WELCOME TO:

J A P A N “Land of the Rising Sun”

• The Japanese flag is made up of a red circle, symbolizing the sun, against a white background.

• It is known as the ”Hinomaru” in Japanese, meaning "circle of the sun." Because Japan lies at the far West of the Pacific Ocean, the sun rise over the sea to the East is a spectacular sight.

• That image is the inspiration for the design of the flag. 

WHITE WITH A RED DISC : (representing the sun without rays) in the center

• According to Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated with colors. The colors on the Japanese flag represent the following:– White - peace and honesty.– Red - hardiness, bravery, strength & valour.

JAPAN GEOGRAPHY

• Location: Japan consists of several thousands of islands, of which Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku are the four largest. Japan's closest neighbours are Korea, Russia and China. The Sea of Japan separates the Asian continent from the Japanese archipelago.

AREA: Japan's area is comparable to that of

Germany or California. Japan's northernmost islands are located on a similar geographical latitude as Milan or Portland, while her southernmost islands are on a similar latitude as the Bahamas. More than 50% of the country is mountainous and covered by forests. Japan is politically structured into 8 regions and 47 prefectures.

Population: The population of Japan is about 125,000,000, including approximately two million

foreign residents. More than half of the non Japanese population is of Korean descent

Earthquakes and Volcanoes: Because Japan is located in a region, where several continental plates meet, the country experiences

frequent earthquakes. Please visit the special page about earthquakes. For the same reason, there are many volcanoes in Japan. Japan's most famous volcano and highest mountain is Mt.Fuji.

- FOUR DISTINCT SEASON -

Winter: from December to February, is quite dry and sunny along the Pacific coast and the temperatures rarely drop below 0°C. The temperatures drop as you move north, with the Central and Northern regions experiencing snowfall. Southern Japan is relatively temperate and experiences a mild winter.Spring is from March to May. Temperatures are warm but not too hot, plus there isn’t too much rain. The famous cherry blossoms are out during this time and there are plenty of festivals to enjoy.Summer begins in June and the country experiences a three to four-week rainy season during which the farmers plant their rice. It is hot and humid during this time and temperatures are often in the high 30’s. Summer wraps up in August.Autumn is from September to November and is characterized by light breezes and cooler temperatures of around 8-10oC. It’s during autumn that many exhibitions, music concerts and sports tournaments are held in Japan.

Let’s learn a little bit of Japanese (のは、日本を少し学びましょう )

(No wa, Nihon o sukoshi manabimashou

Yes Hai No Lie Thank you Arigato Thank you very much Arigato gozaimasu You're welcome Douitashimashite Please Douzo Excuse me sumimasen, shitsurei shimasu Hello Kon-nichiwa Goodbye Sayounara So long Jaamataashita Good morning O hayou gozaimasu Good afternoon Kon-nichiwa Good evening Konbanwa Good night Oyasuminasai I do not understand Wakarimasen How do you say this in [English]?

Kore wa [nihongo] de nan to iimasuka? Do you speak ... Anata wa ...go wo hanasemasuka

RELIGIONJapan's two major religions :

1. Shinto 2. Buddhism

Shinto is as old as the Japanese culture and; Buddhism was imported from the mainland in the 6th century.

Since then, the two religions have been co-existing relatively harmoniously and have even complemented each other to a certain degree. Most Japanese consider themselves Buddhist, Shintoist or both.

Religion does not play a big role in the everyday life of most Japanese people today. The average person typically follows the religious rituals at ceremonies like birth, weddings and funerals, may visit a shrine or templeon New Year and participates at local festivals (matsuri), most of which have a religious background.

WEDDING

Contemporary Japanese weddings are celebrated in a great variety of ways. Many contain traditional Japanese and Western elements side by side.

Traditionally, the religious wedding ceremony is held in Shinto style at a shrine. Nowadays, this shrine may be located inside the hotel where the festivities take place. A Shinto priest conducts the ceremony, which is visited by only the close family members of the couple.

In the ceremony, the couple is purified, drinks sake, and the groom reads the words of commitment. At the end of the ceremony, symbolic offerings are given to the kami. The couple is dressed in traditional kimono

• After the ceremony, the couple welcomes all the guests, and the reception party is held. Usually the party is visited by about 20 to 200 guests among whom are relatives, friends, co-workers and bosses of the bride and groom. The party normally starts with the introductions of the bride and groom.

• Afterwards, a meal is held and several guests make contributions such as speeches, songs and the like. During the whole celebrations, the groom and especially the bride may change their dresses several times. At the very end of the party, the couple will make a speech to all the guests and thank everybody.

THE TWO FROGS

Once a upon a there lived 2

funnily the idea came into

both their heads.

The wanted to visit Kyoto.

the wanted to visit Osaka.

1 morning, in the spring they both set

out along the

that lead to KYOTO

To OSAKA

It took them a long time and great many hops to reach the top

They looked at each other for a moment.

out

S P E A K I N G ..

QUESTION:

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THEIR

REACTION???

And what was the

to see each other .

Dear Me, the Osaka Frog.

Kyoto is exactly like Osaka.

♥_♥and as she spoke, she took

her hands from his friend.

& they both fell down on the grass.

then… they took a polite farewell of each other.

Sayonara !!!

and set off foragain .

To the end of their lives, they believedthat and

which are as different to look, as a 2 towns

can be, whereas a

as

THE END !