Japan is located in the North Pacific Ocean, to the east of Russia
and the Koreas, and is a part of the continent of Asia. Japan is
actually made up of four main islands and thousands of smaller
ones. The main islands are Hakkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and
Kyushu.
The capital of Japan is Tokyo and is located on
the island of Honshu.
The population
of Tokyo is
over 12 million
people.
•Honshu is Japan’s largest island and has the largest
population.
•Population: 98,350,000
•Capital: None (because Honshu is divided into several
“states”
•Along with the capital of Tokyo, the biggest lake and
the tallest mountain are located on Honshu.
The largest lake in Japan is Lake Biwa. The
lake is 259 square miles and is thought to be
one of the oldest lakes in the world (5-6
million years old).
The structure in the lake is a Torii gate and is used at the
entrance to Japanese shrines.
The tallest peak in Japan is Mount Fuji. It is an
active volcano that last erupted in 1707-1708.
The peak is 3,775 meters high.
Flag of Japan
The Japanese flag is a white banner with a red circle in the
center. The red circle represents the sun. The flag is
called “Hinomaru,” which means “Circle of the Sun.” It
officially became the flag of Japan on January 27, 1870.
Japanese Food
Japanese meals typically consist of rice,
noodles, and sushi. Meals are usually eaten
using chopsticks, not forks and spoons.
Japanese Clothing
The kimono has a very long
history in Japan and is still
worn today, however usually
only for special celebrations
and weddings.
Storing a kimono requires
wrapping it in rice paper and
lying it flat in a drawer.
Dust can be shaken off or
vacuumed off, but kimonos
are never dry cleaned nor
hung on hangers.
Shintoism
*Shintoism is the largest
form of religion in Japan. It
is known for its respect for
nature.
Toshogu Shrine
*Shinto shrines are places of
worship. People visit shrines in
order to pay respect to Shinto gods
or to pray for good fortune.
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Things to see and places to visit in Japan
Castles
Matsumoto Castle
Himeji Castle
Japanese Language
The Japanese language is
written using symbols to
represent words and
phrases. There is also a
written version of
Japanese called Romanji
so that you can pronounce
Japanese without knowing
how to read the
characters.
Konnichiwa - hello
Sayonara – goodbye
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