What do you notice about Japan from this Google Earth image?

What do you notice most about Japan from this

map?

http://www.bugbog.com/maps/asia/japan_map.html

The Impact of Physical Geography

on Culturehttp://asnic.utexas.edu/asnic/image/Japan.GIF

Japan is much

smaller than the United States.

http://www.international.ucla.edu/eas/japan/geography/overlay1.htm

Japan is slightly

smaller than California, but it has

almost 3 x as many people.

Japan 128 millionCalifornia 38 million

http://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/English/campus/img/map_japan-nagoya.jpghttp://www.smgov.net/farmers_market/images/california%20map.jpg

Forested mountains cover over 65% of the

land.

http://www.international.ucla.edu/eas/japan/geography/popmap1.gif http://www.maps.com/ref_map.aspx?pid=12106

What do you notice when you compare these two maps?

What unique challenges do you think Japan faces in dealing with such a high population density?

http://www.johnnyjet.com/images/PicForNewsletterJapan2005KyotoKiyomizuderaTempleStreetUp.JPG

How might high population density and limited land affect Japan’s:

• transportation

• agriculture

• architecture

http://www.flickr.com/photos/arrowsican/401855032/

Mass transportation moves large numbers of people.http://www.flickr.com/photos/iidesne/1665204886/

http://ozymandias.com/ftpimages/FuninJapanNowwithPictures_1298E/IMAGE_0712.jpg

They have many

subways. . .

. . .and busses.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26217373@N00/1489025344/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmikey/256650089/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marley1/1434516269/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/msimantov/374383690/

Even then, they have lots of cars on the roads.

And they have creative

ways to

http://www.flickr.com/photos/st3f4n/130905968/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/meckleychina/355627389/

provide parking spaces.

http://picasaweb.google.com/richworkhardman/PhotoSOfJapan/photo#5060930666112892770

J.Hall, Tokyo, 12 July 2010

J.Hall, Kyoto, 16 July 2010

Bicycles are very popular, since they

are easy to maneuver on

crowded streets.

They even have bicycle parking lots.

This one is at a subway station.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samwilkins/173305585/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tokyololas/1422936985/

J.Hall, Kyoto, 17 July 2010

They are also very cautious about spreading germs. If you’re sick, you’re expected to wear a mask.

J.Hall, Tokyo, 10 July 2011

J.Hall, Tokyo, 12 July 2010

J.Hall, Kyoto, 17 July 2010Convenience Store

Agriculture is important in

Japan.

But often fields are on

mountainsides.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/arrowsican/1530394309/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauldavidson/33038678/

Stair-steps were cut into the mountainsides years ago to allow terraced fields.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bethany_ng/1468992530/http://www.flickr.com/photos/bethany_ng/1469448849/

architecture

http://www.flickr.com/photos/annamatic3000/134919276/

Limited land means land is

very expensive. So most people

don’t have yards.

Which is Oklahoma City?Which is Osaka, Japan?

Why do you suppose so many Japanese homes have limited amounts of furniture?

This is a main room. It may be used as a living room, dining room, and bedroom.

http://www.kyotojp.com/living2.JPG

J.Hall, Nara, 15 July 2010 Traditional style hotel in Nara, Japan

Why is a “futon” bed a good choice for a small home?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/courtneyistre/39198683/

Japan: 170 square feetGeography Alive! (Palo Alto, California: Teachers’ Curriculum Institute),

2006, p.447

U.S: 721 square feet of living space per person

(U.S.Department of Energy, http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2004/01/Understanding-Poverty-in-America

)

                                                                                                                                                                      

                                             

As in big cities around the world,

the Japanese build to get more use out of limited land.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cloganese/241165650/

UP

A “capsule hotel”! Each capsule is a 1-person room.

They even have TVs!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/de-boo/39307484/

http://www.yesicanusechopsticks.com/larrygreg/capsule%202.jpg

Sweet dreams. . .

http://www.traveladdicts.connectfree.co.uk/Japan/Images/Capsule_hotel_with_open_curtain.jpg

In 1994, Japan opened Kansai International Airport in Osaka Bay. It is built on an

artificial island.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Kansai_closeup.jpg

The first built a “sea wall” and then filled it in using dirt from 3 nearby

mountains.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xY5eBHkJ1mWt189xDc2VMg

http://mapsget.com/wp-content/thumbnails/2346.jpg

http://www.wonderfulinfo.com/amazing/kansaiairport/

http://mrkellysclass.net/Japan/Images/our_trip_detailed/Osaka-Airport-aerial-view.jpg

It is sinking 2-3 centimeters per year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0A9-oUoMug