Japan

Learning about different cultures is always a good thing, and the internet brings so many opportunities for exploring other countries and customs with your children. We have tried on this page to bring you a real mix of activities and links all about Japan for kids, from learning activities to easy Japanese-themed crafts, so that you can pick and choose and find something that is just right for your child.

Over 35m people live in Japan's capital city, Tokyo, and its outskirts!

Learn about Japan

• Located in the Pacific Ocean, Japan actually consists of 6,852 islands, although the largest four of them make up 97% of the country's land area. Japan has the tenth largest population in the world.
• The Japanese name for Japan is Nippon, which means "sun origin". That is why Japan is known as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
• The highest point in Japan in Mount Fuji, at 3,776m. 70% of the country's land is mountainous, and there are over 100 active volcanoes.

A beautiful pagoda with Mount Fuji in the distance

• Japan is on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has many volcanoes. There are over 1500 earthquakes a year, and some of them can be devastating - such as the huge 2011 earthquake and resultant tsunami.
• The ancient warriors of Japan were known as the Samurai. We have Samurai activities here.
• Japan is an industralised nation and, in the second half of the 20th Century, began to produce some of the world's most advanced cars and electronic goods such as cameras, computers and televisions. Think of companies like Toyota and Honda, Sony and Nintendo, Canon and Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba. Japan is also a world leader in the exciting field of robotics.
• Japanese food has become very popular around the world in recent years, and many people now enjoy sushi and sashimi (raw fish) and tempura (deep-fried seafood and vegetables in batter).
• The national sport of Japan is Sumo Wrestling. Japan also created many martial arts such as Karate, Judo, Jujutsu and Aikido.
• Japan has played host to the Olympics three times. In 1964 Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics, and will do again in 2020. In 1972 and 1998 Japan hosted the Winter Olympics.

Location of Japan

This map shows the location of Japan, highlighted in red, on a simplified map of Asia. You can find the printable version of this map here.

Our Japan Activities and Crafts