100 Facts Assignment Part 1 & 2

 

100 Facts AssignmentPart 1

1.       There are many people who think that the Japanese national anthem is not suitable for their country due to the meaning of the title and song and its history.

2.       During the Pacific War, Americans referred to the Japanese flag and any other mark containing a red circle as ‘meatball’.

3.       Nippon, which is Japan’s name in Japanese, means ‘the source of the sun’ and so Japan is sometimes called ‘The Land of The Rising Sun’.

4.       Japan is the second-richest country in the world.(Each year the ranks change and sources may be unreliable.) The country is currently 28^th in the International Monetary Fund list; 26^th in the World Bank list and 29^th for the Central Intelligence Agency (1993–2014) list. (List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita -From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

5.       Environmental problems are not regarded as seriously as other countries do, and crucial work has not been done in many parts of the country. Japanese companies promote eco-friendly technology and more sustainable use of resources.

6.       The wide variety of wildlife is being threatened with extinction as their habitats are destroyed or affected. Little has been done but none of the animals have actually become extinct.

7.       Whale meat is eaten in Japan. A rule was agreed on for the Japanese to not go whaling near the Antarctic. Yet, I still saw many months later whale meat from the Antarctic at the supermarket. Whale meat is somewhat like beef, it is hard and looks red on the outside. Many people eat it raw, as whale bacon, whale white stuff, or fried.

8.       Japan is an island nation lying off the east coast of Asia.

9.       It is shaped like a crescent and extends 3,000 km from the top to the bottom.

10.   The country is made up of four main islands (Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and Hokkaido) and around 7,000 small islands. The whole group is referred to as the Japanese Archipelago.

11.   The land area of Japan is about 378,000km²which is larger than Malaysia but only one fifth of Indonesia.

12.   Most of Japan lies in the temperate zone and enjoys a moderate, oceanic type of climate with four distinct seasons.

13.   It has a coastline of 29,751 km. The longest river is the Shinanoriver which is 367 km long.

14.   There are mountain ranges that run through Japan and give the Pacific and Sea of Japan sides of Japan vastly different climatic patterns.

15.   The Pacific side have hot and humid summers with seasonal winds from the southeast. The winters are dry and have many clear days.

16.   The Sea of Japan side receive regular, heavy snows caused by north-Westerly winter winds.

17.   All areas of Japan except Hokkaido have a hot and very humid rainy season called the tsuyu which is from early June to mid-July.

18.   The typhoon season runs from August to October and brings heavy rain and typhoons.

19.   The best seasons in Japan are spring and autumn.

20.   The rivers of Japan are short and fast-flowing. Dams are built to provide hydro-electric power, but the rivers flood during the rainy season.

21.   There are many hot springs and volcanoes. There are around 75 active volcanoes which represents 10 percent of the total number of volcanoes in the world.

22.   Earthquakes occur frequently. 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes occur in Japan. An average of 1,500 earthquakes occur each year.

23.   It has a population of 127.69 million (2008). 127.1 million (2014)

24.   It has a population density of 343 people per square kilometre.

25.   There are about 2.5 million Japanese emigrants living in Brazil, Canada, the USA, the UK and other countries.

26.   Ethnic minorities include the 15,000 Ainu left near Hokkaido, the Burakumin and 700,000 Koreans.

27.   Japan has a high life expectancy. Most people live over 70 years and there are many people over 100 years old. 98 year old people also drive cars. The current way of life may change this expectancy. Wifi, digital appliances and all of those other things may affect us.

28.   Many Japanese people work late into the night or over the weekend. The Japanese school week will also begin to include Saturday again. It was cut in 2002.

29.   Recently the consumer electronics manufacturers have been closing down Japanese factories and replacing them with those in other countries. It is a highly unstable time for them.

30.   Only 15% of the land in Japan is suitable for farming.

31.   Women are paid less than men.

32.   Japan aims to become the leader in digital technology. Nuclear power is preferred over solar or wind power. Toshiba, Hitachi and others have relations with nuclear power plants.

33.   The population has shifted from the agricultural areas towards the large cities. Japan has the tenth largest population in the world. Overcrowding is common in cities, and there are more apartments than houses.

34.   About 70% of Japan’s land area is mountainous.

35.   Mt. Fuji is Japan’s highest peak with an altitude of 3,776 metres. There are 14 other mountains over 3,000 metres tall.

36.   There are 4,500 different kinds of plants of which around 1,000 are indigenous in Japan.

37.    The diverse amount of plants has led to the development of arctic animals through to tropical animals.

38.   Hokkaido has animals found in Siberia, including the brown bear.

39.   Honshu has animals found in mainland china and the Korean peninsula, including the fox and raccoon dog as well as animals and birds not found elsewhere, such as the Japanese deer and Japanese pheasant.

40.   Humans began living on the islands of Japan from the Palaeolithic Period. During the Jomon period that extended up to the fourth or third century B.C. people depended mainly on hunting, fishing and gathering for their survival.

41.   During the Yayoi period, which lasted till around the third century A.D., the Japanese mastered the art of rice cultivation, began to use metal implements, and set the fundamental patterns of Japanese life. Near the end of the Yayoi period, a united kingdom called Yamatai which was ruled by Queen Himiko flourished. In the fourth century, powerful clans were consolidated into the Yamato court, which later evolved into the Imperial Family. The Chinese writing system, religion (Buddhism), ideology (Confucianism) and various other arts and crafts were introduced to Japan during this time.

42.   The period called the Tumulus period saw the building of many huge tumuli for powerful families and rulers. A constitutional form of government was introduced in the seventh century that was modelled on that of China. The land and the people were no longer under the control of powerful families but were placed under the direct rule of the state. The system began to crumble in the eighth century and the nobility began to take private possession of the land. The rule of the warrior class lasted seven hundred years. Of those years, two hundred and sixty years were devoted to the Tokugawa shogunate.

43.   The arrival of Commodore Perry from the U.S in 1853 marked the end of Japan’s isolation which the shogunate had enforced upon Japan. The shogunate turned over its power to the Emperor and the ‘Meiji Restoration’ took place. Japan rapidly modernised and started the Russo-Japanese war in 1904.

44.   The Pacific War broke out mainly due to the race between Japan and the other advanced nations to establish a stronger influence in Asia. Negotiations never worked out and America kept on taking an aggressive stance. The Japanese were pushed back by the Allies even though there had been times when the United States had zero aircraft carriers during the war. It can be said that Japan was never able to win the war from the beginning. However, there was a high possibility that the Japanese would have succeeded had there not been several events of bad luck and wrong judgement. There were many wars and battles which combined together resulted in the overall defeat of Japan. American troops landed on Okinawa in 1945 and then dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Soviet Union then broke some peace treaty that existed between the two countries and entered the war.

45.   After the war, Japan began to rebuild itself into a peaceful, democratic nation. New constitutions were made; relationships with various countries were renewed. The bullet train went into operation in 1964 and the first Olympic Games to be held in Asia took place in Tokyo. TVs, washing machines and refrigerators became more widespread. Overseas travel was also undertaken by many people due to the strong yen. Currently, overseas travellers from Japan have been declining.

46.   The Emperor has no governmental powers but is treated as the head of state in diplomatic and ceremonial functions.

47.   The name of the present Emperor of Japan is Akihito. He is the one hundred and twenty-fifth to occupy the Imperial throne. 

48.   Japan’s present Constitution was promulgated in 1946 and went into effect on the 3^rd of May, 1947. It is different to the earlier one as it defines the Emperor as the symbol of the state, affirms that sovereignty rests with the people, renounces war and advocates peace and respects fundamental human rights. Amendments have been made recently.

49.   The government of Japan is composed of a legislative branch, an administrative branch and a judiciary branch which are all independent.

50.   The Diet has legislative powers and is made up of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, both of which consist of members elected by the people. The Diet has the power to designate the Prime Minister; to approve non-confidence resolutions in the Cabinet; to pass laws; to approve the budget; to approve treaties; to conduct trials of impeachment against the judges and the power to amend the Constitution.

51.   The administrative branch includes the Cabinet which consists of the Prime Minister and the other ministers of state. It has general administrative functions, manages foreign affairs, concludes treaties, prepares the budget and enacts Cabinet orders. The work is divided among one office and twelve ministries and agencies.

52.   The judiciary branch of government is made up of the Supreme Court, the high courts, the district courts, the family courts and the summary courts. The Supreme Court has the power to determine the constitutionality of any law, order, regulation, or official act.

53.   In addition to the national government, there are local governments for each of the forty-seven prefectures.

54.   Members of the Diet, prefectural governors and members and city, town and village mayors and members are all chosen by direct election.

55.   All men and women who have reached the age of twenty years have the right to vote.

56.   Usually, most of the seats of the Diet are held by the Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party, followed by the New Komeito, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party.

57.   The national flag of Japan is called the Hi-no-Maru or the Nisshoki. Both words mean ‘the flag of the rising sun’. The sun is represented by a red circle at the centre of a white field. It became Japan’s national flag by law in 1999.

58.   The national anthem is the words of kimigayo. These words were taken from a waka poem found in Kokinwakashu, a collection of waka poems dating back to the tenth century.

59.   The words of the anthem mean: ‘May the reign of the Emperor continue for all generations and for all eternity that it takes for small pebbles to grow into a great rock and become covered with moss’.

60.   The origin of the word ‘Japan’ is still unclear and has several variations.

61.   The average life expectancy of Japanese people is 79.2 years for males and 86.0 years for females.

62.   The cause of mortality of Japanese people is cancer (30%), heart disease (16%) and cerebral haemorrhage and other forms of stroke (11%).

63.   The education system of Japan is comprised of 6 years of elementary school, 3 years of junior high school, 3 years of senior high school and 4 years of college.

64.   The first nine years of education are compulsory under Article 26 of the Constitution.

65.   Japan is the world leader in Superconducting Technology which utilizes specific materials which exhibit zero electrical resistance and expel lines of magnetic force when cooled to an ultralow temperature.

66.   Nanotechnology is the technology of measuring, processing and manipulating materials in nanometric units. Japan is very advanced in this field.

67.   Chemistry, life science, robotics and energy are all fields which Japanis famous for.

68.   The United States, China and the Republic of Korea are all Japan's principal export destinations.

69.   Japan's principal import sources are China, United States, Australia and Saudi Arabia. Raw materials and fuels are then utilized to create things through the manufacturing industry.

70.   Major Australian exports to Japan include Coal, Iron ores & concentrates, Beef and Copper ores & concentrates. Major Australian imports from Japan include Passenger motor vehicles, refined petroleum, Goods vehicles and Tubes & pipes of iron or steel.

71.   There are more than forty different expressions for rain in Japanese. This expresses the sensitivities of many Japanese.

72.   The Japanese language has its own ‘peculiar’ sentence structure and writing system and has little in common with other languages of the world.

73.   Standard Japanese is used throughout the country but there are also many dialects that vary from region to region. Some can be unintelligible.

74.   Modern Japanese uses a mixture of kanji, hiragana, katakana characters and Roman letters (letters of the English alphabet are used to create words that sound like Japanese).

75.   There are about 3,000 commonly used kanji characters including the 1,945 daily use characters, 46 hiragana characters and 46 katakana characters. Daily use characters change over time as language always changes.

76.   Sentences can be written either vertically or horizontally and there are many words that essentially have the same meaning but are different. There are many words that sound the same but express different ideas.

77.   The subject must come before the predicate in Japanese phrases.

78.   Kanji can be read in Chinese reading or Japanese reading ways.

79.   Japanese words regardless of kanji, hiragana or katakana come from Russian, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, English, Tibetan, Cambodian, Malayan, Sanskrit and Korean languages. Chinese words were changed a lot but can still be considered as the origin of many Japanese words.

80.   Japanese art was largely influenced by art from China and the Korean peninsula.

81.   Jomon period- Jomon pottery was developed independently and is the world’s oldest earthenware. Yayoi period- foreign influences caused earthenware to become more sophisticated. Tumulus period- burial mounds of immense size, murals, sculptures and clay figures were created. Asuka period- Buddhism was introduced to Japan through Kudara on the Korean peninsula and temples, sculptures and crafts were made. Nara period- paintings, architecture and crafts were treasured, imported and sold. Heian period- paintings, calligraphy and design of handicrafts became more ‘Japanese’ due to less connections with China. Kamakura period and the period of north and south dynasties- there was renewed interest in Buddhist statues and many Zen temples were also built. Muromachi period- Noh was developed and models for traditional residential architectural style were made. Momoyama period- castles and palaces were made and decorated. Edo period- architecture, crafts, ukiyo-e and paintings became more accessible to the common people. Different places had their own special original works of art. In the modern period and today, Western and Japanese art styles are both safe from disappearing but crafts and technologies passed down from the Edo period are in danger.

82.   Traditional theatre and entertainments include noh, bunraku, kabuki, naniwabushi, rakugo, minyo and kouta. These are old and most people have nothing to do with these in their everyday lives.

83.   Traditional arts and crafts that are known throughout Japan and are not limited to one region include ikebana, tea cult, calligraphy, Japanese painting, ceramic ware, lacquer ware, Japanese swords, dolls, folding fans and fans, hagoita, gardens and bonsai.

84.   Houses in Japan are usually made out of wood. While wooden houses are easily damaged by fires and earthquakes, they are suitable to the climate of Japan.

85.   Earthquake resistant Western style houses are seen more often now.

86.   Japanese style rooms have a ceiling of wooden boards, walls of plaster, tatami floors laid on wooden floorboards, fusuma and shoji which are the sliding doors and screens. Fusuma and shoji absorb and release moisture.

87.   When entering a Japanese house, shoes are removed at the entrance and slippers are worn. The slippers are removed when entering a tatami matted room.

88.   All buildings in Japan until the nineteenth century were made out of wood.

89.   The world’s oldest wooden structure still standing is the Horyuji temple and the world’s largest wooden structure still standing is the Todaiji temple.

90.   Until the nineteenth century when European building techniques were introduced, most buildings were modelled after Chinese and Korean building styles.

91.   Brick, reinforced concrete and steel frames were used for buildings that are for public use after the nineteenth century.

92.   Popular sports in Japan include baseball, soccer, rugby, basketball, volleyball, tennis, swimming, judo, kendo, Japanese and Western archery, karate, mountain climbing and walking, fishing and cycling.

93.   Sumo is thought by many people to be Japan’s national sport. It used to be an event to tell whether crops would be good or not.

94.   The principal religions in Japan are Shinto, Buddhism and Christianity. Few Japanese are actually devoted to a specific religion and many have no interest in it.

95.   The reason for the lack of religious feeling in Japan is because most Japanese people are optimistic and concerned only about worldly affairs. The country has the beauty of nature and a moderate climate, with very few extremely disastrous events and invasions. There is no yearning for religion.

96.   Shintoism has allowed Japanese people to be tolerant of all religions.

97.   The birth and marriage ceremonies are Shinto or Christian, while funerals are conducted in the Buddhist way.

98.   People go to Shinto shrines to wish and pay their respects at the beginning of the year. The actual way is to thank the various Shinto gods and spirits for the previous year passing by smoothly without troubles. Wishing for something to happen this year is how many people do it.

99.   Buddhist temples may also be visited at the beginning of the year but are also visited in summer.

100.                      Christmas is celebrated in Japan.

101.                      The Japanese constitution guarantees religious freedom.

102.                      Shinto is the natural indigenous religion of Japan and does not have leaders or books. The number of Shinto gods are extremely great due to idea that all natural objects and phenomena have Shinto gods and famous ancestors are also worshipped.

103.                      Buddhism is a major presence in the life of the Japanese people. All Japanese people go to temples, are buried according to Buddhist rites and are given Buddhist names after death. Most families have an expensive Buddhist altar in their homes, where offerings are placed, incense is burned and praying is undergone.

104.                      Buddhism has affected every aspect of Japanese culture, notably art, literature and architecture as well as the morals and way of thought of the Japanese people.

105.                      Many people pursue truth by practicing zazen in their own house and at the Zen temple.

106.                      Christianity first reached Japan in 1549 and reached its peak in the early seventeenth century, before Christians were persecuted and foreign people and missionaries were banished to a small island in Nagasaki. When it became free again for people to become Christians, there were many people who did so and helped bring Western culture into Japan. The Christians who had been secretly practicing their religion during the persecution had created a somewhat different Christianity by then, and so there are many variations.

107.                      Japanese people today wear Western clothing in their everyday life, but the traditional kimono is still popular. There are other types of Japanese clothing which are not so well known abroad.

108.                      The main annual festivals include the Ganjitsu (the first day of the year) when the beginning of the New Year is celebrated, Setsubun (which is the day before the beginning of spring when bad luck is driven out of the homes and gardens by people throwing beans), Hinamatsuri (which is when wishes are expressed for the future happiness of girls and a set of dolls dressed in ancient court costumes are displayed together), Tango no sekku (a festival for expressing the hope that each boy in the family will grow up healthy and strong), Tanabata (which originates from China but is different in the way of the beliefs; it is the celebration of the meeting which occurs just once a year of two lovers (Kengyu and Shokujo) who are usually separated by the milky way), Obon (the festival of the souls), Tsukimi (days for moon-viewing), Shichi-go-san (pray for the future of 3 year old boys and girls, 5 year old boys and 7 year old girls) and Christmas.

109.                      National holidays of Japaninclude: New Year’s Day, Coming of age day, National Foundation Day, Vernal Equinox Day, Showa day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, Children’s Day, Marine or Sea Day, Respect for the aged and the elderly day, Autumnal Equinox Day, Health and Sports day, Culture Day, Labour Thanksgiving Day and the Emperor’s Birthday.

110.                                                            Customs, manners and pastimes include: name cards, seals engraved with their own family name, Furoshiki, the abacus, betting, pachinko, Japanese card games, Go (Igo), Shogi, Mah-jong, Japanese popular songs, Red and white singing contest, karaoke, enka songs, J-pop music, Japanese classical music, Japanese films, Japanese comics, anime and games including those with virtual reality and are considered works of art or design.

111.                      Japanese people eat with pointy wooden or bamboo chopsticks while Chinese people use blunt wooden or bamboo chopsticks (and Koreans use metal chopsticks?) Most middle to lower class families have a breakfast that is rather plain and simple, a lunch that is fairly light, and an evening meal that is emphasized and important. Most people no longer follow this outline and will go out to eat or cook a lot or choose fast food, instant food etc. The Japanese cuisine is unique and includes many dishes that are designed to enhance the flavour of fresh fish, vegetables and other things and go well with rice and sake.

112.                      The fermented beverage obtained from rice, sake, can be found anywhere in Japan, but the best are found in places with good water or high quality rice. Shochu is also popular. So is beer, whiskey and wine, as well as brandy, vodka and gin. Many Japanese people go out after work for a few drinks with colleagues, superiors, subordinates and those from other companies. Green tea is the most popular tea in Japan. There is also a powder called matcha which can create a tea called matcha. Coffee and soft drinks, mineral and spring water are also consumed.

113.                      Characters of Japanese people include: behaviour that is influenced by an awareness of the order and rank of each person within a gathering, strong inclination to speak and act with consideration of others, not being too assertive and the act of putting importance on harmony between man and nature.

114.                      There is a Japanese group consciousness which is where group interests are placed before individual interests. Cooperation, order and a sense of belonging is emphasized. People feel like they belong to a company due to its system of lifetime employment, ranking and gradual pay rise according to age and number of years in service as well as internal welfare schemes. Unfortunately, this system is now being limited to only government or school organisations as companies become more westernised. There is also a Japanese smile, which is the act of making the most agreeable face possible to all people. It is a form of self-control that is rooted in the culture of the Japanese. Japanese people always smile and other people cannot know whether they are actually smiling or whatever they are thinking.

115.                      Japan has many sightseeing spots due to the rich topographical variety of natural structures and the four distinct seasons. The ‘three views of Japan’ include Matsushima in the Miyagi Prefecture, Amanohashidate in Kyoto and Miyajima in Hiroshima. The three famous gardens of Japan are the Kairakuen at Mito, the Kenrokuen in Kanazawa and the Korakuen in Okayama.

100 Facts AssignmentPart 2

Modern Japanese people are unable to talk about their own country. I was unable to talk about it until I researched and recorded 100 facts on this country. An important thing for me and other modern Japanese people is to analyse what we should think, pass down and transmit about Japan. Students in Japan are not provided with the opportunity to seriously think about Japan and Japanese people. When Japanese people go overseas, they get asked questions like ‘explain what Japan is’ or ‘what are Japanese people living for’. They find it hard to answer these questions because they haven’t prepared for it. No one has taught them the answers.

The facts that I consider to be most important are those to do with culture. Many people go to Japan to understand the culture of the Japanese people. All other facts can be searched up and are not as relevant to Australia or Japan. We cannot return to the past. What Japanese people must now do is preserve that which must not be lost by themselves and use it as a basis for more cultural development. The development during the 20^th century was done by people working together. Recently, individualism seems to have become more widespread in Japan. By doing this research, I have revised and consolidated my own (correct) knowledge of Japan and Japanese people. I will continue to think about various things of which we currently have no control of.

Bibliography

Commonwealth of Australia 2015,‘Japan’, https://dfat.gov.au/trade/resources/Documents/japan.pdf, (accessed 08/10/2015).

 

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 2015, History of Japan, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Japan, Accessed 1/10/2015.

 

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 2015, List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita, Accessed Thursday, 15 October 2015

 

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 2015, Politics of Japan, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Japan, Accessed Thursday, 8 October 2015

 

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 2015, Timeline of Japanese history, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Japanese_history, Accessed Thursday, 15 October 2015

 

The Matsushita Institute of Government and Management 2012, 日本について知らない我々現代日本人, http://www.mskj.or.jp/report/3268.html, Accessed 29 September 2015

 

 

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