1、About Japan,By Rodney A.,Culture,Japan has different performing arts like Kabuki, Noh, Kyogen, and Bunraku. Kabuki is a classic theater that was involved in the early seventeenth century. Kyogen is a classic comic theater that is high styled actions and lines. Bunraku was popular at the end of the s
2、eventeenth century.,Government,You have to be 20 years or older to vote in Japan.Unlike American or French culture they do not elect presidents directly. Diet members elect a prime minister from among themselves.Japan has a parliamentary system of government like Britain and Canada. The Diet compris
3、es the 480 House of Representatives and the 242 House of Councillors.,Government continued,There are three branches, the first one is Legislative Branch (Diet), the second one is the Judicial Branch (Courts), then the third one is the Executive Branch (Cabinet).,Languages,Three types of character ar
4、e used to write Japanese.There are about 2,000 kanji in regular use. Children learn 1,006 kanji in elementary school and another 939 in middle school.,Foods,The Japanese eat Miso soup, Short grain rice, Meat, Seaweed, and vegetables for almost every meal. Sushi, Tempura, Sukiyaki, and other Japanese
5、 foods are famous abroad are also popular in Japan.,Nature and Climate,Japan is surrounded by sea. Warm and cold currents flow through the seas around it. The land area of Japan is 378,000 square kilometers.,Sports,Traditional martial arts, such as Judo, Kendo, Karate-do, and Aikido, thrive in moder
6、n Japan thanks to the devotion of those who practice them. Many Japanese go to the sea for surfing and scuba diving in the summer.,Flag,Japans national flag is called the Hinomaru.It came to be used as the national flag in the late nineteenth century. The flag depicts the sun as a red disc against a
7、 white background.,Houses,Shoes are taken off when entering a house to keep the floor clean in Japan. Traditional Japanese homes are made of wood and supported by wooden pillars, but todays homes usually have Western style rooms with wooden flooring.,Clothes,The traditional dress of Japan is the Kim
8、ono.Kimonos are now usually worn only on special occasions, such as the Shichi-Go-San festival, weddings, and graduation ceremonies.,School,Japanese children enter the first grade of elementary school in the April after their sixth birthday. Then they leave the school in the 17th grade. Students lea
9、rn traditional Japanese arts like Haiku. The kids have to clean the school, so if they make a mess they have to clean it.,School continued,They get to take turns cooking for their classmates, and they look forward to lunchtime. The subjects they study include Japanese mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Music, Crafts, Physical Education ( or P.E.), and Home Economics.,Bibliography,http:/web-jpn.org/kidsweb/index.html,
