JAPAN

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JAPAN
Presentation by the Consulate-General of Japan
at Houston
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Where is Japan?
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World Map (US)
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Map of Japan

• Japan consists of four main islands Hokkaido,
  Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu

Japan stretches approximately 3, 800 miles from
north to south. Therefore, there are a variety of
climates ranging from subartic to subtropical.
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Seasons
? Autumn
? Winter

• The Japanese people enjoy the signs of the
  changing seasons and track their progress with
  weather reports.

? Summer

• Japan has four well defined seasons

? Spring
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Cherry Blossom Report
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Geography of Japan

• 3/4ths of Japan is mountainous.
• Japan has very few natural resources.
• Most major cities are concentrated in the plains
  that account for less that 30 of the land.

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Population of Japan

• Japan has a total population of 127 million.
• It is the ninth highest populated country in the
  world.

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Problem of Over Population

• The land area of Japan is 145,783 square miles,
  which is one twenty-firth of that of the United
  States
• The population density is 849 persons per square
  mile (compared to the US at 70 persons per square
  mile).

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Housing
Farm House
Suburban House
Danchi
Mansion
House in the country
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Japanese homes

• Shoes are taken off when entering the house.
  People tend to put on slippers when walking
  around the house.
• There tends to be a Japanese style room with
  tatami mats in most homes.
• Most homes are not centrally heated/cooled.
• Many children will have their own rooms, but
  often sleep with their parents.

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Transportation

• The Bullet Train travels at 400-475 miles per
  hour.
• Japanese trains are very punctual.

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Education in Japan

• The school year begins in April.

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School Uniforms

• Most high schools require students to wear
  uniforms.

• Each school has a different uniform so that you
  can recognize which school a student attends.

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School Rules

• School rules pertaining to appearance are much
  more strict in Japan. In a lot of Japanese
  schools, students are not allowed to pierce their
  ears, dye their hair, wear makeup or paint their
  nails.

• Discipline in Japanese schools is very different
  from the U.S.no detention or suspension.
  Teachers often ignore students bad behavior.

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Classroom Procedure

• Students do not change classes. They stay in the
  same classrooms and the teachers come to them.
• Students bow to their teacher before the start of
  every class.

They call their teachers Sensei instead of by
their names. Teachers are also more involved in
their students life because they are held
accountable for their students actions even
outside of the classroom.
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A typical school schedule

• Most students walk or ride their bikes to school
  and arrive at school by 830.
• Students cannot choose their own classes, but
  many public schools offer the choice between a
  science path and a literature path.
• Classes are approximately 50 minutes long and
  include the following subjects Japanese, math,
  science, social studies, PE and English.

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Japanese Language

• There are three systems of writing in Japanese.
• Hiragana (phonetic) 46 characters
• Katakana used to write foreign words
• Kanji (Chinese characters) By the end of
  high school, students must know approximately
  2,000 characters.

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Club Activities

• A majority of high school students participate in
  extracurricular activities through their schools.
  In addition to sports, music and art clubs, there
  are also options such as tea ceremony clubs,
  manga (comic book) clubs, Go (Japanese chess)
  clubs, etc.
• Clubs teach students that the fundamental
  relationship of senpai (senior) and kohai
  (junior).

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Cram Schools

• Competition to get into a good university is very
  difficult. Many students attend cram schools
  after school.
• Application to a university consists of just one
  exam.
• People often refer to this as exam hell.
• Students are not allowed to have part-time jobs.

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Hobbies
Karaoke

• Print Club

Arcade
Video Games
Manga
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Music
Hikaru Utada
Ayumi Hamasaki
SMAP
JPOP
Puffy
Kinki Kids
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Cell Phones
For every 10 people, 6.2 own a cell phone in
Japan compared to 4.9 in the U.S.
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American Culture in Japan
Actors in advertisements

• Fast Food Restaurants

Amusement Parks

• TV Shows
• West Wing The White House
• Dharma and Greg These Two are the Best

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Food
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Traditional Culture
Performing Arts
Flower Arranging
Traditional Instruments
Tea Ceremony
Calligraphy
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Sports
Kendo
Sumo
Martial Arts
Baseball
Soccer
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Want more information about Japan?
Check out the following websites
Japan Information Network http//web-japan.org/ E
mbassy of Japan http//www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/ Co
nsulate-General of Japan at Houston http//www.cgj
houston.org/
Bye Bye