Japan

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Chapter 31

• Japan

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Population Density in Japan Life in a Crowded
Country

• Where are some of the most crowded places in the
  city?
• Tokyo is one of the most crowded Urban centers
• The Population Density is high with 880 persons
  per square mile.
• The US is 83

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The Geographic Setting

• Japan is an Archipelago (group/chain of islands)
• Has 4 large islands about 3900 smaller ones
• Japan is about the size of Montana
• Temperate Climate warm humid summers
  relatively mild winters
• Lots of rainfall makes Japan a good place to grow
  rice

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Geographic Setting Continued

• Millions of years ago Tectonic Plates collided
  and formed mountains and volcanoes
• Volcanoes are still active
• Mount Fuji is the highest and towers over Tokyo
• Earthquakes happen often
• Japan is also subjected to Tsunamis (whole
  villages can be destroyed)

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Geographic Setting Continued

• 1/8 of the land is usable for farming
• A large majority of the 127 million people live
  on the 4 islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku,
  Kyushu but its population is not distributed
  equally
• 80 live on limited flat on coast or river valley

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Geographic Setting Continued

• 2 ways to measure land density
• Arithmetic Population Density divide total of
  people by total land area
• Physiologic Population Density divide of
  people by amount of arable land
• Japans PPD is 7,219 persons per square mile
• The US is 433

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31.3 How Population Density Affects Transportation

• What happens when a large number of people try to
  get to work at the same time?
• Commute time in Tokyo is on average of 1 ½ hour
  per day
• The Japanese have created a great Public Transit
  System
• Underground subways take commuter from one part
  of city to another
• Passenger trains rush travelers from town to town

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31.3 Continued

• These trains are often on time to the minute
• Pushers have the job of pushing people on the
  train (see pg. 446)
• They have created Bullet Trains called
  Shinkansen
• Can reach speeds of 180 MPH
• Despite great public transit, most Japanese own
  their own cars and like to drive them

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31.3 Continued

• Cars create congestion problems with parking
• In Tokyo you are not allowed to own a car unless
  you can prove you have a place to park it
• High-rise parking is popular which is operated by
  stacking cars on top of each other with the use
  of an elevator

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31.4 How Population Density Affects Housing

• Housing is expensive because flat land to build
  on is scarce
• Most Japanese live in Apartments that are no
  larger than a typical family room in America
• Historically the Japanese lived in extended
  families (G. Parents, Parents, Children)
• Now most live in Nuclear Families (No G. Parents)

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31.4 Continued

• Japanese use rooms for more than 1 purpose (ex.
  Futons)
• Most appliances are small
• After death most people are cremated to save space

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31.5 How Population Density Affects Land Use

• Building up and down - any challenges?
• New earthquake resistant construction techniques
  have opened opportunities to build up
• Subterranean shopping centers built underground
• Japanese have developed new land How?
• By filling in wetlands with dirt and rubble
• Can this cause any problems?
• Destroys habitat, unstable for earthquakes
• Terrace farming is helping create more farmable
  space

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31.6 How population Density Affects Health

• The average Tokyo resident creates 2-3 lbs. of
  trash per day breeds rats, flies, disease
• Human pollution, emissions from factories, sewage
  waste water, acid rain
• Japanese have improved their pollution problems
  by restricting emissions and prohibit putting
  toxins in the water
• How is Japans life expectancy so high?

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31.6 Continued

• People who are sick wear face masks
• Japan has excelled at making Japan a better place
  to live but is having trouble figuring out the
  problem with garbage
• Tokyo can only survive by recycling

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31.7 Beginning to think Globally

• India has more farmable land but is as densely
  populated as Japan
• India also has more natural resources
• Why does Japanese people have a higher life
  expectancy?
• See Pg. 452-453 to discuss