Japan

Landforms

Japan

• 4 large islands• 3,000 small islands

Japan

• Mountains= 75% Mt. Fuji highest• Volcanoes-Ring of Fire

Mt. Fuji

The Ring of Fire

Japan Climate

Japan

• Few mineral resources• Fishing and fisheries

History and Culture

Japan and the KoreasChapter 23, section 2

History and tradition are very important to the people of Japan and the Koreas.

Japanese History• First gov’t based on China’s gov’t

(emperors ruled Japan)

• Shoguns gained control after emperors’ power faded

Japanese History

•Samurai- very respected, highly trained warriors

•1868- Samurai gave power back to emperor

Japanese History

• Japan allied with Germany and Italy in WWII

Japanese History• Japan attacked Pearl Harbor (Hawaii) -> a lengthy,

deathly, expensive 4 years of battle in the Pacific (‘Island Hopping’- U.S. fighting to capture islands)

• US bombed Hiroshima & Nagasaki forcing surrender

Japanese Culture

• Language – Japanese• kanji (words) and kana (parts of words) characters

Kana

Kanji

Japanese Culture

• Religion-Shinto-Kami (nature spirits)

• Buddhists-enlightenment

Other culture—Kimonos- traditional garment Kabuki- traditional theater

How does Japan’s religion reflect its history?

How did World War II affect life in Japan?