Japan People And Culture

The Geography of Japan Japan consists of several thousands of islands, of which Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku are the four largest. Japan's closest neighbors are Korea, Russia and China. The Sea of Japan separates the Asian continent from the Japanese archipelago. Because Japan is located in a region, where several continental plates meet, the country experiences frequent earthquakes. For the same reason, there are many volcanos in Japan. Japan's most famous volcano and highest mountain is Mt.Fuji.

Picture of Mt. Fuji

The History Traditional Japanese legend maintains that Japan was founded in 600 BC by the Emperor Jimmu, a direct descendant of the sun goddess and ancestor of the present ruling imperial family. About AD 405, the Japanese court officially adopted the Chinese writing system. Together with the introduction of Buddhism in the sixth century, these two events revolutionized Japanese culture and marked the beginning of a long period of Chinese cultural influence. From the establishment of the first fixed capital at Nara in 710 until 1867, the emperors of the Yamato dynasty were the nominal rulers, but actual power was usually held by powerful court nobles, regents, or "shoguns" (military governors).

Japanese Government Japan’s constitution, was established in 1947, is based on three principles: sovereignty of the people, fundamental respect for human rights and renunciation of war. The Constitution also stipulates the independence of the three branches of government-legislative, the executive and the judicial. THE DIET, the highest form of parliament, is in charge of making laws. Question: Is Japan a unlimited or limited government? What type of government does Japan have based on the description above?

The Diet

History of Religion in Japan Today many religions are practiced in Japan, but most Japanese follow a mix of Shintoism and Buddhism. Although religion does not play a major role in the everyday life of the average Japanese, they do have customs and rituals that are observed on special occasions like birthdays, weddings, funerals, and religious holidays.

History of Religion in Japan After its arrival from China and Korea in 538 A.D., Buddhism spread rapidly throughout Japan. Many people were reluctant to accept Buddhism. After the defeat of the Mononobe clan in 587 A.D., who were opponents of Buddhism, the religion spread unimpeded. Almost two centuries later, under Emperor Shomu's order, the temple of Todai-ji was built at Nara in 752. It is the largest wooden structure in the world housing a fifteen-meter high gilt-bronze statue of the Cosmic Buddha, later to be known as The Great Sun Buddha, or Dainichi Nyorai in Japanese.

The Culture of Japan Language: Japanese Capital City: Tokyo Currency: Japanese Yen Government: Constitutional Monarchy Emperor- Akihito GDP per capita: $39,321 = Developed NOW WATCH: Japan: News Stories http://app.discoveryeducation.com/search?Ntt=Japan+News+Stories And learn more about Japanese Culture