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Japan / Nihon
WAL ABOUT..
The Japanese name for Japan is Nihon which means sun
origin.
Japan belongs to the continent of Asia. Japan is an island nation
surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the East and the Pacific
Ocean to the West.
The highest point in Japan in Mount Fuji, which stands at 3,776m
(12,388ft).
There are over 127 million people living in Japan, which is the
tenth largest population in the world.
Tokyo is the capital city of Japan and also the largest city.
Other major cities include Osaka, Nagoya, and Sapporo.
Japanese is the official language of Japan.
Honshu
Shikoku Kyushu
Hokkaido
Japan is made up of 6,852 islands. Japans four main islands,
Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, make up 97% of the
countrys total land area.
Tokyo
DID YOU KNOW
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! The volcanoes belong to the
Pacific Ring of Fire, caused by subduction zones.
Japan is located at the junction of 4 tectonic plates - the Pacific, Philippine, Eurasian
and North American plates
Besides intense volcanic activity, Japan is one of the places in the world most
affected by frequent, and sometimes devastatingly large earthquakes. Its oceanic
setting makes it vulnerable for tsunamis as well.
In 2011, an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 hit Japan and created a tsunami which
resulted in huge devastation. This was the most powerful earthquake to ever hit
Japan, and the worlds fifth most powerful quake in modern history. It unleashed
waves that reached heights up to 40.5 meters in the city of Miyako.
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Ancient warriors of Japan were known as Samurai. They
were very skilled fighters and swordsmen. Their main weapon
was the Katana, a sharp sword with a slight curve to it.
Due to gases produced by power plants, Japan sometimes
suffers from acid rain.
Japanese cuisine has become popular around the world.
Some well-known dishes are sushi, sashimi and tempura.
Sumo is recognized as the national sport of Japan,
although the most popular spectator sport is baseball.
Japan is a world leader in robotics. Japanese engineers are
known for producing a range of human-like robots such as
ASIMO.
Origami
From ori " " " meaning folding , and kami meaning paper is the traditional
Japanese art of paper folding, which started in the 17th century AD
at the latest and was popularized outside of Japan in the mid-1900s.
Lets try it out!
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Language & Writing
Hiragana, used for native or naturalised Japanese
words
Katakana, used for foreign words and names.
Kanji (symbols with meanings- tattoos, Chinese
origin)
VOWELS
Pronounced clearly and sharply
Ah (a)
we (i)
soon (u)
get (e)
old (o).
Repeat with buddy/small group
Next week:
WALT understand and use familiar
expressions and everyday vocabulary.
We will know we have achieved this when
We can use a simple greeting and introduce
ourselves to our peers.