Transcript Geography of Japan - Nutley Public Schools

JAPAN
THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What role does
Japan’s geography play through out the
history of Japan?
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To understand
important factors of Japanese geography.
Nippon -- “Land of the Rising
Sun”
JAPAN
• The people call it Nippon
(“source of the sun”)
• The capital is Tokyo
• Japan is an archipelago - a
chain of islands
• There are 4 major islands
and 3,000 minor
• Comparative Distance
from Land
– Japan - 115 Miles
– Great Britain - 21 Miles
Japan and the United States
Japan by Satellite
PEOPLE
• Japan is homogeneous
there are also no
ethnic minorities
• The Japanese have a
strong sense of
national identity
Japan’s Population Density
Population
Comparisons
1,400
1,250
1,200
1,000
Thailand
Japan
China
Hong Kong
Singapore
800
600
400
200
61
126
7
0
Population in Millions
4
The 4 Major Islands
• Volcanic Islands
• Hokkaido- in the north;
the most isolated
• Honshu - largest and the
most populated
• Shikoku - southeast
• Kyushu - furthest south;
closest to Korea
• Inland Sea - used for trade
LAND AND CLIMATE
• Japan is about the size
of Montana
• 4/5 of the islands are
mountainous
• The lowlands are
densely populated
20,000 people per
square mile
CLIMATE
• Japan is humid continental and humid
subtropical
• The winters are moderate and the summers
are warm
• The islands receive plenty of rain for crops
• The main crop is rice but not enough is
grown to feed the entire population
Kansai International Airport
• Opened in 1994 in Osaka Bay; Man-made
island
RESOURCES
• Fish is a major part of the diet
• Japan has few natural resources
• Japan’s desire for natural resources was one
cause of their support for the Germans in
WWII.
• It must import raw materials
• Japan depends on world trade
Very Mountainous:
Little Arable Land
Japan’s Land Area and
Utilization
Rice Farmer’s Farmhouse:
Okutsu Town, Okayama
Prefecture
Terrace Farming of Rice
The Japanese Farm the
Sea
Tokyo
Fish Market
Different Climates and Seasons in
Japan
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Mt. Fuji
• Active Volcano
• 12,388 Ft. High
• Called Fuji-San by the
Japanese
• Summit believed to be
sacred. Forbidden to
women until the 1860s.
Mt. Fuji
Mt. Aso -- Active Volcano
The country lies on the Ring of Fire
Japan experiences 1,500 tremors a year and has 150
volcanoes (60 active)
Global Tectonic Plates
Japan -- On the “Fire Rim
of the Pacific”
Japanese Earthquakes: 19611994
Ginza Ruins After The Great Kanto
Earthquake -- Tokyo, 1923
Over 100,000 dead!
Kobe Earthquake -- January 17,
1995
► 7.2 Richter scale
► 5,500 deaths
Kobe Earthquake -- January 17,
1995
Japan’s Sub-Oceanic
Trenches
Tsunamis – Tidal
Waves
Earthquake/Tsunami
March 11, 2011
Tsumani - 23 ft
Earthquake - 8.9 -9.0
Fast Travel Throughout
Japan
Shinkansen:
Bullet Train
Bullet Train National
Lines