JAPAN FACTS FOR KIDS
Japan is called the land of the rising sun. It is an archipelago or group of islands. It consists of 6,852 islands. It is situated in the Pacific Ocean.
Japan QUICK FACTS
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Official name: Japan |
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Capital: Tokyo |
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Official Language: Japanese |
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Currency: Japanese Yen |
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Continent: Asia |
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Population: 125.71 million |
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Major rivers: Shinano, Ishikari, Kiso, Teshio |
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Major Cities: Sapporo, Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya |
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Major Mountains: Mount Fuji, Mount Kita |
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National Bird: The Green Pheasant |
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National Tree: Japanese Red Cedar Sugi |
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National Animal: Macaque Monkeys |
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National Flower: Cherry Blossoms |
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National Fruit: Persimmons |
JAPAN’S GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
The Japanese islands are covered by mountains and most of them are heavily forested. Mountains occupy 80% of Japan’s land mass. There are about 111 active volcanoes. Japan has extensive marine life and mineral resources in the ocean. Due to the movement of the tectonic plates, Japan is struck often by earthquakes.
Japan has five distinct seasons, a warm spring, a hot and humid summer, cool autumn, cold winter, and a short rainy season.
JAPAN’S PEOPLE AND CULTURE
The people of Japan are known for their hard work, kindness, politeness, punctuality, intelligence, and for being respectful. Buddhism and Shinto are widely practiced in Japan. Rice, vegetables, fish, and noodles are the basis of most Japanese diets. The popularity of Japanese cuisine is due to its versatile ingredients, which are not too spicy or very bland.
A very popular dish is Sushi. Sushi consists of cooked rice, flavored with vinegar and a variety of vegetables or raw seafood. The dish is served cold.
JAPAN’S FLAG
The national flag of Japan is a rectangular white banner, bearing a crimson red circle at its center. The Japanese call their flag “Hinomora”, meaning “circle of the sun”. The white color of the flag stands for integrity and honesty. The red dot represents the sun goddess.
JAPAN’S FLORA AND FAUNA
The flora of Japan has a wide variety of plant species. There are about 4500 native plants. Matsu, sugi, Japanese pine and cedar are common throughout the archipelago. A plant that is native to Japan and represents Japan is Sakura the Cherry Tree.
Native fauna of Japan is the macaque monkeys, weasel, serow, squirrel, giant flying squirrel, and Amami rabbit. Some fascinating sea animals seen in the Sea of Japan are the Japanese spider crab, Japanese rough shark, giant squid, viper dogfish, firefly squid, normura’s jellyfish, scallops, mussels and cuttlefish
JAPAN’S POPULAR SPORT
The popular sport played in Japan is baseball. Sumo wrestling and kendo are the native sport, but are not as popular as baseball. Other sports played here are tennis and football.
PLACES OF INTEREST
Tokyo Tower: It is a communication and observation tower in Tokyo. It is the second tallest in the country. It was constructed in the year 1957.
Mount Fuji: It is the highest Mountain in Japan, with its graceful conical form. Apart from being a popular destination for tourists and climbers, it also attracts pilgrims, as it is considered sacred. Japan’s highest post office is located on the peak of Mt.fuji. It is surrounded by five beautiful lakes.
Tori Gate: Tori gate is a traditional Japanese gate, which is commonly found at the entrance of shrines. They mark the crossing from the normal world to the sacred world.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial: It is built in memory of the victims of the nuclear attack. It is the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear bomb attack, during the Second World War. It is visited by more than 1 million people every year.
Kiyomizu Der Temple: It is called the temple of pure water spring. It is built on Mount Otowa in Kyoto. It is a national treasure of Japan and is listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site. The site is famous for the three-story koyasu pagoda, viewing platform and medicinal pure water of the Otowa spring.
Learning Fact based content in an easy way for kids
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CONTRIBUTED BY:
Saffura is a mother of three. She is a yoga instructor and has spent a lot of time teaching yoga for children. She narrates numerous stories to inculcate moral values in children, as she is certain that yoga is for the body and soul. As a mother and yoga instructor, She enjoys new tasks and likes multitasking. She truly believes that will mould her into a strong writer. As a writer she does a lot of research and pays keen attention to details.
