HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

I.  The People

Although Japan is about the same size as California, it has almost 4 times more people.  Japan has the tenth largest population in the world with close to 127 million people.  This makes Japan one of the most densely populated countries in the world with 863 people per square mile compared to  80 people per square mile in the United States.  However, since about 67% of the land is covered by mountains, much of the land is not  suitable for living.  This makes the physiographic density of the country even higher.  Most Japanese live on the east coast or in the southern region.  This is where most of Japan's largest cities are located.  Japan is a highly urbanized country.  About three quarters of all Japanese live in cities and more than half of the population live in four metropolitan areas:  (1) Tokyo-Yokohama; (2) Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe; (3) Nagoya; and (4) Fukuoka and Kitakyushu.    Japan's cities are extremely crowded.  In Tokyo, virtually all available city space is utilized and space is created through construction of large underground shopping malls and new skyscrapers as high as  60 stories.  In Tokyo and other coastal cities, entire new islands are being made through landfill for residential and commercial use.

Tokyo from the observation floor of the Metropolitan building in Shinjiku.

The Japanese, Koreans, and Chinese share certain physical characteristics.  Short in stature, they have straight black hair and dark, almond-shaped eyes.  The Japanese resemble the northern Chinese and the Koreans.  In recent years, because of improvements in the diet, the average height of Japanese has been increasing.  The average height  for a 19 year old male is 5'7" and the average height for a 19 year old female is 5'2''.

II.  Religion:

SHINTO

Shinto, meaning "way of the gods",  is the native Japanese religion.    Followers of Shinto worship  many gods or spirits which represent aspects of nature such as  the sky, earth, and natural phenomena such as earthquakes and typhoons. Kami are the Shinto deities. There are many Kami which take many forms.  Some are related to natural objects such as  rivers and rocks,  some are guardians of particular areas and clans, and others include exceptional people such as  the emperors.   Shinto is practiced at shrines   which are  distinguished from Buddhist temples by the torii gates that mark the entrance. Although few in Japan still believe in true animist beliefs, Shinto thrives as a matter of ceremony.  Shinto festivals are popular events and millions of people visit shrines during the celebrations at New Year.


A  torii and a Shinto Shrine behind a commuter parking lot
in a neighborhood of Machida City.

During the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the emperor was restored the head of the government and Shinto was established as the state religion.  The emperor was considered to be divine and a descendant of the sun goddess. The  union of Shinto and the state  increasingly became more nationalistic and became integral in gaining national support for the war effort leading up to World War II.

After World War II, the newly written constitution officially separated the Shinto religion and the state. The emperor issued a statement renouncing  all claims to divinity and the use of Shinto symbols for nationalistic purposes was forbidden.

Shinto ceremonies play an important part in modern daily life.  Many marriages are carried out in shrines, prayers are offered to withhold bad weather, students pray for success  before exams, building  plots are purified and cars can be blessed for safety.

Confucianism
As Shinto did not provide any ethic teachings, most Japanese followed Confucianism which is a code of ethic based on the teachings of the Chinese sage, Confucius.  Confucianism preaches humility, frugality, generosity, temperance, respect  for age, and the observance of tradition.  Confucianism, with its emphasis on conformity, helped establish   strict government control between 1603 and 1868.

Buddhism
Buddhism was founded in Northern India by the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama  in the 5th century BCE and it was brought to Japan in the 6th century CE.  Buddhism was embraced by the upper classes  but was not adopted by  the general public until   the 12th century when  religious leaders founded new Buddhist sects that were more suited  to the Japanese culture.  Buddhists generally believe  that happiness can be achieved by overcoming one's selfish desires and that material things in life are important.
 

Much of the art, architecture, and sculptures of Japan reflect the influence of Buddhism
 

Christianity

Christianity was introduced to Japan in 1549  by a Roman Catholic missionary, Francis Xavier.  Christianity  was banned in Japan  during the Tokugawa Shogunate as it was seen as a prelude to colonial conquest.  In the 17th century Christianity was stamped out in a massive bloody crusade.  Although the number of Christians in Japan is small, Christianity  has been steadily growing in Japan since World War II.
 

Religion Today in Japan
Most Japanese are not extremely religious  and for most, religion is generally a mater of form.  As neither Shinto or Buddhism requires that one follows their religion to the exclusion of other, most Japanese see no difficulty in incorporating different aspects of various religions into their life styles.   Therefore, in Japan, it is common for people to be born Shinto, marry Christian, and be buried Buddhist.

III.  Other Aspects of Japanese Culture and Customs
 


Fans drink beer and eat noodles and sushi at baseball games.
 


Kendo (fencing) is based on the ancient sword-fighting techniques of samurai warriors
 

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