The country of Japan has has the second largest economy in the world. Japan has a population of nearly 127 million people, most of which live on one small island. Japanese culture is of growing interest to people around the world who want insight into this fascinating country.
Geography
Japan is located in Asia and consists of many islands. The largest of these are Hokkaido, Kyushu, Honshu and Shikoku. At 87,805 square miles, Honshu is the largest island in Japan, and about 80 percent of the Japanese population lives here. Hokkaido is the second largest island of Japan, but is home to only 5 percent of the population. Kyushu is the third largest island, with 11 percent of the population, and Shikoku is the smallest island of Japan. Several continental plates meet beneath Japan, making this area especially prone to earthquakes and volcanoes. Mount Fuji is Japan's largest volcano. Though it is classified as an active volcano, Mt. Fuji has been dormant since 1708. The climate in Japan varies greatly by location. In most major cities the weather is temperate with four seasons. Winters are usually mild while summers see heat, humidity, rain and typhoons. Further north, in areas of Hokkaido, winters are much colder and have heavy snowfall.
History
Japan is home to the oldest surviving monarchy in the world. Japan was founded by Emperor Jimmu in the seventh century B.C. Buddhism was introduced over the next two centuries. Chinese culture also began to arrive in Japan around this time, including the Chinese writing system. The national flag of Japan is known as the Hinomaru and features a red circle against a white background. The circle is meant to symbolize the rising sun, a very important element of Japanese culture. Amaterasu Omikami is the original deity of Japan and is a sun goddess. The national anthem of Japan was written in 1880 and is called Kimigayo, meaning "The Emperor's Reign." The music for the anthem was composed by Hiromori Hayashi, a musician of the Imperial Court.
Function
Japanese food is popular all around the world. However, the dishes served at home in Japan may very greatly from the food served in Japanese restaurants in other parts of the world. Most Japanese people include rice in every meal. Tea is often included with all meals as well. Fruit is incredibly expensive in Japan, so most meals consist of meat, fish, vegetables and rice. Pork, beef, chicken, fish and seafood flavored with a variety of soy sauces are commonly used in main dishes. The people here prefer to shop daily for the ingredients for their meals, so refrigerators in Japan tend to be much smaller than those in other countries. Sushi is a popular Japanese dish made with rice and raw fish. Another favorite is miso soup, made from seaweed stock and soybean paste. Meals are usually eaten with chopsticks, known as hashi.
Features
Kendo is Japan's oldest form of martial arts. The name means "the way of the sword." Japanese poetry is known as haiku. A haiku poem consists of only three lines. Another well-known Japanese art is the unique paper folding known as origami. Many people are familiar with the popular origami crane, but this art includes a variety of shapes, including flowers, animals and geometric shapes. Noh is an ancient form of Japanese theater that is still very popular. Noh theater first emerged in the fourteenth century as a unique combination of Chinese theater and Japanese dance. This type of theater can last as long as 8 hours.
Considerations
When entering a home in Japan, footwear should always be removed. In the house, slippers are worn, though even these are removed for meals. There are special slippers for use in the bathroom. In small villages, the communities are especially close-knit. The entire village will participate in the preparations and ceremonies performed for events such as funerals and weddings. The Japanese drive on the left side of the road, and the steering wheel is on the right side of the car.
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