Teacher's Guide for FACES ^® Japan, Nation of Tradition, Nation of Change

Activity:

Let's begin by looking at the map of Japan. Locate and name the ocean and the seas around Japan. (Pacific Ocean; East China Sea, Inland Sea, Sea of Japan, and Sea of Okhotsk) 

What is the other sea shown on the map that is far to the south of Japan? (Philippine Sea) What body of water separates Japan from the Korean peninsula? (Korea Strait) Notice how close they are at the nearest point near Shimonoseki.

Japan is a country made up of many islands. What are the four major islands? (Honshu, Kyushu, Hokkaido, and Shikoku)

What are the most important mountain chains in Japan? (Kyushu Mts., Shikoku Mtns., Chugoku Mtns., Japanese Alps, and Hidaka Mtns.)

What is the capital of Japan and which island is it on? (Tokyo, Honshu)

What is Japan's most famous mountain? (Fujiyama or Mount Fuji) Find it on the map. On what island is it located? (Honshu) If you wanted to climb Mount Fuji, when should you travel to Japan? (July or August) Why only then? (it is closed during the rest of the year because the weather makes climbing too dangerous)

"Welcome"

Read the first paragraph of the article titled "Welcome!" Pay special attention to the next to last sentence that says, "You'll also find Japanese words with origins in English, French, German, and Dutch." Think about this for a minute. 

What is the advantage of borrowing from other languages? 

(Borrowing foreign words allows the Japanese to adopt and adapt ideas from other cultures more easily than if they had to make up native Japanese words)

Activity:

Let's practice counting: ichi (eechee), ni (nee), san (sahn), si (shee), go, roku (rokoo), sichi (sheechee) or nana, hachi (hahchee), kyu, ju (joo). 

Questions:

1. What is the Japanese word for ancient drums? (taiko)
2. When would you be likely to hear the sound of the taiko? (at O-Bon, the summer festival) What is the original purpose of O-Bon? (O-Bon was a religious ceremony held once a year to welcome the return of the dead to the living)
3. How is it celebrated today? (it is mainly a secular nonreligious festival) What is the aim of the taiko drummer? (to combine his or her spirit with that of the drum)

"Manga and Anime"

Look at "Manga and Anime" to see which famous Japanese block print artist drew pictures that look like manga. (Hokusai) 

What does the word mean? (whimsical pictures) Remember in the section of this guide where you were asked a question about Japanese borrowing of foreign words.

What is the English word from which "anime" comes? (animation)

If you want to see Japanese manga, where would you go? (to any large American bookstore!)

Questions:

1. What is the Japanese word for New Year? (O-Shogatsu)
2. Which is the more important holiday, O-Shogatsu or O-Bon? (O-Shogatsu)
3. What do the Japanese do to get ready? (thoroughly clean the house, place the New Year pine and bamboo decoration at the front door, cook special New Year foods, send New Year's cards, and make plans for the New Year)
4. What do they do on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day? (visit shrines and temples on New Year's Eve, watch television, eat long noodles to wish for long life, and exchange visits with relatives) 

"Jan Ken Pon"

Let's end this guide with "Jan Ken Pon," a game that all Japanese children play at one time or another. You already know it by another name, "Stone Paper Scissors," but the rules are the same: stone beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats stone.

We will end this guide by saying SAYONARA! This means "goodbye until we meet again."