Learn About Japan


	A typical Buddhist temple consists of a main building and at least one pagoda, like this one.

Japan's history, geography, and culture have been shaped by being an island nation. The nation is made up of four large islands and thousands of smaller ones. They stretch for more than 1,200 miles north to south, 100 miles off the coast of South Korea. The Japanese islands are part of a huge, mostly underwater mountain chain in the Pacific Ocean, and lie on a very unstable part of the earth's crust. This means that most of Japan is covered with mountains, more than 150 of them volcanic. It also means that Japan is home to many earthquakes — 1,500 of them a year. Most of the earthquakes are too small to be felt.

The mountains that cover most of Japan make it an extremely beautiful country, with thick forests, waterfalls, and snowcapped mountain peaks. But it also leaves relatively little room for Japan's population — about half as many people as the entire United States has — to live. About 80 percent of Japanese people live in huge cities like Tokyo and Osaka, on the country's flatlands. Only 17 percent of Japan's land is able to be farmed. The beautiful landscape of Japan has inspired a love of nature in the Japanese from their earliest days. Most Japanese art forms emphasize nature in subtle ways, from the delicate art of flower arrangements to haiku poetry.

Japan has had one single royal family for well over a thousand years. But for much of that time, Japan's emperors were weak figureheads. Japan had a feudal system much like Europe's. From about 1185 until the mid-1800s, Japan was under the control of shoguns, powerful warlords who were members of important families. Under each of the nobles, there were bands of fighting men called samurai. Japan remained a country with a strong military character for many centuries. From the 17th century until the mid-1800s, Japan completely cut itself off from other nations.

In the 1860s, Commodore Matthew Perry came to Japan from the U.S. with several warships. The U.S. had ambitions to expand power and influence, and he demanded that Japan be opened up to trade. When the nation was opened to trade, new ideas began to spread in Japan. However, tensions between Japan and Western nations grew over many decades, as Japan sought to control east Asia and the Pacific. In 1941, Japan attacked a U.S. base in Pearl Harbor, prompting the U.S. to enter World War II on the side of the Allies. Japan lost World War II. Deeply affected by the war and the killing of thousands when the U.S. dropped atom bombs on two Japanese cities, Japan developed a new constitution. It became a peaceful, democratic nation. The country spends a smaller percentage of its government money on military forces and equipment than other large nations.

Since World War II, Japan's economy has become very powerful among world nations. It is now a world leader in making autos and is known for its electronic equipment and computers as well as its financial business. Now, Japan is the world's second largest economic power. Despite its very modern economy, Japan's long cultural traditions remain strong today.

History Highlights
660 B.C.: According to legend, Emperor Jimmu founds Japan at this time. Fifth Century A.D.: Buddhism is introduced to Japan, where it coexists with Japan's native religion, Shintoism.
1185: After two powerful families war, Japan comes under the control of shoguns, who are powerful warlords. Shoguns control Japan for more than six centuries.
1281: Mongolian invaders try to conquer Japan, but a typhoon smashes their ships. The typhoon is hailed as kamikaze, "the wind of the gods."
1542: A shipwrecked Portuguese boat introduces the Japanese to guns — and to the West. Trade later begins, bringing in ideas from the West. Many Japanese become Christians.
1641: Foreigners are banned from Japan. Christianity is banned, too. Many Japanese Christians are martyred. Japan enters a period of extreme isolation but also of peace.
1853: U.S. Commodore Matthew C. Perry and his fleet arrive in Japan and force Japan to open the country's doors to foreign trade.
1923: An earthquake in Tokyo kills 145,000 people.
1941: The Japanese military bombs Pearl Harbor and invade a number of Asian countries on the same day. World War II begins in Asia in earnest.
1945: U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan surrenders and comes under U.S. occupation for a time.
1953: After World War II, the Japanese people work hard to rebuild the country's economy. By 1953, Japan is making more goods than it was when World War II began.
1998: Winter Olympic Games are held in Nagano, Japan.

Write about it:
After WWII Japan stopped spending money on the military. It helped Japan focus its resources on other things like technology and strengthening the economy. Do you think other countries should spend less on defense? Why would countries focus so much of their resources on the military? To learn more, explore the links below.

Learn more about Japan in these selected Web sites:
This page includes links outside of Scholastic.com.
Every Web site we link to was visited by our team at one point in time to make sure it's appropriate for children. But we do not monitor or control these sites, and these sites can change. In addition, many of these sites may have links to other sites that we have not reviewed. Be sure to get permission from your parents or teacher before leaving this site, and remember to read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use of any site you visit.

Kids Web Japan:
http://www.jinjapan.org/kidsweb/
Learn about Japanese culture, find some basic facts, read about kids' life, and play some games.

Sumo Wrestling:
http://www.traveladventures.org/continents/asia/sumo.shtml
A visitor to Japan explains the history and current tradition of Japan's national sport. The site includes links to stories from places of interest in Japan.

Shinto:
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~QM9T-KNDU/shintoism.htm
Shintoism is the native religion of Japan. This site explains the ceremonies that accompany the life stages. It describes the four primary Shinto shrines, Shinto architecture, and method or prayer.

Kimonos:
http://www.jinjapan.org/kidsweb/virtual/kimono/top.html
Originally, kimono was the Japanese word for clothing; today it refers to traditional Japanese dress. This site discusses the history of kimonos, occasions for wearing them, various designs. It includes an online activity allowing you to design a virtual kimono.

Remembering Nagasaki:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/nagasaki/
Virtual exhibit from the Exploratorium in San Francisco that presents the photographs of Japanese Army photographer Yosuke Yamahata and a public forum on issues related to the atomic age. Includes pages on resources and related Web sites.