Japan

Geography and People

Japan is an __________. Which means land surround by Water

Island

What is a chain Islands called?

Japan is a chain of Islands in the Northern Pacific.

Archipelago

Hokkaido Honshu Shikoku Kyushu

Most of the Japanese live on the ____ Major Islands.4

Much of Japan is covered by ____________.Mountain

s

188 of Japan’s mountains are _________________.Volcanoes

About 20% of Japan’s land is ____________. Farmable

______ and seafood are important in the Japanese ______.

FishDiet

Sushi

Japan is surrounded by _________ and has forced Japan

to stay __________.Water

Isolated

Japan developed its own _________, _____, _____________

and ____________.Religion Art Literature

Government

Japan’s earliest settlers probably came from ______________________.Northeast Asia

Around 5,000 BCE a wandering group developed

called ____________.JomonThey are known for their Pottery

___________ became a way of life for the Jomon People.Fishing

The Next Group of people are the _________________.Yayoi

The Yayoi people grew rice in a _______.Paddy

A paddy is a rice field that is flooded when rice is planted and drained for

the Harvest

They were skilled in ______________ working and made _____________

out of _________________.

MetalWeapons

Iron & bronze

A Clan is a group of families related by blood or marriage.

By 300 C.E. the early Japanese organized themselves into _______.Clans

The Clan ________________ protected the people in return for a share of the

rice harvest each year.

Warrior Chiefs

Yayoi would bury their Chiefs in large tombs called __________.Kofun

The story goes 2 Gods dipped their spears into the sea.

When they pulled it out drops of salty water fell and created the islands Japan.

The Myth of the creation of Japan

The 2 Gods then created the Sun Goddess _________________ to rule over ___________.

AmaterasuEarth

Then the Gods created the Storm God ___________________.Susanowo

Susanowo and Amaterasu’s ______________ became the first

people of Japan.

Children

Amaterasu sent her ______________ Ninigi to rule the people of Japan.

Grandson

This ensured people would follow his leadership

Amaterasu gave Ninigi her __________, her_________, and

___________________.Mirror Jewel

A Great Sword

These objects became the sacred _____________ of

leadership in early Japan. Symbols

Other clans got to keep their land in return they pledge their loyalty

to the chief.

Around 500 C.E. a clan called ____________ ruled most of Japan.Yamato

Yamato Chiefs claimed they came from the _________________ Amaterasu and, therefore, had

the right to rule.

Sun Goddess

Yamato Leader named __________ took the title “Emperor of __________.”

JimmuHeaven

Jimmu started a long line of Japanese ____________ that has

never been broken. Even Emperor ___________ is a _________________ of

Jimmu.

Rulers

Akihito descendant

About 600 C.E. _________ took control in Japan. He wanted to

create a strong ____________ and he looked to ______as an example.

Shotoku

GovernmentChina

Constitution is a plan for government

Shotoku created a _______________.Constitution

>Constitution gave all _________ to the __________.>The Emperor will appoint ___________.>The Constitution listed ________ for working in the government.>The rules were based on ____________.

Power Emperor

Officials

Rules

Confucius

Shotoku sent officials and students to study ________. They learned

about Art, Medicine, philosophy, and ______________.

China

Buddhism

Shotoku ordered the building of Buddhist _________&______________.Temples Monasteries

Horyuji – the oldest Buddhist Temple in

Japan

Divided Japan into Provinces or Regional Districts. All land came

under control of the Emperor.

In 646 C.E. the Yamato began the _________ or the great change.Taika

Government officials collect a part farmer’s _________ for ________ for the Emperor.

Harvest Taxes

Shotoku created Japan’s first strong central _______________.Government

The Japanese ___________ is called ___________ and was based on __________ spirits.

ReligionShinto

Nature’s

Japanese believe all things have their own ___________.Spirits

Animism

Nature’s spirits are called _______. To honor the Gods

they built ___________.Kami

Shrines

Torii

Shinto means “way of the spirits” and is still followed today.

This is Japan, how it started, who started it, and their beliefs.