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
JAPAN IN OUR WORLD Environmental Problems Japan’s economic success has also brought problems The growth of industry has led to air and water pollution and many of Japan’s cities have been affected by acid rain and smog Japan also needs to find a solution to better protect wildlife habitats However to their credit in the 1970s new laws were passed to stop the dumping of poisonous waste Also Japanese companies lead the world in the development of eco-friendly technology The hybrid cars built by Toyota and Honda have gas and electric engines that reduce pollution THE HOME OF Origami Origami is the art of paper-folding During the 19th century Samurai warriors gave gifts decorated with noshi a good-luck token made from paper folded around a strip of dried fish or meat In time the designs became more and more intricate Now there is even a plan to use special origami planes to test new spacecraft designs One of a Kind Japanese culture has had a huge impact on the rest of the world karaoke computer games and Pokémon are enjoyed all over the globe The Japanese have long believed that their country is a special place that few outsiders can understand When French firms first tried to sell skis to Japan in the 1960s they were told they wouldn’t work as Japanese snow was unique Today attitudes are changing and Japan is more open to foreign influences and competition 쑸 The growth of industry in Japan has resulted in environmental problems as factories and power plants pump polluting gases into the atmosphere
INTRODUCING JAPAN 쒀 Japanese prime minister Taro Aso talks with Russian president Dmitri Medvedev during a meeting of the G8 countries in 2009 Japan in the World Japan plays an important role in world politics It is a member of the G8 group of leading industrial nations and it hosted the Kyoto agreement on climate change in 1997 It provides a lot of foreign aid to developing countries and lends money to many other nations Since World War II 1939 45 Japan has had a peaceful foreign policy but today it feels threatened by the nuclear missile testing in North Korea Its relations with its powerful neighbors Russia and China are very important to the stability of the region 7 IT STARTED HERE Pokémon Pokémon the cute cartoon characters that appear in comics video games and TV shows were invented by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996 By 1999 they were a huge hit with children all over the world Pokémon is a contraction of two words that mean pocket monsters Players keep the animated creatures in small electronic gadgets and train them to compete against creatures owned by other players
