By:Domingo S.

Table of Contents

Basic Information …………………………….Pg.3

Housing ……………………………………….Pg.4

Food …………………………………………..Pg.5

Clothing ………………………………………Pg.6

Schools ……………………………………….Pg.7

Writing Japanese ……………………………..Pg.8

Festivals ………………………………………Pg.9

Celebrations…………………..........................Pg.10

Sports ………………………………………...Pg.11

Art ……………………………………………Pg.12

Domingo S. 2

Basic Information

Location: Eastern Asia

Area: 378,000 square kilometers

Population: 127 million

Language: Japanese

Capital: Tokyo

Monetary unit: Yen (symbol: ¥)

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Housing

In Japan houses are really different. In Texas we could take our shoes off, but in Japan shoes are not worn inside. And at least one room has to be designed in Japanese style with a tatami floor. Allshoes are taken off to keep floor clean. They put slippers on right after they take their shoes off. Tatami is made of thick base of straw and has been used in Japanese homes for about 600 years. The floor is cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and remains fresher than carpet during Japan’s humid months.

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Food

The word “meal” in Japanese is called gohan.A traditional Japanese meal consists of a serving of plain, white rice, along with a main dish (fish or meat), some kind of side dish (often

cooked vegetables), soup (often miso soup), and pickled vegetables. Japanese rice is sticky when cooked, making it ideal for eating with chopsticks. Now Japanese eats many dishes from around the world. Before eating, Japanese people say "itadakimasu," a polite phrase meaning "I receive this food."

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Clothing

A traditional dress in Japan is the kimino. Kimonos, which are generally made of silk, have large sleeves and reach from the shoulders all the way down to the heels. Kimonos are now usually worn only on special occasions, such as the Shichi-Go-San festival, weddings, and graduation ceremonies. In the summer, however, a more easily worn, lightweight informal kimono known as a yukata is worn by children and young adults at festivals, fireworks displays, and other special occasions.

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Schools

The basic school system in Japan is composed of elementary school (lasting six years), middle school (three years), high school (three years), and university (four years). Education is compulsory only for the nine years of elementary and middle school, but 97% of students go on to high school.

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Writing Japanese

There are three types of Japanese writing.Children learn 1,006 kanji in elementary school and another 939 in middle school. They have two sets of Phonetic scripts. Each one has 46 characters. Japanese has many local dialects, called hogen. Different dialects have different words for the same things; there are also variations in accent and intonation, as well as in the endings attached to verbs and adjectives. Using the widely accepted standard spoken Japanese, however, people from different regions can communicate easily.

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Festivals

The hari is a traditional boat race through which people pray to the gods that fishermen will be safe and catch

many fish. The boats that are used have a dragon's head at the front and a dragon's tail on the oars. They are known as hari because their shape mimics dragons,

known as haryu in Japanese. The Flower Carnival, the Sea Carnival, the Kingdom Festa in Ryukyu, and Santopia Okinawa are four big events that attract

crowds of visitors to Okinawa. The Sea Carnival takes place against the backdrop of Okinawa's beautiful

ocean, and its biggest attraction is the hari races. They are held in the Okinawan capital, Naha, in May, and in

other regions in May and June. Among the highlights of the hari are the bravery of the racers and the way that crowds of people cheer them on by ringing bells and

dancing.

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Sports

Many different sports are played in Japan. Traditional martial arts like judo and kendo are popular, as are sports imported from overseas, such as baseball and soccer (football). Many Japanese go to the sea for surfing and scuba diving in the summer, while skiing and snowboarding are popular winter pursuits.

Art

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The sixth-grade students at Makabe Elementary School in Sakuragawa, Ibaraki Prefecture, have drawn pictures - at the bottom of a swimming pool. Used by the school's first and second graders, the pool measures 16 x 16 meters and is 50 centimeters deep. Three sixth-grade classes worked on their own designs, featuring whales, dolphins, and submarines, respectively. With the new decorations completed, the first and second graders will be all the more eager to test the waters when the pool opens in swimming season.

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