Japan
By Ekaterina Zhdanova-Redman
Japan is a small island country off the eastern coast of Asia.
Japan's capital is Tokyo. It is home to some of the world's greatest
ancient traditions, natural beauty, and art.
1
Japan's land is made up of four main islands and is full of
beautiful landscapes. There are many mountains across Japan.
Several volcanoes are located on the Japanese islands, including the
well-known Mount Fuji. This mountain has been one of the favorite subjects of
Japanese art throughout the country's history.
2
Heavy rains are very common in Japan. The rain is good for plants, which
cover much of the land. The rain helps in rice farming, which has been an
important part of Japanese life. In fact, some of the earliest Japanese people
brought rice farming with them from China.
3
Rice farmers united to create villages, and, around 100 B.C., began forming
social classes, dividing the rich farm owners from smaller farmers. These villages
and classes helped to create Japan's first government under the leadership of an
emperor. In early Japanese history, there was no capital city; emperors moved from
town to town.
4
In the 8th Century, the first Japanese capital was created in a city called Nara.
Many places of Buddhist worship were built in Nara. Among them is one of the
largest wooden buildings in the world. It still stands today.
5
Buddhism, a major religion based on the teachings of a man called the Buddha,
spread from China to Japan. Before then, nearly all Japanese people practiced the
Shinto religion. Shinto is native to Japan and has no sacred writings. It has lots of
different gods and spirits representing nature, like the sun, mountains, trees, and
rocks. Today, many different religions, including Shinto, Buddhism, and
Christianity, are practiced in Japan.
6
As rice farming grew in Japan, many farmers hired soldiers, called Samurai, to
protect their land. Partly because of this power over the land, the Samurai quickly
became the leaders of the country. Samurai were a very good example to average
Japanese people. They were loyal, disciplined, and respectful.
7
An important part of the Samurai's life was the Tea Ceremony. This ceremony,
which is still very popular in Japan, involves preparing and drinking green tea. The
ceremony is very specific in its movements, and many people who practice it study
8
the movements for years.
The Tea Ceremony is one of several artistic Japanese traditions. Among these
are the beautiful kimono, a long gown with wide sleeves and colorful belts, the art
of folding paper into different shapes, called origami, and the art of arranging
flowers, called ikebana. Because Japan was closed to visitors for much of its
history, many of these traditions remained unchanged by outside influence.
9
Beginning in the 1850s, Japan allowed visitors from other lands. These visitors
brought a lot of changes to the lives of Japanese people. Japan changed into a
country of factories and businesses and tried to get a lot of power in the world.
This led Japan into the war known as World War II from 1941 to 1945. Even
though it lost the war, Japan quickly rebuilt and today is a big part of world
business.
10
Japan's influence on the world, from its beautiful artistic traditions like the Tea
Ceremony and ikebana, to its modern-day production of cars and electronic goods,
can be seen in homes all around the world. You will not have to look far to find
something made in Japan that you use every day. It may be the car you ride to
school in, the CD or MP3 player you use to play your favorite songs, the video
game system you play, or some of your favorite cartoons.
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Copyright © 2014 edHelper
Name _____________________________
Date ___________________
Japan
1. Japan is:
A country in the Middle East
An island country off the
eastern coast of Asia
A part of China
One island
3. The first farmers in Japan raised:
Oranges
Cotton
Bananas
Rice
5. Islam is one of the main religions in
2. Fuji is:
A lake
A city
A mountain
None of the above
4. The first capital of Japan was:
Osaka
Hiroshima
Tokyo
Nara
6. Today's capital of Japan is:
Japan.
False
True
7. A kimono is:
The name of a city in Japan
A Japanese artist
A traditional Japanese gown
None of the above
Nara
Kyoto
Tokyo
Nagasaki
8. Origami is:
A Japanese soldier
The art of flower arranging
The art of folding paper
A long gown with wide sleeves