East Asia Pages

Unit Time Line Monday 3-19, preview Tuesday & Wednesday 3-20 &21, China Thursday 3-22, Mongolia and Taiwan Friday 3-23, The Koreas Monday & Tuesday 3-26 & 27 STAAR Testing Good Luck Wednesday 3-28, Japan Thursday 3-29, Automobile Activity and Review Friday 3-30, Unit Exam Wednesday 3-28, Chapter s 28 & 29 DUE Wednesday 3-28, Political and Physical Maps DUE

Japan Physical Geography History Culture/Religion Economics

Physical Features of Japan Island nation. Mountainous terrain. Located in the “Ring of Fire” earthquakes and volcanoes What process causes the earthquakes and volcanoes? Shifting Tectonic Plates Climate is humid continental and humid subtropical Natural Resources: Coal, tungsten, lead, gold and silver. Commercial fishing and hydro-electric power. Imports natural resources to make products.

Japan’s cities are near the seas and are low in elevation. Building sea walls in a way to protect the costal communities from tsunamis.

History Japanese flag is the sun representing Amaterasu, the sun goddess. Original inhabitants from Mainland Asia and the South Pacific. Before 300 A.D. Japan was not unified. Clans ruled territories. Yamato clan gained power in the 5 th C power struggle between two powerful clans Emperor creates position of Shogun army general with power of a military dictator. Shoguns ruled and appointed governors (daimyos).

Shoguns ruled for 700 years s trade with Portugal started US Navy arrives and Japan can no longer remain isolated the Emperor becomes head of government and the last Shogun resigns. Japanese Empire stretched throughout the South Pacific. December 7, 1941 Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. U.S. joins WWII and defeats Japan in 1945 after dropping atomic bombs on Japan.

Culture and People Japanese Settlement and Agricultural Patterns Japan’s Agriculture Lands Largely limited to country’s coastal plains & interior basins Rice, fruit, and vegetable cultivation Settlement Patterns 3 largest metropolitan areas: Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya Population density: 870 per square miles Mostly crowded in mainland industrial belt Japan’s Urban-Agricultural Dilemma Japanese cities located in agricultural lowlands Restricted living space in urban areas National importance of rice self-sufficiency

Living Standards and Social Conditions in Japan High standard of living, though a little lower than U.S. Low unemployment, health care provided; low crime rates Literacy high, infant mortality low, life-spans long

Globalization & Diversity: Rowntree, Lewis, Price, Wyckoff 12 JAPAN’S AGE DISTRIBUTION AGE GROUP PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION 0-14 Years 18.4%14.9% Years15.4%11.6% Years54.5%49.6% 65+ Years11.7%23.9% ______________________________________________________ 100%100% SOURCE: UNITED NATIONS WORLD POPULATION PROSPECTS 1990 (NEW YORK: UNITED NATIONS, 1991)

Language Linguistic and Ethnic Diversity in East Asia Language and National Identity in Japan Japanese is not related to any other language Minority Groups in Japan Several Japanese dialects (most distinct on Ryukyu Islands) Koreans, Chinese, and South Asians in Japan; face discrimination Other immigrants came to Japan beginning in 1980s; but their status is uncertain Chinese, southern Asians in construction Philippines immigrants in entertainment 200,000 Brazilians of Japanese ancestry

Religion/Philosophy Shinto Closely bound to Japanese nationality Beliefs about harmony of nature and its connection to human existence A place- and nature-centered religion

Globalization & Diversity: Rowntree, Lewis, Price, Wyckoff 15 Shintoism

500 a.d. most economic activity was? Agricultural. U.S. Occupation and Nation Building Possibly the only effective nation building attempt. During occupation the U.S. introduced political and economic reform. As Japan developed economically the government was very active in assisting companies develop and prosper. This kind of economy that is supported by the government but not controlled by the government tends to be closer to socialism than free enterprise. Economics

Japan is highly industrial and urban. Imports most materials used in industry. 1950s led to an economic boom for Japan. Economic tiger. Products shifted from clothing to electronics and tech. 1980s and 1990s the economic power house called Jakota Triangle was doing very well. Mid 1990s banks went bankrupt and started a panic. All three countries slid into a recession.. The International Monetary Fund helped the East Asian countries to avoid a global economic downturn.

The outcome of the economic crisis- reform for wages child-labor laws ending sweatshop practices 1990s brought economic slump. Why? Debt management and investor panic.

Current Events China and Japan share fishing industry in the Sea of Japan. Whaling – In 2000 Japan continued to whale for “scientific purposes”. In response the US has banned Japanese ships from fishing in US waters. Nuclear Disaster? Result of the Tsunami

Review What has Japan done to adapt to its environment to protect itself from the threat of tsunamis? Japan has engineered sea walls to protect its costal communities. Why does the international community want to stop Japan from whaling? To conserve the number of whales left. What caused the nuclear power plant disaster in Japan? tsunami. What did the US do to influence Japanese to cease whaling? Recommended a ban on Japanese fishing in US waters.

Japan is located along the “Ring of Fire”. What natural disaster can be expected there? Volcanoes and earthquakes. 500 A.D. most economic activity was? Agricultural. The economy in Japan is closer to __________ than free enterprise or communism. Socialism. Shintoism is similar to what other philosophy? Confucianism. Define a contributing factor that led to the economic downturn in Japan in the 1990s. Debt management and investor panic.

Define some outcomes of the economic crisis- reform for wages child-labor laws ending sweatshop practices Why is Japan concerned about export bans of natural resources from China? Japan depends on material from China to use in industry.