Wednesday, April 4, 2018 Physical Geography of Japan Objective: Outline the countries and territories that are included in East Asia. Describe the main physical features and climate types of each country. Understand the nonsense between physical geography and human populations in East Asia. Do Now: What is a dynasty? Why isn t Taiwan recognized as a country? Kamikaze-a Japanese aircraft loaded with explosives and making a deliberate suicidal crash on an enemy target. Capsule hotel- type of hotel developed in Japan that features a large number of extremely small "rooms intended to provide cheap, basic overnight accommodation
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Land of the Rising Sun Although there are 6,800 islands in its archipelago. Japan consists of four main islands: Hokkaidō, Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū. The islands of Japan formed during the last 15 to 20 million years. The islands have tall mountains originating from volcanic activity. The largest island is Honshu, which is considered the Japanese mainland.
Landforms Japan s location in the Ring of Fire causes some 50 Japanese volcanoes to remain active and frequent earthquakes. Japan s tallest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano not currently active. When a powerful undersea earthquake occurs nearby, a major tsunami, or huge wave, can form. Tsunamis can travel more than 250 miles per hour and be more than 30 feet high. In 2011 an earthquake off the coast of Honshū rocked the island and launched a series of tsunamis that flooded the coastline in massive waves.
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Water Systems Japan has short, swift rivers that flow from the mountains and plunge over cliffs, often as stunning waterfalls. Japanese rivers cross alluvial plains before emptying into the sea. Japan s longest rivers, the Shinano and the Tone, flow from mountain heights on Honshū and can be very destructive when they flood. Japan s largest lake, Lake Biwa, is in the central part of Honshū. It was created from a depression along a fault.
Climate Regions and Biomes Overall, Japan has a mild climate with abundant rainfall. The northern latitudes experience a humid continental climate, while further south is a humid, subtropical climate. Tropical storms called typhoons, similar to hurricanes, generally occur in late summer, forming over warm tropical waters. Most of Japan is forested, and large land mammals and birds still thrive in isolated mountain regions. The Japanese macaque, a kind of wild monkey, also dwells as far north as Honshū.
Resources As an island nation, Japan relies heavily on the sea for food, but is also a leading rice producer. Japan is a world leader in harvesting and importing fish. The country consumes some 7.5 billion tons of fish annually, which amounts to nearly 15 percent of the world s catch. Ocean pollution and overfishing, however, have jeopardized the fisheries on which Japan depends. Such overfishing has seriously depleted marine life.
Special Areas of Japan Aokigahara, also known as the Suicide Forest or Sea of Trees, is a 35- square-kilometer forest that lies at Mount Fuji's northwest base in Japan. The forest is reportedly the most popular site for suicide in Japan and among the top three most popular sites for suicide in the world. The forest has a historic association with "yūrei" or ghosts of the dead in Japanese mythology
Special Areas of Japan Due to the vastness of the forest, desperate visitors are unlikely to encounter anyone once inside the so-called Sea of Trees, so the police have mounted signs reading Your life is a precious gift from your parents Annually about 70 corpses are found by volunteers who clean the woods, but many are forever lost in the very thick woods.
Flag Information 1356 Mongols attempted to invade Japan with an invasion force of about 200,000 strong The Japanese found themselves fighting off repeated invasions by the Mongols, whose naval technology and weaponry were far superior. The Japanese army was outnumbered 4-1. Their lucky break came in the form of a typhoon that completely ravaged the invading Mongol forces, and ultimately saved Japan from being seized.