Japanese AssignmentGeographical SettingJapan is an island country in
the North Pacific Ocean. It lies off the northeast coast ofmainland Asia
and faces Russia,Korea, and China. Four large islands and thousands
ofsmaller ones make up Japan. The four major
islands-Hokkaido,Honshu,Kyushu andShikoku form a curve that extends
for about 1,900 kilometres. TopographyJapan is a land of great natural
beauty. mountains and hills cover about 70% of thecountry. IN fact,
Japanese islands consist of the rugged upper part of a great
mountainrange that rises from the floor of the North Pacific Ocean.
Jagged peaks, rocky gorges,and thundering mountain waterfalls provide
some of the country's most spectacularscenery. Thick forests thrive on
mountansides, adding to the scenic beauty of theJapanese islands.
Forests cover about 68% of the country's land.Japan lies on an extremely
unstable part of the earth's crust. As a result, the land isconstantly
shifting. This shifting causes two of Japan's most striking
features earthquakes and volcanoes. The Japanese islands have about
1500 earthquakes a year.Most of them are minor tremors that cause little
damage, but severe earthqaukes occurevery few years. Underseaquakes
sometimes cause huge, destructive tidal waves, calledtsunami, along
Japan's Pacific coast. The Japanese islands have more than 150
majorvolcanoes. Over 60 of these volcanoes are active.Numerous short,
swift rivers cross Japan's rugged surface. most of the rivers are
tooshallow and steep to be navigated. Their waters are used to irrigate
farmland, and theirrapids and falls supply power for hydroelectric plants.
Many lakes nestle among theJapanese mountains. Some lie in the
craters of extinct volcanoes. A large number of hotsprings gush from the
ground throughout the country.The Japanese islands have a total land
area of about 337,708 sqkm. The islands , inorder of size, are Honshu,
Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. The sea of Japan washesthe country's
west coast and the Pacific ocean lies to the east.ClimateRegional
climates in Japan can be compared to those of the East Coast of the
UnitedStates. Kyushu and Shikoku have a climate much like that of Perth.
They have long hotsummers and mild winters. The island Honshu's
generally has warm,humid summers.Winters are mild in the south and
cold and snowy in the north. Honshu has balmy,sunny autumns and
springs. Hokkaido has cool summers and cold winters much
likeTasmania.Two Pacific Ocean currents the Japan Current and the
Oyashio Current influenceJapan's climate. The warm, dark-blue Japan
Current flows northward along thecountry's south coast and along the
east coast as far north as Tokyo. The Japan currenthas a warming effect
on the climate of theses regions. The cold Oyashio Current
flowssouthward along the east coasts of Hokkaido and northern Honshu,
cooling theseareas.Seasonal winds called monsoons also affect Japan's
climate. In winter, monsoons fromthe northwest bring cold air to northern
Japan. These winds, which gather moisture asthey cross the Sea of
Japan, deposit heavy snows on the country's northwest coast.During the
summer, monsoons blow from the southeast , carrying warm, moist air
fromthe pacific ocean. Summer monsoons cause hot, humid weather in
central and southernJapan.Rain is abundant through most of Japan. All
the areas of the country except easternHokkaido recieve at least 100
centimetres of rain yearly. Japan has two major rainyseasons from
mid-June to early July and from September to October. Severaltyphoons
strike the country each year, mainly in late summer and early Autumn.
Theheavy rains and violent winds of these storms often do great damage
to houses andcropsFamilyThe Extended FamilyFamily life has always
been important in Japan. Before 1945, many Japanese lived inlarge
family units that included grandparents, parents, children, and sometimes
unclesand their families. Japanese families were bound together by a
strict set of customs.Husbands had complete authority over their wives,
and children were expected to showunquestioning obedience to their
parents.Marriage and Courtship-When a child was old enough to marry,
the parents selecteda suitable marraige partner. In some cases, the bride
and groom had never met beforethe wedding.The Nuclear FamilyToday
most of the Japanese live in the style of a nuclear family. These consist of
onlyparents and children. The Japanese still have strong family ties and a
deep respect forauthority. But since WW2 relationships with families have
become a little less formal,and more democratic.Marriage and
Courtship-Most young people now select their own marraige partnerson
the basis of shared interests and mutual attraction.Parental Roles The
parents still sometimes decide the marraige partner for their child to
marry.Female and Male rolesEducationRole in SocietyJapanese law
requires children to complete six years of elementary school, and
threeyears of junior high school. Education at public schools is free during
these nine yearsfor children aged from 6 through 14 years of age. Almost
all Japanese childrencomplete the education requirments. Completing
these compulsory years of schoolinggives children the basic knowledge in
a wide range of areas to succeed in adult life.Further education builds on
this basic knowledge to prepare people for moreintellectual jobs.Primary
EducationJapanese elementary and junior high school students study
such subjects as art,homemaking, the japanese language, mathematics,
moral education, music, physicaleducation, science and social studies. In
addition, many junior high school studentsstudy English or another
foreign language. Students spend much time learning to readand write
japanese because the language is so difficult. Secondary
EducationSenior high school runs for three years. To enter senior high
school the students mustpass an entrance examination. Classes include
many of the same subjects studied injunior high school. Senior schools
also offer courses to prepare students for college orto train them for jobs.
About 95% of junior high school leavers go to senior highschool.Higher
EducationJapan has about 460 Universities and about 600 junior and
technical colleges. Thelargest University is Nihon (Japan) University in
Tokyo, which has about 80, 000students. The country has 90 National
Universities, which are supported by thegovernment. Some of these
universities such as the University of Tokyo and theUniversity of
Kyoto have exceptionally high reputations. Highly regarded
privateuniversities include Doshisha University in Kyoto and Keio
University and WasedaUniversity in TokyoSenior high school graduates
who want to attend a college or university must pass theentrance
examination given by the school of their choice. Large numbers of
studentscompete for admission to the top Japanese universities. About
38% of senior highschool graduates go to an institution of higher
learning.Political SystemPolitical StructureJapan's parliment, makes the
country's laws. it consists of two houses. The house ofRepresentatives
has 511 members. They are elected to four-year terms from
electoraldistricts. The House of Councillors has 252 members. Half the
councillors are electedevery three years to six-year terms. Of the
councillors, 100 are elected from the countryas a whole, and 152 are
chosen from 47 political divisions called prefectures.Political PartiesJapan
has several political parties. The most successful is the
Liberal-Democratic Party(LDP), a conservative party which has more
seats in the Government than any othersince 1955. In 1993, a coallition
of other important parties was formed to oppose theLDP. The largest
members of the coallition include the Social Democratic Party ofJapan,
the Japan Renewal Party, the Komeito (Clean Government Party), and
the JapanNew Party. Stability of GovernmentAlthough the Government
itself is stable, within the parties there is much disruptionand
complaintRole of Local GovernmentThe municipalities have fairly broad
powers; they control public education and maylevy taxes.Legal
SystemOrganisation of judiciary systemThe Japanese judicial system is
entirely separate from and independent of the executiveauthority. Except
for reasons of health, judges may be removed only by
publicimpeachment. The highest court in the nation is the Supreme Court,
established by theconstitution and consisting of a chief justice appointed
by the emperor upon therecommendation of the cabinet and 14 associate
justices appointed by the cabinet. Fourtypes of lower courts are
prescribed by the constitution: high courts, district courts,family courts,
and summary courts. The Supreme Court is the tribunal of final appeal
inall civil and criminal cases and has authority to decide on the
constitutionality of any actof the legislature or executive. High courts hear
appeals in civil and criminal cases fromlower courts. District courts have
both appellate and original jurisdiction. Family andsummary courts are
exclusively courts of first instance.Type of LawThe Japanese do not have
a law as such, the citizens have codes to abide by.Social
OrganisationsGroup BehaviourThe Japanese in general are very polite
and well mannered people.Race, ethnicity and subculturesThere are may
Chinese in Japan as well as Koreans. The original race of Japan are
theInu people.Religon and AstheticsReligon and other belief systemsAs
belowRelationship with the peopleJust about every single person is a
Shinto and three quarters of people are alsobuddhists. This shows that
religon is very important to their everyday life.Which religons are
prominentBuddhism and Shinto are the two most prominent religons in
Japan by a long way.Membership of each religonMost Japanese observe
both Shinto and Buddhist rites so the percentages add to morethan
100%Shinto-95.8%Buddhist-76.3%Christian-1.4%Other-12%AestheticsVi
sual ArtsThe major Japanese visual arts are Sculpture and
painting.MusicTraditional Japanese music may sound thin compared with
the rich harmonies ofWestern music. Most forms of Japanese music
feature one instrument or voice or agroup of instruments that follows the
same melodic line instead of blending in harmony.Japanese instruments
include the lutelike biwa; the zitherlike koto; and the threestringed
banjolike samisen, or shamisen. Traditional music also features drums,
flutes,and gongs. Performances of traditional music draw large crowds in
Japan. Most typesof Western music are also popular. Many Japanese
cities have their own proffesionalsymphony orchestras that specialize in
Western musicDrama, Ballet and other performing ArtsThe oldest form of
traditional Japanese performing arts is a type of drama called the 'noplay',
which developed in the 1300's. 'No plays' are serious treatments of
history andlegend. Masked actors perform the story with carefully
controlled gestures andmovements. A chorus chants most of the
important lines in the play.Two other forms of traditional Japanese drama,
the puppet theater and the kabuki play,developed during the late 1600's.
In the puppet theater, a narrator recites the story,which is acted out by
large, lifelike puppets. The puppet handlers work silently on stagein view
of the audience. Kabuki plays are melodramatic representations of
historical ordomestic events. Kabuki features colourful costumes and
makeup, spectacular scenery,and a lively and exaggerated style.The
traditional types of theater remain popular in Japan. The people also
enjoy newdramas by Japanese playwrights, as well as Western
plays.FolkloreThe Tale of Genji, a long novel written in the 1000's is
generally considered thegreatest work of Japanese fiction. Living
ConditionsDiet and Nutrition, Meat and Vegetable Consumption and
Foods availibleThe main food of the japanese people is rice. It is served
at almost every meal.Fish provides the chief source of protein in the
Japanese diet Favourite Japanesesnacks include various kinds of
noodles in broth and yakitori, charcoal-grilled pieces ofpoultry on a
skewer.Soybeans are another major source of protein in the Japanese
diet. The Japanese alsoeat a wide variety of fruits and varieties of
seaweed. The Japanese would eat a lot more vegetables than meat
because meat is incrediblyexpensive.Typical mealsA popular Japanese
dish called sushi consists of rice flavoured with vinegar and toppedwith
raw fish, sliced vegetables, shellfish, foods wrapped in seeweed and
otheringredients. Other traditional dishes include sukiyaki (beef cooked
with vegetables) andtempura (fish and vegetables fried in
batter)HousingTypes of Houses availibleThere are two major types of
housing availible in Japan, modern apartment buildingsand traditional
Japanese houses.Renters or Home OwnersDue to short supply of land
for sale, most Japanese can not afford to buy land for ahouse and
therefore a large number, especially in the crowded cities rent
apartments.ClothingNational DressThe kimonoTypes of clothing worn at
workThe types of clothing worn to work are just the same as in the
western world. Menwear suits with smart ties and women wear
conservative tailored attireRecreationTypes and DemandThe Japanese
people enjoy a wide variety of sports, hobbies, and other leisure
timeactivities. Their favourite spectator sports are baseball and sumo
wrestling. otherpopular sports include bowling, golf, ice skating, skiing,
table tennis, tennis andvolleyball. Many Japanese practice aikido, judo,
and karate. Kendo is also popular.Japanese also enjoy fishing, hunting,
jogging and mountain climbing.Percentage of Income spent on leisure
activitiesThe Japanese would probably spend around % of their income
on leisure activities.Social Security and Health CareIn the early 1990s
about 18 percent of the annual national budget was allocated forsocial
security purposes. A medical insurance system has been in effect in
Japan since1927. Self-employed people and employees in the private
and public sectors areincluded under the medical plan.Social welfare
services have greatly expanded since World War II; legislation enactedor
amended in the postwar years includes the Livelihood Security Law for
NeedyPersons, the Law for the Welfare of Disabled Persons, the National
Health InsuranceLaw, the Welfare Pension Insurance Law, Old Age
Welfare Law, and the Maternal andChild Welfare Law. The entire
population is covered by various insurance systems.Most working people
once retired at the age of 55, but an increasing life expectancyand
government encouragement has extended the average age of retirement
to 65.Health conditions are generally excellent. In the mid-1990s life
expectancy at birth was76 years for men and 82 years for women; the
infant mortality rate was a very low 4.3per 1000 live births. Japan has
about 211,800 physicians and 1.7 million hospital beds.LanguageOfficial
LanguageThe official language of Japan is Japanese.Spoken Versus
written languageSpoken Japanese is much easier than written japanese
to master. Written Japaneseconsists katakana, hiragana and thousands
of chinese symbols called 'Kanji'.Considering how hard these characters
are to remember, especially the chinese ones, itsno wonder people can
speak more than they can write.DialectsJapan comprises numerous
mountainous islands, and this geography limited contactbetween the
Japanese peoples living in different regions of the country. As a
result,people in the various regions of Japan developed differing varieties,
or dialects, of theJapanese language. Japanese has also developed
separate varieties of the language foruse in different social contexts;
these varieties are called social styles of speech.A large number of
dialects are spoken throughout Japan's four main islands
(Hokkaido,Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu), as well as on the smaller
islands, such as the RyukyuIslands. Some dialects-for instance, those
spoken in the southern parts of Japan,notably on the islands of Kyushu
and Okinawa-are virtually incomprehensible to thespeakers of other
dialects. As a result of this diversity of dialects, the Japanese use
astandard, or common, dialect to facilitate communication throughout the
country. Thetwo dialect families with the largest number of speakers are
the dialect spoken in andaround Tokyo, which is the common dialect, and
the dialects of the Kansai region inwestern Japan, spoken in cities such
as Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe. Due to the spread ofthe common dialect
through television and radio, most people outside the Tokyo regionspeak
the common dialect as well as a local dialect.RefrencesWorld Book
Encyclopedia (Cd Rom)Grolier Encyclopedia (Cd Rom)Encarta 96
Encyclopedia (Cd Rom)JETRO (Internet Site)CIA World Factbook
(Internet Site)Q
. in Japan. Before 1945, many Japanese lived inlarge
family units that included grandparents, parents, children, and sometimes
unclesand their families. Japanese. Party ofJapan,
the Japan Renewal Party, the Komeito (Clean Government Party), and
the JapanNew Party. Stability of GovernmentAlthough the Government
itself