| Basic
/ General Information on Japan |
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1. What are Japan's national symbols?
Japan is a country with a long history, rich culture and varied topography.
Therefore, many symbols of Japan have developed over the years and are
recognized worldwide. one of the most famous is mount fuji, a dormant
volcano that last erupted in 1707 and Japan's tallest mountain. another
is the red sun, as seen on Japan's flag. Cherry
blossoms are also well known, as is the chrysanthemum, which appears
on the crest of the imperial family.
The crane, indigenous to Japan, is a symbol of peace. Cultural items such
as kimono, tea
ceremony, bonsai, origami
and sushi are other traditional
symbols of Japan.
As Japan has modernized, especially following world war ii, other more
contemporary symbols have emerged. Japanese-made automobiles and electronics
are well known and consumed world-wide. Robotic pets such as aibo
are in high demand. Cultural icons like pokemon
and hello kitty have
also gained popularity, not only among children. Japanese director akira kurosawa, Japanese animated films (anime
or Japanime) and the 1950's film godzilla are household words. Karaoke,
which started in Japan, has sprung up in bars and restaurants throughout
the world, and j-pop, or Japan's pop music
industry, is making inroads internationally. new symbols of Japan will
likely emerge as popular culture evolves.
2. What is Japan's national anthem?
Japan's national anthem, the kimigayo, was set to music about
a century ago, but its words are nearly 1000 years old. They are interpreted
as a wish for the lasting prosperity and peace of the country. Japan's
national flag and anthem were designated as such
under a law enacted in 1999.
To listen to the kimigayo, please visit:
http://web-japan.org/factsheet/flag/anthem.html
Musical Score of Kimigayo (Japan Fact Sheet, Japan
Information Network)
3. What is the population of Japan?
As of august 2001, Japan's population was counted at 127.1 million, the
ninth highest in the world. The population has more than doubled since
the first national census in 1920, when it was about 56 million. Japan's
population density ranks as one of the highest in the world, and the life
expectancies of both men and women are exceeded by those of no other country.
For further information, please visit the Japan's statistics bureau at
http://www.stat.go.jp/
4. Where can I find a map of Japan?
You can find maps of Japan from the following websites:
Japan atlas, Japan information network
http://web-japan.org/atlas/index.html
Regions & cities, Japan information network
http://web-japan.org/region/index.html
Fact Sheet, Japan information network
http://web-japan.org/factsheet/en/pdf/e02_regions.pdf
map of Japan (kids web Japan, Japan information network)
5. What is the symbolism of Japan's flag?
The Japanese flag, which heralds a large red circle on a white background,
is called the hinomaru. the literal translation of hinomaru
is "sun disc". The sun flag has been used as a national
symbol since at least the 17th century, with origins hailing
back to Japan's earliest history. The hinomaru was designated
as Japan's official national flag in august, 1999, concurrently with
Japan's national anthem.
hinomaru (Japan Fact Sheet, Japan information network)
The vertical-to-horizontal ratio of the flag is set at 2:3; the disc
is placed at the exact center; and the diameter of the disc is equal
to three-fifths of the vertical measurement.
6. What is the capital of Japan?
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| shinjuku, tokyo |
The capital of Japan is tokyo, located on the kanto plain on the pacific
coast of central honshu. Tokyo means "Eastern capital"
in Japanese. Japan has had other capital cities throughout the ages,
including nara and kyoto; tokyo was not officially designated as the capital
until 1868, with the meiji restoration.
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| imperial palace and its vicinity |
The name "Tokyo" is also not original - until it became capital,
the city was known as "Edo." present day tokyo is the site of
the imperial palace, the diet (legislature),
the supreme
court, the prime minister's office
and other ministries. Tokyo covers more than 800 square miles (2000
square kilometers). the approximate population of tokyo is 12 million
people, making it one of the most populous cities in the world.
for further information on tokyo, please visit tokyo's official website
at
http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/
7. What are the most populous cities in Japan?
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| minato-mirai area, yokohama |
Japan's most populous city is tokyo, with approximately
12 million people. This is followed by yokohama, osaka and nagoya,
all south of tokyo but also on the island of honshu. Approximately
27% of the population lives in tokyo and the surrounding prefectures,
and the large majority of Japanese people live in urban areas.
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| osaka |
Since much of the land in Japan is not flat enough for houses or roads,
the population density in large cities like tokyo is extremely high.
For further information, please visit the Japan's statistics bureau at
http://www.stat.go.jp/
8. What is the time difference between Japan and the united
states?
Japan is nine hours ahead of greenwich mean time http://greenwichmeantime.com/, the standard by which the world's
time is calculated. However, Japan does not have daylight savings
time, so the time difference between Japan and the united states changes
depending on the time of year. If it is 12:00 am (midnight) in washington,
dc, it is 2:00 pm the following day in Japan in the winter (non-daylight
savings time). In the summer (daylight savings time), if it is 12:00
am (midnight) in washington, dc, it is 1:00 pm the following day in Japan.
all of Japan is in the same time zone.
9. What is the geography and climate of Japan?
Japan is an island nation in the pacific ocean, off the coast of east
asia. The countries nearest Japan are russia, china and the republic
of korea. Japan is comprised of more than 6800 islands, with four
of them making up more than 99% of the country. These are (from
north to south) hokkaido, honshu, shikoku and kyushu. The land area
of Japan is approximately 377,873 square kilometers, which is roughly
the same size as the state of montana and slightly smaller than california.
Japan is 68% mountainous, and includes many volcanoes, the most famous
being Mt. Fuji. 10% of the world's volcanoes
are located in Japan. only about 13% of Japan is arable farmland.
at present, Japan is administratively divided into 47 prefectures.
Geography of Japan (Japan Fact Sheet, Japan information
network)
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ishigaki-jima,
okinawa |
The climate of Japan varies greatly from north to south. hokkaido,
with a subarctic weather pattern, has a yearly average temperature of
8°C (46°F), while Japan's southernmost islands in okinawa prefecture belong
to the subtropical climate zone and have a yearly average temperature
of over 22°C (72°F). The most notable features of the climate are the
wide range of yearly temperatures and the large amount of rainfall.
Spring tends to be mild, and is famous as cherry-blossom
viewing season throughout Japan. The onset of the rainy season (tsuyu)
takes place in early june, and ushers in summer. July and August
are traditionally very hot and humid in most of Japan.
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| heavy snow in niigata (Japan
Fact Sheet, Japan information network) |
Autumn is the time of typhoons (tropical storms), which
occur due to Japan's proximity to water. Foliage viewing is a popular
pastime in october and november, especially in northern Japan. Winter
tends to be chilly, and heavy snows can occur both in the northern island
of hokkaido and the hokuriku region of western honshu, which faces the
sea of Japan and is separated from other regions by high mountains.
Nagano prefecture, which borders the hokuriku region, was home to the
1998 winter olympic games. The southernmost part of
Japan, okinawa, is tropical year round.
Fact Sheet, Japan information network
http://web-japan.org/factsheet/pdf/GEOCLIMA.pdf
10. What natural disasters occur in Japan?
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| miyake-jima,Tokyo (Japan
metrological agency) |
Because Japan is completely surrounded by water and has many volcanoes,
it is prone to natural disasters. In summer and autumn, there are
enormous typhoons, powerful tropical storms that cause floods, and mudslides.
large underwater earthquakes can also create strong, destructive tidal
waves called tsunami. in addition to underwater earthquakes,
seismic tremors occur regularly inland. Very large earthquakes have
occurred in several areas of Japan, including hokkaido, tokyo and kobe.
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| Mt. Fuji |
The 1995 kobe quake took 6400 lives and caused mass destruction.
There are also active volcanoes in Japan, such as miyake-jima and unzen-fugendake.
Mt. Fuji, which last erupted in 1707, may erupt again
in the future, and could cause damage, depending upon the type and size
of the eruption.
11. What religions are represented in Japan?
Japan has two main religions, shinto and buddhism. The shinto
religion is native to Japan, and began in ancient history as the belief
in spiritual forces (kami) found in nature. Buddhism came
to Japan from india around the middle of the 6th century.
Because neither shinto nor buddhism is an exclusive religion, many Japanese
people participate in elements of both faiths. For example, wedding
ceremonies are performed according to shinto ritual, while funerals usually
follow buddhist rites. A small percentage of Japanese practice christianity,
which was brought to Japan by missionaries in the 16th century.
In addition, there are communities and places of worship for catholics,
protestants, eastern orthodox christians, mormons, jews, hindus, muslims
and followers of many other faiths.
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| heian shrine
(shinto),kyoto |
senso-ji (buddhist
temple), tokyo |
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