Notes

Japan Notes

Population: 126 million people live in Japan
Capital: Tokyo, which is the biggest city in Japan with over 13 million people.
Name: Japan, in Japanese: Nihon or Nippon
Government: Constitutional Monarchy. The Japanese emperor is called Naruhito.
Language: Japanese
Religion: majority are Buddhists or Shintoists
Life expectancy: 86 years
Currency: 1 Yen (JP¥) = 100 sen
National Anthem: "Kimigayo" - The Emperor's Reign
National Symbols: red sun disk (as shown on the flag), national bird: green pheasant, national flower: cherry blossom and chrysanthemum, national fish: Japanese koi fish
National Day/Emperor's Birthday: 23 February - Birthday of Emperor Naruhito, who was born in 1960
Prime Minister: Fumio Kishida, since 2021
Geography (What does it look like?)
Japan is an island country on the Asian continent.
Japan is an archipelago or chain of islands along the eastern coast of Asia, reaching from the northern coast of Russia to the South East China Sea.
The Japanese islands consist of 4 main islands and many smaller islands.
In total there are over 6,800 islands.
The largest of the four major islands is Honshu, which is also the seventh largest island in the world.
The biggest cities in Japan are Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya.
The highest mountain in Japan is Mount Fuji, a dormant (sleeping) volcano, which last erupted in 1707. Mount Fuji is 3,776 meters/ 12,388 feet high.
Japan lies on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', a chain of volcanoes which are responsible for the most dramatic volcanic outbreaks and tsunamis in recent years.
In Japan, there are more than 108 active volcanoes. Japan records the most earthquakes in the world every year.
Japan is slightly smaller than the state of California.
Japanese Attractions (Interesting, but you won’t be tested on this, so read about it but don’t take notes)
Tokyo: Visit the Imperial Palace and gardens or have fun at Disneyland Tokyo
Kyoto: see the historic sites and temples such as the famous Golden Pavilion
Osaka: visit Dotonbori, the main entertainment district and the aquarium or go on tour in the Universal Studios
Hokkaido: Go skiing or snowboarding in one of the oldest ski resorts in Japan
Nagano: Monkey parks and hot springs and the famous Matsumoto Castle
Shinkansen train: the high-speed Japanese bullet train. The maximum speed of the train is 320 kph/ 200 miles per hour)
Japanese Food (You will want to take notes on this because you will be tested on what are some of the popular Japanese foods.)
Sushi: raw fish or seafood dish but also vegetable can be used in these dainty little bites or rice rolls
Bento box: Lunch boxes often filled with sushi or other treats and snacks
Ramen: thin egg noodles, usually served in broth
Soba: buckwheat noodles, usually served in broth
Tempura: light and crispy deep-fried food such as fried vegetables, fish, seafood or meat
Teriyaki: dark sticky sauce containing honey, ginger, garlic and soy sauce. This sauce is popularly served with meat or fish dishes.
Taiyaki: sweet cake treat with various fillings in fish shape
Yakitory: chicken cubes on skewers often dipped into a salty soy sauce