over time, the vessels became more and more decorative and complex, with many complicated designs. Some are still around today and are presented at many museums. The Yayoi and Kofun periods saw a boost in technology. Farming was perfected, military states were established, tattoos and hair styles were popular, and most importantly, records were being kept regulary. Classical Japan consisted of the Asuka, Nara, and Heian period and lasted from 538 to 1185. The Nara period, from 710-794, was the most prominent: it is often though of as a golden age for Japan. George Sansom concludes, Japan had been transformed from a loose federation of uji in the fifth century to an empire on the order of Imperial China in the eighth century. A new theory of state and a new structure of government supported the Japanese sovereign in the style and with the powers of an absolute monarch." The Heian period divided Japan into clans, with the four most powerful being the Fujiwara clan, the Taira clan, the Minamoto clan, and the Tachibana clan. Clashes between these clans led to the Hogen Rebellion. The rebellion is considered a huge turning point for Japan; it caused the first stages of development of the feudal era. The Heiji Rebellion and the Genji war also happened in this period, which helped pave the stones for feudalism.

Feudalism in Japan was highlighted by the power and control the powerful regional families and shogunnate (warlords, high ranking people) exhibited. It lasted from 1185 to 1868. Mongolian armies invaded Japan with superior naval technology and weaponry to try and take over the islands after the conquering of Goryeo (Korea). Although Japan emerged victorious because of the heavy losses of the Mongolians, it still suffered through the devastating loss of the Kamakura military dictatorship. A typhoon called kamikaze (meaning divine wind in Japanese) helped destroy the Mongolian invasion force along with Japans defenses in Kyushu. In 1549, Francis Xavier led Catholic Jesuit missionaries to Japan and were well received in Kyoto. However, their mission was most successful in Kyushu, with around 150 000 converts, including many elites called daimyos. In the 1620s Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of Nobunagas generals, decided the Jesuits were providing Europeans with a better chance to invade Japan. A government persecution expelled the Jesuits, demolished the churches and killed daimyos that didnt reject Christianity. A few Christian communities went underground, but soon died out. The Jesuits have left no lasting impression on Japan and Christianity wasnt re-established until the late 1870s. The Edo period started in 1603, and brought peace to a country of 31 million. The shogunnates instituted a fair and consistent taxation, government spending and bureaucracies. They humbled the nobility and regulated the economy, along with avoiding international communication, affairs and wars. Rice production boomed but populations remained the same, meaning more profits and an overall better economy. However, other countries noticed this 265 year of silence from Japan, and William II of Netherlands sent a message urging Japan to open its doors. Commodore Matthew Perry took a harsher route and took 4 warships and numerous cannons to Japan and requested they open again to Western trade. In 1854, Perry returned with 7 ships. Japan finally agreed to sign a treaty with the United States and over the course of 5 years, gradually signed trade agreements with more Western nations. The Empire of Japan period from 1868 until 1945 was a time of enormous economic growth in Japan. Cultural, political and economic revolutions helped Japan advance into a highly unified country. Japan started becoming an imperial power internationally and colonized Korea and Taiwan. Intensifying tensions with the USA and their control of Japans vital oil supply led to World War II.

During this short period of 77 years, there were multiple wars with China and Russia. The Russo-Japanese war was called the first great war of the twentieth century. It was between Russia and Japan for control of Manchuria, which is now Northeast China and Korea. The Sino Japanese war was a military conflict between China and Japan over control of Korea, which later led to the World War II. Because of the many war crimes that Japan committed against China- such as the Nanjing massacre- and the escalating tensions, USA actively supported China with money, supplies and threats against Japan. Prime Minister Konoe Fumimaro believed that a war with the US would end in defeat, but if it wasnt fought Japan would be knocked down from its post as a member of the World Powers. Therefore, under Admiral Yamamotas advice, Japan attacked the American battle fleet at Pearl Harbor. However, they failed to destroy the shore facilities that would debilitate the US Pacific Operations but incited USA to take revenge. Japan continued on a destructive tornado that took many Chinese cities such as Shanghai, and took over French Indochina, British Malaya, and Indonesia. However, USAs superior aviators, navy, and planning soon overtook Japans. Operation Starvation blocked Japans waterways and air to disrupt trade; over 80% of military deaths were by starvation or malnutrition. In August 1945, two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki rendered resistance futile, and Japan surrendered. The fall of the Empire of Japan changed Japan into a democratic state: the State of Japan. The country had retained only its home islands due to its defeat in World War II. However, it managed to grow again into a country of economic success and power. Imperial History The 1947 Imperial Household Law places these positions from most power to least: the Emperor of Japan, the empress, the grand empress dowager, the crown prince and his partner, the imperial grandson, and the imperial princesses. Emperor Akihito is the current emperor from a line of 125 previous emperors; he has been reigning since 1989. However, nowadays the emperor has very little power compared to the Prime Minister. Empress Michiko married Akihito in 1959, and is very popular in Japan as she is considered a yamato nadeshiko- a woman who represents purity, virtue, and beauty.

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Culture Food Rice has been the most important food in Japan for over 2000 years. It is easy to make, versatile and can be made differently to suit different needs. Common dishes like sushi, onigiri (sticky rice balls), fried rice and kayu (rice porridge) are made mainly with rice. A huge part of the diet is miso soup: tofu, seaweed and water mixed with miso paste. It is usually eaten with every meal, especially breakfast. Seafood is also a very important part of the Japans diet. Because of the strict guidelines that food manufacturers must follow, fish, along with other food, is clean enough to eat raw. This is called sashimi and is a popular addition in sushi. Grilled fish called yakizakana is eaten regularly. Noodle dishes include some that originated in Japan and others that were introduced to Japan and gradually became Japanized. Soba noodles are made from buckwheat and wheat flour, and are traditionally mixed with cold soya sauce to enjoy on a hot summers day. Yakisoba is a deep-fried noodle which originally came from China, and the extremely popular ramen also came from China but has been completely modified by Japan. A hot pot is a special way a meal is prepared: raw, thinly sliced vegetables and meat are set on the table, with a pot of boiling water. A piece is held in the boiling water until it is cooked, then dipped into sauce. Many different entrees can be cooked this way, and many have been specifically made for a hot pot: fish cakes, daikon (Japanese radish), sukiyaki (thinly sliced mushrooms, beef, and tofu), and konnyaku (elephant yam gel). A popular meat dish is yakitori, which is grilled chicken on a skewer. Sold at vendors all over the country, it is made with different parts of the chicken, including the liver, heart, and cartilage. Mainly, it is just chicken breast.

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Sweets and snacks in Japan are called okashi, which means sweet berries. Rice also features in many of them, for example, rice crackers, rice cakes, mocha (pounded, sticky, sweet rice), dango (rice dumpling) and uiro (steamed cake made with rice flour). Most sweets are healthy and low calorie, and made from natural, unusual ingredients like agar jelly, hakuto peaches, or red algae. Children in Japan bring bento boxes to school, which contain some sort of vegetable like broccoli, an onigiri, and fish. It can be elaborately designed to look like a popular cartoon character or animal, and children show off their enticing lunches. Before eating, the Japanese say itadakimasu which is a polite phrase meaning I am grateful for this food. This signifies their thanks to whoever prepared the food. After eating, they say gochiso sama deschita, meaning it was quite a feast. Clothing The traditional Japanese clothing is the kimono, a dress-like robe that encompasses the arm in wide sleeve and is tied with a obi, a wide sash that is knotted at the waist. Very fancy kimonos sometimes have sleeves that reach the ground, which are only worn by women. The kimono is only worn at festivals or weddings nowadays, the conventional t-shirt and jeans are worn in everyday life. The zori is a straw shoe similar to a flip flop. They range from casual to extremely formal, sometimes, lacquered wood is used. There may also be a slight heel for women. Kanzashi is a hair ornament worn by women, high quality accessories are generally made with jade and lacquered wood or gold. It can resemble many things from cherry blossoms to a tsunami, and change seasonally. The clothing matches the seasons, in autumn, rustic oranges and reds are worn, while spring brings forth vibrant pinks and greens. In winter, the Japanese wear many layers in dull colours. Housing Traditional Japanese housing doesnt have a specific use for each room except for the entrance area, kitchen, bathroom, and toilet (which are separate). This is because each piece of furniture is portable and minimally made, and can be stored in the oshiire,

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which is a large storage closet. The house is usually one big room as a living space, with the kitchen, bathroom and the toilet outside of the house as extensions. Rooms may be redesigned by sliding paper doors called fusuma, similar to an office partition. Roka are wooden passages similar to hallways that can be sectioned off by a fusuma, and they extend to the kitchen, bathroom and toilet. In winter, extended roofs protect the roka. The roof is made of wood and clay, with tiles and thatched areas on top to protect against rain. In typhoon season, the whole house is sealed tightly because of the weak paper used to build fusuma and other doors. Tatami mats are extremely versatile 1.91 by 0.95 meter mats made of rushes. It is used as a bed or as a sitting area because of its coolness in summer and warmness in the winter. It stays fresh, unlike many carpets during Japans humid months. Rooms are often measured by how many tatamis it can fit. Modern houses are extremely strong, reinforced with concrete and steel because of the many earthquakes. Many are only one story to protect against high winds. Art Kabuki is a type of traditional theatre that started in the early 17th century. It s characterized by the resplendent makeup called kumadori, flamboyant costumes, and the rhythm of the lines spoken by the all-male actors. The leading actor wears a heavily lacquered wooden mask that can represent many things, like a young boy, an old man, a celestial figure or a demon. Noh is the most popular and oldest form, with the story told not only with dialogue but singing, dance and musical accompaniment. Other forms include kyogen and bunraku, which are more comical and sometimes includes puppets. A tea ceremony, sado or chado, is so structured and meaningful it is considered an art. The host must have an extensive knowledge of Japanese history and culture, a sensitivity to living things, and a certain delicatism. There is a certain way to place every object or to say every phrase. Ikebana is the art of flower arranging. Like the tea ceremony, every flower, leaf or branch must be placed in a way that connects to the vase or the background. Each element of the ikebana relates to each other and the surrounding space. Zen gardens, tea gardens, and Japanese landscaping are designed in a way similar to the ikebana.

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Economy Japan is currently the third largest national economy, beaten only by USA and China. Its main exports are China and USA, with 18.88 and 16.42 percent of their export market trading respectively. Japan specializes in motor vehicles, transportation equipment, electrical machinery, electronics, and chemicals. The largest enterprises in Japan include Toyota, Nintendo, Sony, Panasonic, and Honda. Japan is the leading country for scientific research and technology. It has a grant of US$130 billion divided between over 700 000 researchers for research and development. Japan owns over half of the worlds industrial robots, some 402 200 robots out of 742 500. Its most important technological contributions include the fields of electronics, automobiles, machinery, earthquake resistance, and chemicals. Japan invests billions of dollars into space exploration, and plans to launch a space probe to Venus, Akatsuki, build the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter by 2013 and develop a moon base by 2030. Japans infrastructure is also extensive; road spending has produced 1.2 million kilometers of road. However, the car usage is the lowest of the G8 countries. This may be because of the trains, most famously the bullet trains of Tokyo: they travel at a speed of 581 km per hour. The Japanese yen is the third most traded currency in the economy, after the US dollar and the euro. One Japanese yen is equal to a US penny, so quantities of 10 000 are used, called man. For example, something costing 50 000 would be called 5 man. There are coins for quantities of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 500.

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Demographics As mentioned before, Japan is home to 128 million people. Of those, nearly 9 million live in Tokyo, compared to the second largest population of a city, which are Yokohamas 3.5 million citizens. Cities with over 700 000 people are extremely heavily industrialized, while places like Hokkaido stays frozen and traditional. Japan has the longest life expectancy of any country at 83 years; health care is also provided by the government for the elderly. Crime rates are one of the lowest. However, suicide rates are very high with 30 000 people a year. It is the leading cause of death for people under 30. The average age is also increasing; some younger Japanese are preferring not to marry or have children. The population of Japan is expected to drop to 95 million by 2050. An estimated 84 percent of the Japanese practice Buddhism or Shinto, while other studies say only 30 percent practices a religion at all. Nonetheless, participation levels in the many festivals are high. Taoism and Confucianism were brought over from China, and less than one percent of Japan is Christian. Over 99 percent of the population speaks Japanese, which is very similar to Chinese. Some words are just accented English or Chinese words, like stress and toilet: they would be pronounced si-te-ress and toi-i-let. Many Japanese symbols are similar to Chinese symbols. Honorifics like san or sama are added to the end of a name to show respect or affection. Elementary and middle school are compulsory for Japanese children, which last from the ages 6-15. The Programme for International Student Assessment ranks Japanese 15 year olds as sixth best in the world.

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Japan is a country that is both breathtaking and temerarious. The people, history, and places in Japan make it one of the most intriguing nations in the world. A long time resident of Japan, Midoli Sasaki, says, The people there are so nice. If you get lost on the street, someone will drive you safely back home. The food is so fresh and clean, Im not afraid to eat it raw. Even the air is < very clean. If I could live anywhere in the world, I wouldnt choose any place but Japan.

DO NOT EXIT!!!!!!!!!!!