Japan

1
Japan

• Trish, Jennifer, Adriane, Holly, and Heather

2
History of Japan

• Japanese history can be traced as far back as
  4000 BCE and is characterized by handmade pottery
  with rope designs.
• In 300 BCE the introduction of rice agriculture
  begins the development of a social hierarchy in
  Japan.

3
Buddhism

• In the 5th and 6th centuries, Buddhism and the
  Chinese system of writing were imported from
  China.
• Japanese emperors were leaders in name only, the
  real power was held by court nobles, regents, and
  shoguns.

4
The Western World Discovers Japan

• In 1542 the first Europeans arrived in Japan,
  when Portuguese explores landed on Kyushu. They
  introduced Christianity and firearms to Japan.

5
Japan Closes Its Doors

• The shoguns severed most of Japans ties with
  foreign countries for 251 years
• Only limited trade was allowed in Nagasaki.

6
Perry Reopens Japan

• In 1854 Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to
  reopen its ports to Western ships.

7
Japan in WWI

• Japan entered WWI in 1914 and fought with the
  allies.

8
Japan Bombs Pearl Harbor

• On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes bombed the
  United States military bases at Pearl Harbor,
  Hawaii.

9
Defeat for Japan

• Rather than invade Japan, the US opted to use its
  new atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of
  Hiroshima and Nagasaki in order to end the was in
  the Pacific.

10
Geography and Climate
11
Location

• Located in the Pacific Ocean
• Off the coast of China
• Set in the Sea of Japan
• Japan consists of several thousands of islands,
  of which Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku are
  the four largest.

12
Relative Location
13
Land Area

• Japan's area is comparable to California.
• Japan's northernmost islands are located
  approximately on same geographical latitude as
  Portland while her southernmost islands are about
  on the same latitude as the Bahamas.
• Tokyo, Japan is located at 35 40 N and 139 45 E.

14
Elevation
15
Land Quality

• According to experts, about 60 of the Japanese
  landscape is steep mountainous regions covered
  with forest.
• Approximately 70 of the total Japanese
  population is concentrated in the plains and
  basins, an area comprising just 24 of the
  habitable land.
• People must make good use of available lands.
  There are many terraced fields. Those fields are
  used often for crops and fruits such as mandarin
  orange trees or apples.

16
Agriculture

• Today the number of farmers is decreasing as the
  population grows.
• Only 40 of the crops currently consumed are
  produced in Japan, and 60 of the crops are
  imported from other countries. For example
• 90 of soy beans are imported from China and
  America.
• Some kinds of vegetables from South America
• Fruits such as bananas and oranges from South
  Asia, America, and other countries.
• Rice from other countries
• Seafood and Meat

17
Population

• The population of Japan is about 125,000,000.
• Almost the whole population is Japanese. More
  than half of the non- Japanese population is
  Korean.

18
Land Problems

• High population densities in Japan cause many
  social problems such as a rising land costs and
  land contamination because of a concentration of
  people in a small area.

Rice Field
19
Volcanoes and Earthquakes

• Japan is located in an area where 4 tectonic
  plates are connected to each other.
• The land sits on two plates, the North American
  plate and the Eurasian plate.
• This is one of the reasons why Japan experiences
  so many earthquakes.
• Also, there are many volcanoes throughout the
  country. Those volcanoes are still active and
  some of them frequently erupt .

20

• Large and small earthquakes occur frequently. As
  a result, many buildings in Japan are built to
  have greater endurance to the destruction of an
  earthquake.

Volcanic activity in Sakura Island
21

• A positive side effect of the large number of
  volcanoes is that there are many natural hot
  springs.

22
Mt. Fuji

• The most famous volcano is Mt. Fuji, which is the
  highest point of Japan and one of the most
  beautiful mountains in the world. It can be seen
  from Tokyo when the weather is clear.
• It has an elevation of 12,387 feet.

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Mt. Fuji
24
Climate

• Spring  When winters nears its end, the cold
  seasonal winds blowing from the continent become
  weaker and more intermittent. At this time, low
  pressure air masses originating in China enter
  the Sea of Japan these give rise to strong, warm
  southerly winds which travel toward this
  low-pressure zone from the Pacific Ocean. 
• The first of these winds is called haru ichiban. 
  While it announces the warmth of the coming
  spring, it sometimes causes avalanches along with
  hot and dry weather.

25
Spring cont.

• In early spring, plum blossoms appear, followed
  by peach blossoms.  During the last ten days or
  so of March, the cherry blossoms so beloved by
  the Japanese people begin to bloom.

26
Summer

• Before the arrival of real summer-like weather,
  Japan has a damp rainy season know as baiu.  From
  May until July, there is a high-pressure mass of
  cold air above the Sea of Okhotsk to the north of
  Japan, while over the Pacific Ocean there
  develops a high-pressure mass of warm, moist
  air. 
• Along the line where these cold and warm air
  masses meet, known as the baiu zensen, which
  extends from southern China over the Japanese
  archipelago, causes prolonged periods of
  continuous rainfall.

27
Summer cont.

• After the middle of July, high-pressure air
  masses over the Pacific Ocean become predominant
  and the rainy season comes to an end as the baiu
  zensen is pushed northward.  Seasonal winds from
  the Pacific Ocean bring warm, moist air to Japan,
  and the country has hot summer weather with many
  days when temperatures rise to more than 30
  degrees centigrade. (86 degrees F)

28
Fall

• From the end of summer through September, Japan
  is often struck by typhoons. 
• Typhoons originate from large masses of tropical
  low-pressure air in the North Pacific between the
  latitudes of approximately 5 and 20 degrees, and
  are the same phenomenon as hurricanes and
  cyclones in other parts of the world. 
• When a typhoon begins to take shape, it gradually
  moves north.  Every year, during this period,
  around 30 typhoons form, of which on the average
  about 4 reach Japan, sometimes causing great
  destruction.

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Typhoons
30
Fall cont.

• After the middle or latter part of October, Japan
  enjoys generally clear weather it is neither hot
  nor cold.  The country also enjoys especially
  fine weather at the beginning of November.  Many
  of the trees take on bright autumn colors, making
  this time of the year a truly beautiful season.

31
Winter

• Toward the end of November, cold seasonal winds
  begin blowing over Japan from the continent. 
  These northwesterly winds pick up moisture over
  the Sea of Japan and drop much of this moisture
  in the form of rain and snow on the western side
  of Japan as they are impeded in their eastern
  advance by the ridge of mountains that runs
  through the central part of the country. 
• By contrast, the Pacific side of the country
  enjoys generally clear skies during the winter
  season.  In Tokyo, despite the fair skies, winter
  temperatures average around 5 degrees ( 41
  degrees F).

32
Snow in Japan
33
Shoe boxes in a Japanese school entrance way.

• .

34
Japanese education

• Elementary and junior high schools prepare
  students for the rugged regimen of high school by
  supporting and encouraging a positive engagement
  in work.
• Japanese students lead all international tests of
  childrens ability in math and science.
• 40-50 percent of high school students plan on
  attending top universities and must take private
  after school preparation classes called juku.
• Japanese students test higher than any other
  national group in liking to go to school.
• Most schools require a uniform.
• High school classes average 43- 45 students per
  one teacher.

35
..
Matsumoto Castle

• -(Matsumotojo) is one of the most complete and
  beautiful among Japan's original castles. It is
  also a good example of a "hirajiro", a castle
  built on the plain rather than on a hill or
  mountain.
• -Matsumotojo's castle tower and smaller, second
  turret were built from 1592 to 1614.

36
Geisha Dancers

• The word geisha is a Sino-Japanese word meaning
  "a skilled person" and referred to girls in Japan
  who were professional singers and dancers.
• The true geisha were required to undergo a period
  of strenuous training in singing and dancing,
  which sometimes began as early as at the age of
  seven.
• A geishas fee was based upon the amount of time
  she spent entertaining a guest. The time was
  calculated on the basis of the burning duration
  of an incense stick, which was variously reported
  to be from twenty-five to thirty minutes.

37

• Japanese Marriage
• There are two types of Japanese marriages the
  love marriage (we are familiar with in the
  West) and arranged marriages.
• Arranged marriages were common in the past but
  now are only around 25- 40 percent.
• The divorce rate for arranged marriages is lower
  than for love marriages.

38
Kabuki Actors

• Kabuki is one of Japan's traditional theatrical
  arts.
• It began in the16th century and is still an
  important part of Japans culture today.
• All female parts are played by male impersonators
  known as onnagata.
• Until kabuki, the people of Japan had never seen
  theater of such color, glamour, excitement and
  general extraordinariness.

39

• The Japanese Housewife
• In the 1960s women in Japan typically left the
  workplace when they had children and did not
  return.

The recent trend for Japanese women is the neo-
housewife. They are creating businesses and
organizations and are separating themselves from
the male- centered corporate world.
40
A Drawing of Fifty Yen Coin
Coins One Yen 1 Five yen coin 5 Ten yen coin
10 Fifty yen coin 50 One hundred yen coin
100 Five hundred yen coin 500
Bills One-thousand yen bill 1000 Two-thousand
yen bill 2000 (rare) Five-thousand yen bill
5000 Ten-thousand yen bill 10000
41
Kyoto

• Kyoto is a city that has a very natural setting
  which seems to enhance the quality of life for
  its inhabitants.
• At the foot of the mountains surrounding Kyoto,
  magnificent structures and gardens created during
  various periods since the 8th century have been
  well preserved.

42
Japanese food
Buckwheat noodles that have been prepared Kyoto-
style

• .

Sake (Japanese rice wine)
43
The great variance in Japanese geographic
regions.

• Mount Fuji

44
Major Religions in Japan
Shinto Buddhism
Nara's Todaiji, Buddhist Temple
Ise Jingu, Shintos most sacred shrine
45
Shinto

• Means The Way of the Gods
• No founder or sacred scriptures, it is deeply
  rooted in the Japanese people and their
  traditions.
• Shinto gods are called kami, theyre sacred
  spirits that take the form of human things and
  concepts such as wind, rain, mountains, trees,
  river and fertility.

Some prominent rocks are worshipped as kami.
46
Concepts of Shinto

• There are no absolutes no absolute wrong or
  right, no one is perfect.
• Optimistic faith, humans are thought to be
  inherently good and evil is caused by evil
  spirits.
• Shinto rituals keep evil spirits away.
• Death is considered impure and is not dealt with
  in the Shinto religion.

47
Shinto Shrines

• Shinto shrines are the places of worship and are
  home of the kami.
• Most shrines celebrate festivals to show the kami
  the outside world.

Tokyo's Meiji Shrine is dedicated to the spirits
of Emperor Meiji.
48
History of Shinto

• Made Japans state religion during the Meiji
  period (1867) after conflict with the Buddhist
  community.
• After World War II, Shinto and the state were
  separated.

49
Buddhism

• Originated in India and was imported to Japan
  during the 6th century.
• There are several sects of Buddhism Tendai,
  Shingon, Jodo, Zen, and Lotus Hokke.

50
Theories of Buddhism

• Based on principle that everyone can achieve
  salvation by believing in the Buddha Amida.
• One can achieve self-enlightenment through
  meditation and discipline.
• One must go through many cycles of birth, living,
  and death. After these cycles, if a person
  releases their attachment to desire and the self,
  they can attain Nirvana  - a state of liberation
  and freedom from suffering.

51
Three Trainings of Buddhism

• Sila Virtue, good conduct, and morality.
  Involves equality and the Golden Rule treat
  others as you would have them treat you.
• Samadhi Concentration, meditation, mental
  development.
• Prajna Discernment, insight, wisdom,
  enlightenment.

52
The Five Precepts of Buddhism

• Do not kill.
• Do not steal.
• Do not lie.
• Do not misuse sex.
• Do not consume alcohol or other drugs (this
  includes television and the internet).

53
The Eightfold Path

• Samma ditthi Right Understanding of the Four
  Noble Truths
• Samma sankappa Right thinking following the
  right path in life
• Samma vaca Right speech no lying, criticism,
  condemning, gossip, harsh language
• Samma kammanta Right conduct by following the
  Five Precepts
• Samma ajiva Right livelihood support yourself
  without harming others
• Samma vayama Right Effort promote good thoughts
  conquer evil thoughts
• Samma sati Right Mindfulness Become aware of
  your body, mind and feelings
• Samma samadhi Right Concentration Meditate to
  achieve a higher state of consciousness

54
Buddhism and Politics

• Buddhism was welcomed by ruling nobles and gained
  strong political influence.
• Reason that the government moved the capital in
  784 to Nagaoka and again in 794 to Kyoto.
• In the 16th century Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi
  Hideyoshi fought the militant Buddhist
  monasteries and practically extinguished
  activities on the political sector.
• Attacked again during the Meiji period when
  Shinto became the new state religion.

55
Japanese Politics

• Current constitution adopted in 1946 during the
  occupation of Allied powers.
• Japanese Parliament is called the diet and
  consists of 500 members in the House of
  Representatives and 252 members in the House of
  Councillors.
• Parliament is elected by the people.

56
Political Structure Continued

• The cabinet is headed by the Prime Minister who
  is elected by the diet. The cabinet consists of
  members selected by the Prime Minister, usually
  members of the diet.
• Highest Court is the Supreme Court. Judges are
  appointed by the cabinet.

Diet Building in Tokyo
57
New Constitution

• New constitution came into effect in 1947,
  replacing the Meiji constitution of 1889.
• The emperor lost all governmental power and
  became only symbolic.
• Sovereign power lies with the people.
• A complete division of legislature, executive,
  and judiciary branches.
• The prohibition of leading war or maintaining an
  army.

58
Defense Force

• During the occupation of Allied powers
  (1945-1952) the United States encouraged Japan to
  re-establish a defense force for self-defense.
  They argued that this would not contradict the
  constitution.
• The National Police Reserve was established in
  1950, which later became the Self Defense Force
  (SDF).
• SDFs purpose is to preserve peace, public order
  and Japans independence and safety.
• Consists of 250,000 members and is commanded by
  the Prime Minister.

59
Emperors

• First emperor was enthroned in 660 BC, Emperor
  Jimmu, a descendent of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu
  (the most important kami).
• In 1868 Emperor Meiji became leader. Under his
  new constitution, the Emperor held sovereign
  power, political power, and military power.

60
Emperors Today

• Have only a symbolic function, participates at
  ceremonies and diplomatic meetings.
• In 1989, Emperor Akihito became the 125th
  emperor. He married Michiko, who was the first
  empress not from the nobility.

Imperial Palace