Discovering Japan: Land of Islands and Mountains
Discovering Japan: Land of Islands and Mountains
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Discovering Japan: Land of Islands and Mountains
What do you already know about Japan?
What Will You Learn?
At the end of the lesson you will be able to describe where Japan is, its main islands, people, cities, mountains, and some famous landmarks.
Where is Japan?
Japan is in East Asia, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. It is close to China, Korea, and Russia. Japan is an island country.
Japan's Many Islands
Japan has over 6,000 islands. The main ones are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Most people live on Honshu.
Mountains and Volcanoes
Japan is very mountainous. Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain and a volcano. The country has many volcanoes and earthquakes.
Pacific Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire is a string of volcanoes and sites of seismic activity, or earthquakes, around the edges of the Pacific Ocean. Roughly 90 percent of all earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, and the ring is dotted with 75 percent of all active volcanoes on Earth.
The Ring of Fire isn’t quite a circular ring. It is shaped more like a 40,000-kilometer (25,000-mile) horseshoe. A string of 452 volcanoes stretches from the southern tip of South America, up along the coast of North America, across the Bering Strait, down through Japan, and into New Zealand.
Japan's Cities
The capital is Tokyo, one of the world's biggest cities. Other important cities are Osaka and Kyoto. Tokyo has over 13 million people.
Tokyo is the capital city of Japan and one of the largest cities in the world. Over 13 million people live there. Tokyo is known for its tall buildings, busy streets, and modern technology. It is also the home of the Emperor and the centre of Japan’s government. Tokyo has trains, shops, and famous places like Tokyo Tower.
People and Language
About 125 million people live in Japan. Most people live in cities and speak Japanese.
Special Places and Traditions
Japan has an Emperor who lives in Tokyo. It is a modern country with many ancient traditions.
Hemeji Castle: Unesco world heritage site
Kyoto Tower
Famous Landmarks
Mount Fuji, Tokyo Tower, ancient castles, shrines, and temples across Japan.
🐒 National Animal: Japanese Macaque (Snow Monkey)
The Japanese macaque is often seen as Japan’s national animal.
It is famous for sitting in hot springs.
It lives in the mountains of Japan.
🌸 National Flower: Cherry Blossom (Sakura)
The cherry blossom is called sakura in Japanese.
It blooms in spring.
It is a symbol of beauty and new beginnings.
🍣 National Food: Sushi
Sushi is Japan’s most famous food.
It is made with rice, fish, and vegetables.
It is popular all over the world.
A traditional Japanese poem is called a haiku. It has 3 lines and follows a 5–7–5 syllable pattern.
Example haiku by Matsuo Bashō:
An old silent pond
A frog jumps into the pond—
Splash! Silence again.
What it means:
This poem describes a quiet pond and the sound of a frog jumping in. Haiku poems often describe nature and peaceful moments.
Pink cherry blossoms
Falling softly in the breeze
Spring has come again
🏔️ Biggest Mountain
The tallest mountain in Japan is Mount Fuji
Height: 3,776 metres
It is a volcano and is considered sacred in Japanese culture
It is also the most famous symbol of Japan
🌊 Biggest River
The longest river in Japan is the Shinano River
Length: about 367 km
It flows through central Japan to the Sea of Japan
Important for farming, transport, and water supply
Quiz Time!
1. Which continent is Japan in? 2. What is the capital city? 3. What is Japan’s highest mountain? 4. Is Japan an island or mainland country? 5. What ocean is Japan in?
Activity; include on map: Population: 125 million
Currency: Japenese Yen
Mt Fuji
Shinano River
Hokkaido
Tokyo (Capital) Pacific Ocean
Osaka Sea of Japan
Kyoto Philippine Sea
Hiroshima
Nagasaki
China
South Korea
North Korea
Russia
