Countries in our WORLD JAPAN in our world Jim Pipe
Introducing Japan Japan is a country of contrasts It is one of the world’s economic superpowers However while it is a modern developed country it maintains much of its traditional culture Its name in Japanese Nippon means the source of the sun which is why Japan is sometimes called the Land of the Rising Sun RUSSIA CHINA An Island Nation Japan lies on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean off the north eastern coast of Asia It consists of four major islands surrounded by approximately 3,900 smaller islands Put together these are slightly smaller than the state of California Despite this Japan has the tenth-largest population in the world It is covered in mountains so most people in Japan live in in towns and cities crammed together on the flat coastal plains High-rise apartments filled with people are squeezed into these towns and cities To help solve the problem of overcrowding land is being reclaimed from the sea NORTH KOREA SOUTH KOREA East China Sea Yellow Sea Lake Biwa Kobe Sea of Japan Hiroshima KYUSHU SHIKOKU Nagasaki Mount Unzen NN Philippine 쑺 Japan is made up of four main islands and thousands of smaller ones in the Pacific Ocean to the south of the Korean Peninsula and Russia W W E E SS Sea KeyKey Capital city Capital city Other cities Other cities Mountain Mountain 4 Lake Kussharo HOKKAIDO Shinano River HONSHU JAPAN Tokyo Osaka Mount Fuji Mount Asama 00 milesmiles 200200 00 kilometers kilometers 200200 Pacific Ocean
INTRODUCING JAPAN A Global Power Despite economic difficulties since the mid 1990s Japan remains the second-richest country in the world The Japanese people enjoy very high standards of living and Japan is home to some of the world’s most successful companies Japanese brand names such as Sony Toyota Nintendo Panasonic and Canon are recognized all over the world Once known for its steel and ship-building industries Japan is famous today for high-tech goods such as computers cell phones game consoles and music players It is also the world’s fourth-largest exporter and the sixth-largest importer BASIC DATA Official name Japan Capital Tokyo Size 145,914 sq miles 377,915 sq km Population 126,804,433 2010 est Currency Yen 쑽 In Japan’s capital Tokyo crowds of people hurry to work during rush hour
