Human Geography: Japan

TEKS: 1A, 2A, 5A, 7A, 8D, 11A, 11B, 11C, 12A, 14B, 14C, 16B, 17A, 18A, 18B, 18C, 21A, 21C, 22B, 22C

Crowded Living in JapanBecause of mtns.,

much land is unsuitable for living.

Only 15% of land good for crops.

Pop. – est. 130 million

Ancient Japan – Samurai and Shogun

Until the A.D. 300s, Japan was not unified.

Landowners hired samurai as professional soldiers.

The Japanese emperor created the shogun – a general of the army with supreme power.

Rule by shoguns lasted for 700 years.

1853 – Isolation ends for Japan

JAPAN CHINA

WWII – War with the U.S.On Dec. 7, 1941, the

Japanese launch a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

This brings U.S. into WWII.

Japanese surrendered in 1945.

U.S. introduced political and economic reforms.

Japanese CultureTraditional drama is

performed in Japan.Kabuki plays

developed in the 17th Century.

They are performed by actors wearing masks.

Japanese artwork includes long picture scrolls, ink paintings, and wood-block prints.

Education in Today’s JapanStudents spend six

years in elementary school, three in junior high, and three in high school.

Students often attend school six days a week.

They have just six weeks of summer vacation.

HaikuJapanese form of poetry.Consists of 17 syllables in three

phrases.Many of the poetry is centered

around nature, feelings and experiences.