The CJ

magazine The culture of japan magazine

9ª menjivar-lazo

THE CJ MAGAZINE 27 de mayo de 2013

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Introduction

In this magazine you will see

the Japanese culture. First say

that although China and Japan

are very close geographically is

not the same. Many think that

the Chinese and the Japanese

are the same, but the latter for

its history and geography are

very different.

Here are some data from Japan:

Capital: Tokyo (12,000,000 inhab.)

Population: 130,000,000 inhabitants.

Area: 377 837 km ²

Density: 344 inhabitants. / Km ²

Important cities: Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto

and Tokyo.

THE CJ MAGAZINE 27 de mayo de 2013

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Japanese culture is?

The culture of Japan is the result of a historical process that begins with the immigration waves originating from the continent of Asia and the Pacific islands, followed by a strong cultural influence from Chinay then a long period of isolation from the rest the world (sakoku) by the Tokugawa shogunate to the beginning of the Meiji Era in the late nineteenth century, where it receives a huge foreign influence and becomes stronger after the end of world War II. This resulted in a culture different from other Asian cultures.

Japanese

Japanese culture including traditional Japanese culture like Geisha, Samurai, Japanese tea ceremony, Japanese gardens, kimonos and Japanese Language. Plus modern Japanese culture such as modern

Japanese fashion and music.

THE CJ MAGAZINE 27 de mayo de 2013

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Culture:

Geisha are famous female traditional entertainers, who sing, dance,

play traditional Japanese musical instruments and engage their clients

with interesting conversation. Today there are still some

active Geisha in places such as Kyoto and Kanazawa.

Samurai were a traditional warrior class in pre-industrial Japan,

who were easily recognised as they were the only men allowed to

carry two swords. Samurai were committed to a single daimyo

(normally a wealthy leader).

The Kimono is the most famous form of traditional Japanese clothing

for women. The Kimono is actually a style with many different forms;

from the casual to the wedding style, all which have a particular

meaning and are wore to different events or occasions.

The cuisine of Japan as a national cuisine has evolved

through the centuries, because of many political and social

changes, starting with ancient times, in which most of the

cooking was influenced by Chinese culture. Finally, the kitchen

changed with the advent of the Middle Ages that marked the

beginning of an abandonment of elitism with the regulations of the shogunate.

THE CJ MAGAZINE 27 de mayo de 2013

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Japanese architecture

Japanese architecture has a great history as any other aspect of Japanese culture.

Although heavily influenced by Chinese architecture, it also teaches us a number of important differences and aspects could be described as uniquely Japanese. For most, those buildings that have survived to this day and show obvious signs of pre-modern Japanese architecture are generally castles, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.

But in the case of modern architects and modern arc

hitecture around the world, Japanese architecture today reflects an approach and a modern sense, global style, often with little connection to traditional Japanese ways

THE CJ MAGAZINE 27 de mayo de 2013

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forms of government

The government divided in:

Central government: Japan is a constitutional

monarchy, in which 15 people over 20 years

can vote in suffrage universal.16 In practice, it

is a parliamentary democracy, the people did

not vote for a president, but members of

Parliament and these, in turn, vote for a

Prime Minister from one of them.17 the time a

prime minister remains in office depends on how long you can

keep the support of the majority of parliament, can last many

years or so only a few months. Unlike other democracies, like

the United States or the United Kingdom, where there are two

strong parties that alternate in power, Japan had until the 2009

elections a dominant party (the Liberal Democratic Party) that

coexisted with other minor parties without real options to

propose a prime minister himself. This situation seems to have

changed since the last vote in 2009, in which the Democratic

Party has won enough seats to cause alternating poder.18

Local government: The rulers of each prefecture are elected by

the people, but their independence is limited by the annual

budget allocated to the central government each prefecture.

THE CJ MAGAZINE 27 de mayo de 2013

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Japanese currency

The Japanese yen is the currency used in Japan.

It is the third most valued currency in the

foreign exchange market after the U.S.

dollar and the euro.1También is

used as a reserve currency

alongside the dollar, euro and

sterling. As is common in Japanese

numbering, large quantities of yen are

counted in multiples of 10,000 in the

same way as in Western countries is counted by thousands.

In 1971, the yen was undervalued. Japanese exports were

costing too little in international markets, and foreign imports

cost a lot to the Japanese. This

undervaluation was reflected in

the balance of payments, which

had gone from a trade deficit

in the early sixties to a surplus

of 5800 million in 1971. The

belief that the yen and other

currencies were undervalued

motivated the actions carried

out by the United States in 1971.

THE CJ MAGAZINE 27 de mayo de 2013

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Flag

The national flag of Japan is the flag that represents the country and, together

with the arms and the national anthem, has the status of a national symbol. It consists of a white

rectangle with a large red disc representing the sun at the center. Nisshōki is officially called

sun flag enjaponés disc shaped, but is more

commonly known as Hinomaru solar disk.

Nisshōki The flag is the national flag of the

Empire of Japan pursuant to the Law Regarding

the National Flag and the National Anthem, which was promulgated and became effective on

August 13, 1999. Although previously not specify

an official flag, the Hinomaru and was the de facto

national flag. Two paths gave año1870 proclamations provisions for the design of a

national flag. DelHinomaru use was severely

restricted during the early years of the American

occupation after World War II, but later relaxed restrictions.

Different flags have been based on the Hinomaru,

including the flagship of the Navy, and that served as the basis for other flags in Japan, both public and private use

THE CJ MAGAZINE 27 de mayo de 2013

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geography

Japan is an archipelago composed of volcanic layer 374

744 km ² of islands and 3,091

km ² of water and made up of

more than six thousand islands

extending along the east Asian

coast of the Pacific Ocean and

the islands of Ryukyu, Izu

yOgasawara.36 According to the 2005 census has 127.55

million of habitantes.37 the country is located in

northeastern China and Taiwan (separated by the east

China Sea), slightly east of Korea (separated by the Sea

of Japan) and the southern Siberia, Russia. The four main

islands, from north to south, are Hokkaido, Honshu,

Shikoku and Kyushu. Okinawa Island (600 km southwest

of Kyushu) follows in magnitude. About 73% of the country

is mountainous, each island has its mountain range. The

highest mountain is Mount Fuji (Fujisan) of 3,776 m and is

followed Kitadake, with 3,193 m high. Because there is so

little flat land in Japan, muchascolinas and slopes are fully

exploited for cultivation.

THE CJ MAGAZINE 27 de mayo de 2013

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Index

Titulo …………………………………………………………………………. Page.

Front ……………………………………………………………………….…..….. 0.

Introduction ……………………………………………………..…...………… 1. Japanese culture is? ……………….………………………….….…………. 2. Japanese ………………………….…………………………………….………… 2. Culture …………………………………………………….……………….……… 3. Japanese architecture ……………………………………………....….….. 4. Forms of government ……………………………………………….……… 5. Japanese currency …………………………………………………………... 6. Flag ………………………………………………………………………………….. 7. Geography ……………………………………………………………………….. 8. Index ……………………………………………………………………………….. 9.