Japan Chapter 12 Flashcards
What do the characters that make up the name Japan mean? What nickname has it granted Japan?
They mean “Sun” and “Origin”. So it is often referred to as “The Land of the Rising Sun”.
What neighbours is Japan geographically isolated from?
Korea (north and south), China, and Russia.
Why is Japan isolated from Korea (north and south), China, and Russia?
It is an island, so it is geographically isolated from its neighbours.
Why have few people traveled to and from the mainland and Japan?
The water between is rough. Even though it is less than 200km to the mainland, the waterway is dangerous.
What is an archipelago?
A group of islands.
What is Japan with regards to geography?
An archipelago, or group of islands.
How many islands make up Japan?
It is made up of 4 main islands and a series of smaller islands making up over 6000 islands in total.
What is Japan’s mainland made of?
Mountainous ranges.
What are most cities in Japan? Why?
Most cities are port cities as they have been built around the coast.
What is Japan’s capital? What was it previously?
The capital of Japan is Tokyo. It was previously Kyoto.
How big is Japan?
380 000 square km.
How much farmland and flat land is there to live on in Japan? (2)
Very little; the largest flat area of Japan is less than 200km across, and only 18% of the country is level enough to permit agriculture or settlement.
What is the majority of Japan made up of? (2)
80% of the land is covered by forested mountains and steep valleys.
How big is the habitable land in Japan?
About 200km across.
Is the population big or small?
Densely populated.
What size is Japan (in comparison)?
60% the size of Alberta.
Why is travel difficult?
The 185km between Japan and Asia is very rough, making travel difficult.
What are the seasons like in Japan?
They are very distinct?
Where can the distinct seasons of Japan be best experienced?
The main island of Honshu.
How do Japan’s regions affect the weather?
The northern islands can experience subarctic temperatures, whereas the Okinawa islands are tropical.
How are seasons significant in the lives of the Japanese?
They each play an important role in their lives, especially when it comes to their rituals and ceremonies.
What are cherry blossoms to the Japanese?
They are the most beloved flowers among the Japanese and the spring blooming of the cherry trees is a time of celebration. They also represent many things to the Japanese.
What things do the cherry blossoms represent? (3)
- New beginnings.
- Beauty.
- The shortness of beauty and life.
What are natural disasters Japan faces? (3)
- Earthquakes.
- Tsunamis.
- Volcanoes.
How are earthquakes significant in Japan?
In the last 10 years, Japan has had over 20 earthquakes measuring over a magnitude of 6. There are many earthquakes that happen daily but don’t measure as high.
How are tsunamis significant in Japan?
Earthquakes and volcanoes that occur on the ocean floor are also common in the Pacific. These may cause devastating tidal waves.
How are volcanoes significant in Japan?
Japan has over 100 active volcanoes, more than almost any other country and accounts alone for about 10% of all active volcanoes in the world.
Why is Japan targeted by earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes?
Japan is located in an area where several continental and oceanic tectonic plates meet. Earthquakes are caused by shifts in these plates. While they are usually minor in nature, every few decades a major earthquake strikes Japan. Japan is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire at the junction of four tectonic plates. The Pacific, Philippine, Eurasian, and North American plates. Whenever these plates move, the countries on the Pacific RIm are affected.
What does Ainu mean?
Humans.
How long was the Ainu Culture around?
It extended from about 1400 to the early 1700s.
Where did the Ainu live?
In the northern island of Japan called Hokkaido.
When were the Ainu oppressed? By whom?
In the mid-16th century, the Japanese people invaded the Ainu lands and oppressed them.
What happened after the Japanese people invaded the Ainu lands?
The Japanese oppressed the Ainu and forced them to assimilate and forget their own way of life.
What happened in 1899, during the Meiji period?
The Hokkaido Aborigine Protection Act was passed.
When was the Hokkaido Aborigine Protection Act passed?
In 1899, during the Meiji period.
What did the Hokkaido Aborigine Protection Act do?
The act officially recognized the Ainu people but did nothing to distinguish between the Japanese and the Ainu.
What were the Ainu given? What is the problem with that?
They were given farming land, but they are a hunting/fishing society.
Does discrimination against the Ainu still exist?
Yes.
What did the Ainu consider gods, or Kamyu?
Things useful to them or beyond their control.
What did the Ainu call their gods?
Kamyu.
What did the Ainu regard things useful to them or beyond their control as?
Gods, or Kamyu.
What did the Ainu do in daily life?
They prayed to and performed various ceremonies for the gods.
What did the gods of the Ainu include?
Nature (fire, water, wind, thunder), animal (bears, foxes, spotted owls, and grampuses), Plant (aconite, mushroom, and mugwort), object (boats, pots), gods which protect houses, gods of mountains, and gods of lakes.
What is Shinto?
The ancient religion of Japan?
