Japan

The Land of the Rising Sun

Japan’s Physical GeographyJapan is an archipelago. A group or string of islands.

Japan has 4 major islands and over 2,000 total islands.

Japan is slightly smaller then the land area of California.

Japan has many earthquakes and volcanoes.

Japan’s Population• Japan’s population

is 127 Million people. Yet it is only the slightly smaller then California.

Japan’s Answer to Population• The Japanese do

many things to maintain their limited space.

• They have smaller houses. The average Japanese house is 1,060 sq. ft. The average U.S. house is 2,270 sq. ft.

Capsule Hotels

Mass Transit• Most people in Japan do not own their own cars.• The mass transit system is the preferred method of

travel.

Subway Crowding

Comparison of Rush-Hour Ridership in Five Countries

• Hamburg, Germany = 2.8 passengers per sq. meter• New York, U.S. = 3.4 passengers per sq. meter• London, U.K. = 5.5 passengers per sq. meter• Paris, France = 6.4 passengers per sq. meter• Tokyo Japan = 9.0 passengers per sq. meter

Bullet Trains• Japan was the first country

to develop “Bullet Trains” that would travel over 200 mph.

Altering the land• Because Arable

(Farmable) land is so scarce in Japan terrace farming practices are used.

• Process of making terraces or steps along hills or mountains.

Creating Land• Japan often uses technology to create new land out

of the sea.• Narita International Airport of Tokyo is a great

example.

Japanese Culture in America