Wander Lord

Interesting on art, nature, people, history

Japan – Modern Nation of Ancient Traditions

Japan - Modern Nation of Ancient Traditions

Japan – Modern Nation of Ancient Traditions

Japan is made up of a string of islands that stretches for nearly 1,500 miles along the coast of northeastern Asia in the Pacific Ocean. The four main islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Honshu is the largest of them.
Japan’s capital is Tokyo, one of the world’s largest cities.
Mountains cover most of the land. Some mountains are active volcanoes.
The country’s main language is Japanese. Shinto and Buddhism are the major religions.
People lived in Japan at least 10,000 years ago. According to legend, the emperor Jimmu founded the Japanese state in 660 BC.
In 1185 a samurai named Minamoto Yoritomo took control of Japan. In 1192 he took the title of shogun. His military government was called a shogunate. Japan had an emperor, but he held less power than the shogun.

In 1941 Japan attacked U.S. forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack pulled the United States into the war. In 1945 the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Every year on February 11 Japanese celebrate National Foundation Day.
Japan is also one of the most developed countries in the world. It is a leading maker of ships, automobiles, watches, and electronics – especially cell phones, television sets, computers, cameras, photocopiers, and robots.
This mix of ancient and modern culture makes Japan an exciting place to live or visit.

Interesting facts
– Mount Fuji (Fujiyama) is an active volcano though it hasn’t erupted since 1707. It is the highest mountain in Japan (3,776 meters). It is considered the sacred symbol of Japan.
– Japanese cherry trees (sakura) are famous for their spring blossoms.
– The summer rains are called baiu, which means “plum rain”.
– There are about 1,000 earth tremors in Japan every year. Most are minor tremors, but major earthquakes can result in thousands of deaths. The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 was one of the most destructive of all time that destroyed most of Tokyo and Yokohama, with a loss of more than 100,000 lives. On January 17, 1995 earthquake at Kobe killed 5,100 people and destroyed 102,000 buildings. Undersea earthquakes often expose the Japanese coastline to dangerous waves, known as tsunamis.
– The longest river, the Shinano, is only 367 kilometers long and the second longest is the Tone, 322 kilometers.
– Tsujunkyo Bridge is Japan’s largest stone-arch aqueduct bridge.
– The Seikan Submarine Tunnel, completed in March 1988, is the longest tunnel in the world. The length of the tunnel is 53.85 kilometers with 23.3 kilometers of it underwater.
– The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is currently the world’s longest suspension bridge.
– Colonel Sanders is one of the major symbols of Christmas in Japan as Coca-Cola in the United States. On Christmas Eve, the Japanese go to KFC and eat a large portion of chicken wings.
– The school year begins on April 1 and is divided into trimesters.

Palace Osaka is one of the most famous in Japan

Palace Osaka is one of the most famous in Japan

– The only reason for the delay of the train is a suicide under its wheels.
– There is the death penalty in this country. In 2013, 8 criminals were executed in Japan.
– Okunoshima is a small island which has become a tourist attraction. The reason is a huge population of rabbits. According to one version, the rabbits were brought to the island during the Second World War, when the island (and rabbits) was used to test the poison gas.
– Aoshima is a cat island and there are a lot of foxes in Zao Fox Village.
– The main attractions of Nara are not many churches and popular tourist monuments, but deer live there. About 1200 animals live on the streets. According to an ancient legend the local deer are the descendants of the mythical deer, which came down from heaven, the first emperor of Japan.

British artist Ella Du Cane (1874-1943) is known for her wonderful landscape watercolors. In 1905 the artist was invited to illustrate the book Italian Lakes. She was inspired with the success and decided to make a book of illustrations with text written by her sister, Florence Du Cane. The book The Flowers and Gardens of Japan was published in 1908.

The book The Flowers and Gardens of Japan by Ella Du Cane

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Flowers and Gardens of Japan

Japan – Modern Nation of Ancient Traditions

Aogashima - the volcanic Japanese island in the Philippine Sea

Aogashima – the volcanic Japanese island in the Philippine Sea

Aoshima

Aoshima

Aoshima

Aoshima

Ashikaga Flower Park

Ashikaga Flower Park

Ashikaga Flower Park

Ashikaga Flower Park

Reflection of cherries in the lake

Reflection of cherries in the lake

Japanese dwarf flying squirrel

Japanese dwarf flying squirrel

Fujiyama in summer

Fujiyama in summer

Wonderful Fujiyama

Wonderful Fujiyama

Fujiyama in summer

Fujiyama in summer

Cherry blossoms not far from Hirosaki Castle

Cherry blossoms not far from Hirosaki Castle

Park Hitachi Seaside. Photo Dietrich M Duc

Park Hitachi Seaside. Photo Dietrich M Duc

Fujiyama in autumn

Fujiyama in autumn

Charming Japan

Charming Japan

Lovely Japan

Lovely Japan

Wonderful Japan

Wonderful Japan

Amazing Japan

Amazing Japan

Beautiful nature of Japan

Beautiful nature of Japan

Japanese women

Japanese women

Japanese women

Japanese women

Tea field in Kakegawa. Photo by Steve Vidler

Tea field in Kakegawa. Photo by Steve Vidler

Koinzan Saihoji

Koinzan Saihoji

Koinzan Saihoji

Koinzan Saihoji

Misty Sea in Kumamoto. Photo Kohji Asakawa

Misty Sea in Kumamoto. Photo Kohji Asakawa

Deer in the streets of Nara

Deer in the streets of Nara

Okunoshima

Okunoshima

Rice paddy art. Photo Kyodo

Rice paddy art. Photo Kyodo

Tsujunkyo Bridge

Tsujunkyo Bridge

Yoshino Mountain

Yoshino Mountain

Zao Fox Village

Zao Fox Village