1. Japan is a country in East Asia. It is an archipelago or a series of islands.

2. Japan is located near Korea and China.

3. Since Japan is an archipelago, the Japanese have used the seas for fishing.

4. Japan is mountainous. Eighty percent of Japan’s land is mountainous!

5. The mountains did not separate the Japanese but they did make farming difficult. Japan has little arable land.

6. Like other people confronted with mountains, the Japanese engaged in terrace farming.

7. Japan lacks many natural resources. Today, the Japanese must engage in trade to acquire resources. In the past, the Japanese conquered land for resources.

8. Due to its location, in the past, the Japanese selectively borrowed ideas from China. Korea served as a bridge, culturally connecting China to Japan.

9. The Japanese adopted writing, chopsticks, Confucianism, and even tea drinking from China.

10. Buddhism entered Japan via Korea and China.

11. But it is important to remember that selective borrowing occurred. The Japanese did not accept the Mandate of Heaven.

12. The Japanese believed the emperor was a direct descendant of the Sun Goddess and that his family would rule for eternity.

13. Shinto is the traditional religion of Japan. People respect the spirits or forces of nature.

14. Nature is an important theme in Japanese art and culture.