BASIC FOREIGN LANGUAGE

 Japan is the third largest automobile producer in the

world as of 2017 and is home to Toyota, the world's
largest automobile company.
AGRICULTURE

TOURISM

 Only 11.5% of Japan's land is suitable for cultivation.

Because of this lack of arable land, a system
of terraces is used to farm in small areas. This results
in one of the world's highest levels of crop yields per
unit area, with an agricultural self-sufficiency rate of
about 50% as of 2018.
 Japan's small agricultural sector is highly subsidized  Japan attracted 31.9 million international tourists in
and protected. There has been a growing concern about 2019. For inbound tourism, Japan was ranked 11th in
farming as farmers are aging with a difficult time the world in 2019.
finding successors.
 The 2017 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness
Report ranked Japan 4th out of 141 countries, which
INDRUSTRY was the highest in Asia.

ENERGY

 Japan has a large industrial capacity and is home to

some of the "largest and most technologically advanced
producers of motor vehicles, machine tools, steel and  As of 2017, 39% of energy in Japan was produced
nonferrous metals, ships. from petroleum, 25% from coal, 23% from natural
 gas, 3.5% from hydropower and 1.5% from nuclear kami resides. Torii, especially those in vibrant red,
power. have become a major recognizable symbol of Japan.

RELIGION Buddhism
 Shinto
 Buddhism
 Islam

Religion in Japan
 According to the Government of Japan, 69.0% of the
population practices Shintō, 66.7% practice
Buddhism, 1.5% practice Christianity and 6.2%
practice other religions as of 2018. However, people
tend to identify with no religion when asked about
religious belief.

Shinto

 Most schools of Buddhism in Japan follow major

tenets of Mahāyāna Buddhism, such as belief in the
existence of special beings known as buddhas.
 Buddhists believe that human life is a cycle of
suffering and rebirth.

EDUCATION

 Shintō (literally meaning ‘the way of kami’) is the

term used to refer to various religious myths, beliefs
and rituals that are indigenous to Japan. The localized  Elementary (1-6)
nature of Shintō means there is no formal central  Junior High School (7-9)
authority and there is a great diversity in beliefs and  Senior High School (10-12)
practices. Nonetheless, there are a number of  College (Associates and Bachelor)
commonalities, such as the belief in the existence of
kami, visiting shrines to perform rituals, and the
importance of maintaining purity. Primary school levels
 Shrines in more secluded areas often have a gateway
known as a torii that demarcates the area where the
 - Elementary school students (years 1 through 6) are
expected to complete their compulsory primary school
education as well as pass the admissions examinations for
junior high schools.

Secondary school levels

- In order for students to enter the secondary

school level, students are required to sit for and pass the
admissions examinations set by the schools. Failure indicates
that students cannot proceed to secondary schools.

-Secondary education in Japan is difficult in that it rigorously

prepares students for university entrance. Many parents often
send children to private schools. In order to help prepare them
for the university entrance examinations such as the National
Centre Test Classes are typically held in the evenings after
students have completed their regular day courses.
HEALTH
 The staple food of the Japanese is RICE.
 They also love to eat noodles like UDON and
SOBA.
 They also love to eat fish and seafood.
 SUSHI and SASHIMI are one of the most
favorite dishes served with soy sauce and wasabi.
 O-cha is the main drink for Japanese.
 SAKE which was made from rice is the number
one alcoholic drink.

SPORTS

 Health care is provided by national and local

governments.
 Health care in Japan is, generally speaking, provided
free for Japanese citizens, expatriates, and foreigners.
Medical treatment in Japan is provided through
universal health care. This system is available to all
citizens, as well as non-Japanese citizens staying in
Japan for more than a year.
CUISINE
 Traditionally, sumo is considered Japan's national
sport.
 Japanese martial arts such as judo and kendo are
taught as part of the compulsory junior high school
curriculum.
 Baseball is the most popular spectator sport in the
country.

CULTURE

 They valued close family ties. Because of this trait,
they grew up to be a well-discipline people.
 One of the basic characteristics of the Japanese is
having a sense of belonging. They feel secured if they
belong to a group.
BOWING IN JAPAN
 Unlike in western culture, bowing in Japan, known as
ojigi, is an important etiquette that is learned from a
young age.
 Depending on the situation, a bow can be a small nod
of the head or a deep bend at the waist. A deep, long
bow indicates respect, and a smaller nod is usually
less formal.
 Bowing in Japan can be used to signify emotions,
including appreciation, respect, remorse or gratitude.
 Bowing is generally split into two different types,
kneeling (zarei) and standing (ritsurei). For both of
these styles, you must remember to only bend your
body at the waist and keep your back straight
throughout.
 Knowing how to bow properly in Japan is
considered a defining quality of adulthood.
 Bowing in Japanese culture is so ingrained that
people will often bow when speaking on the phone,
even if they are aware the other person can’t see
them.
 Even though most Japanese people learn the correct
technique from a young age, it is not uncommon for
Japanese companies to take extra effort to train their
employees how to bow in business settings.
 If you’re thinking of visiting or working in Japan, it’ll
put you in good stead to learn a good bowing
technique and etiquette.
 Don’t worry about getting it wrong though. Most
Japanese people will not expect foreigners to know
proper bowing rules, and they’ll probably let you off.
Why Do People Bow In Japan?
 Bowing in Japan is important in business and social
settings. Bowing incorrectly can derail business
deals, make you look incompetent or create awkward
situations that lead to a loss of face.
Situations Where People Bow In
Japan
 Bowing in Japan isn’t just a means of saying hello. It
is also common to bow in other social interactions
such as:
o Greeting someone
o Saying goodbye
o At the start or end of a meeting, class or
ceremony
o Expressing your gratitude (saying thanks)
o Apologizing
o Congratulating someone
o Asking for something
o Worshipping someone or something
o To show sympathy
o To show appreciation
o To initiate a formal ceremony
Bowing Vs Shaking Hands
 Sometimes, during first time interactions, such as
business meetings, Japanese people will offer to
shake hands instead of bowing.
 Sometimes, you will find that both shaking hands and
bowing take place, as each culture wants to respect
the other.

 If you are in Japan and you aren’t sure, you should
wait until someone else moves first and copy them.
 In general, handshakes in Japan are rare. Shaking
hands in Japan is more significant than it is in the
west. It symbolizes things like strong relationships,
large deal signings and high-profile mergers.
 On another note, Japanese culture is not very touchy-
feely. For this reason, hugging and high-fiving are
not normal things to do in a work environment and
should be avoided unless totally appropriate.
 Bleach- (created by Noriaki Kubo and first published
in 2001) is about a teenager named Ichigo who gains
the power of Soul Reaper (similar to a death god) and
protects the human world against evil spirits as well
as guiding deceased spirits safely to the after-world.
 Death Note (created by Tsugumi Oba and first
published in 2003) follows Light, a Senior High
School student, who receives the "Death Note" from
a death god. When Light writes the name of a person
in the notebook their life comes to an end so he takes
it upon himself to rid the world of criminals and evil.

MANGA AND ANIME CURRENCY AND

 Yen
 Nihongo

 Once almost completely unknown to the world

outside Japan, manga (Japanese comics) and anime
(Japanese animation) have become a global
phenomenon - and their popularity is growing every
day.
 Manga books are generally printed in black and white
and cover a wide variety of genres and subject matter
aimed at both sexes and all ages, not just for young
boys - to whom comics are generally marketed in the
West.

Manga: Examples of the more popular manga comics

amongst children:

 AstroBoy (created by Osamu Tezuka and first

published in 1952) is about a world where humans
and robots coexist.
 Doraemon (created by Fujiko F Fujio and first
published in 1969) follows a blue robotic cat who has
travelled back in time from the 24th Century to help a
young schoolboy, Nobita Nobi, through the trials and
tribulations of life.