JAPANESE CULTURESarah Johnson

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Overview Island country

About the size of California Capitol: Tokyo

Used to be Kyoto Population: about 125,000,000 Government: Emperor, Prime

Minister, House of Representatives, House of Councilors, Cabinet, Supreme Court

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The “Lay of the Land” Over 3,000 islands! Climate: temperate to subtropic

Varies heavily from North to SouthFour Seasons

Very mountainous countryFor this reason, majority of population lives

along the coast Many Volcanoes

Mt. Fuji is the most famousMany volcanoes also leads to many hot springs

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Japanese Snow Monkeys enjoy the hot springs of the country to escape the cold. These monkeys are the most northern-living of all monkeys.

Mt. Fuji is not only the most famous volcano in Japan, but also its tallest mountain, reaching 3,776 meters.

Food Some common dishes:

Sushi Seafood Raumen Noodles

The average meal: Bowl of cooked white Japanese

rice Pickles Bowl of soup With a combination of other sides

Tea is a very common drink Of course there are McDonald’s

and KFC, too

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Technology The leader in cell phone technology and usage

75% of population own a cell phone Leader in robotics

Industrial and consumerRobo-One competition

○ Home-built robots fight against each other

Some other cool gadgets:Video boothsMusic players that move to rhythmAutomatic toilets

○ Seats lift and close themselves, toilet flushes itself, automatic cleaning is available, and more

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Trumpet-Playing robot! Greeter robots

Transportation Subways

One of the most extensive urban systems in the world Bullet trains

Speeds just under 200 mph Similar to flying, but without the hassel Around $250 for a 7-day pass

Airplanes Very common for people to travel by domestic air flights $70 - $400 per ticket Can often be cheaper than the bullet train

Taxis Available, but not as cost efficient as the subways and other public transports

Personal cars In the cities, most people rely on public transportation In the countryside, more people own their own vehicles

Others: Boats, motorcycles, carts, bicycles

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The streets of Tokyo at night.

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Religions/Traditions/Ceremonies

Japan’s constitution declares freedom of religion Main religions: Shinto or Buddhism

Shinto is spiritual practice formed by several ancient traditions and practices

Temples can be seen all throughout Japan Tanabata

A holiday celebrating the stars Obon

A holiday for celebrating ancestors Christmas

Celebrated as a commercial holidayNot so much as a religious holiday

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Statue of Buddha

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People write their hopes and wishes on wooden cards and hang them on this wall to help

them to come true.

This act of waving incense into the body is how some seek wisdom, success, and good

fortune.

Geishas

Roots going back to female entertainers of the 7th century

Dancers, musicians, and artistsOnly some became concubines

Most early geishas began by playing the samisenSamisen is a three-stringed,

guitar-like instrument Often played for nobility

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Music Pop and Rock very common Some traditional music:

Kabuki (theatre music) Noh (theatre music; drums and flutes) Gagaku (vocal and instrumental versions) Joruri (using the samisen)

Instruments: Samisen (or Shamisen) - seen in picture Koto – similar to the harp Wadaiko, taiko, otsuzumi, and kotsuzumi drums

Dance: Odori (or Bon Odori; danced during Obon festival) Mai

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Lost City?

Hundreds of miles of structures and monuments lying underwater

Near the south shore of Okinawa Exposed in 1995 by chance Discovered by sport diver Kihachiro

Aratake Scientists believe this structure predates

the pyramids in Egypt

All images on this slide taken from: http://members.toast.net/rjspina/Japan's%20Underwater%20Ruins.htm

Carved figure of a turtle

Large carved face; diver for scale

Stairs

Sources

http://www.flickr.com http://www.japan-guide.com/ http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/ http://www.japan-zone.com/ http://members.toast.net/rjspina/Japan's

%20Underwater%20Ruins.htm