What do you notice about Japan from this Google Earth image?
Jan 01, 2016
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
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
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/
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
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.
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
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
They even have TVs!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/de-boo/39307484/
http://www.yesicanusechopsticks.com/larrygreg/capsule%202.jpg
Sweet dreams. . .
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