Map of Japan 日本の地図 にほんのちず nihon no chizu

.

Although Japan covers a couple of thousand islands, the four main islands you can reach very easily by train as there are a few bridges and tunnels, but one can also reach them by ferry-boat. These are the main islands from north to south-west.

.

.

北海道　ほっかいどう　Hokkaidō

本州　ほんしゅう　Honshū

四国　しこく　Shikoku

九州　きゅうしゅう　Kyūshū

.

.

There are a few island archipelagos off the main Japanese islands. The most important of those are the Ryūkyū Islands 琉球 りゅうきゅう, of which Okinawa Island 沖縄 おきなわ is the largest.

.

Miami, Florida フロリダのマイアミ

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

   

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

マイアミ・バイス = maiami baisu = Miami Vice

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

ポテト　poteto    potato

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

 

フロリダのマイアミ　furorida no maiami

pictures from internet for educational purposes

American animals

photos from internet for educational purposes

Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture

日本の一番大きい湖です。

にほんのいちばんおおきいみずうみです。

nihon no ichiban ookii mizu-umi desu

Japan’s largest lake

琵琶湖　びわこ　biwa-ko   Lake Biwa

琵琶湖　びわこ　biwa-ko   Lake Biwa

琵琶湖　びわこ　biwa-ko   Lake Biwa

Lake Biwa

Shiga Prefecture

Photos from internet for educational purposes

Kanazawa 金沢 かなざわ

 

日本海の横にある金沢市
にほんかいのよこにあるかなざわし
nihonkai no yoko ni aru kanazawa-shi
Kanazawa City on the Sea of Japan Coast

 

金沢駅
かなざわえき
kanazawa-eki
Kanazawa station

 

 

 

 

金沢駅の前の門
かなざわえきのまえのもん
kanazawa-eki no mae no mon
The gate in front of Kanazawa station

 

水辺の古い家
みずべのふるいいえ
mizube no furui ie
Old houses along the waterfront

 

春の桜の花
はるのさくらのはな
haru no sakura no hana
cherry blossoms in spring 

 

東茶屋町

ひがしちゃやまち

higashi chaya-machi

lit: East Tea Shop Town

(the suburb where the famous tea shops are)

 

 

 

Higashichaya Information

 

 

金沢城

かなざわじょう

kanazawa-jō

Kanazawa Castle

 

金沢城

かなざわじょう

kanazawa-jō

Kanazawa Castle

Kanazawa Castle

 

 

 

金沢の有名なお寺
かなざわのゆうめいなおてら
kanazawa no yuumei na otera
famous Kanazawa temple
Ninja Temple

Temples in Kanazawa

Kenroku Park

(generally regarded among the most beautiful gardens in Japan)

 

兼六園
けんろくえん
kenroku-en

Kenroku Park

 

兼六園
けんろくえん
kenroku-en

Kenroku Park

 

 

金　kana(kin) here means Gold
沢 zawa(sawa) here means Marshland

 

Kanazawa

(photos from internet for educational purposes)

Tottori City 鳥取市

Tottori City  鳥取市  とっとりし

Tottori Prefecture  鳥取県  とっとりけん tottori-ken

Tottori City  鳥取市  とっとりし

Tottori City  鳥取市  とっとりし

Tottori City  鳥取市  とっとりし

Tottori City  鳥取市  とっとりし

Tottori City  鳥取市  とっとりし

Tottori City  鳥取市  とっとりし

Tottori City  鳥取市  とっとりし

Tottori City  鳥取市  とっとりし

Tottori City  鳥取市  とっとりし

Tottori City  鳥取市  とっとりし

Tottori

Tottori City  鳥取市  とっとりし

取る　とる toru　means to take

(photos from internet for educational purposes)

Green tea sticks

Kotobuki Long Life 寿き ことぶき

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

(modern version) 

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

 (modern version)

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

 (older version)

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

  (older version)

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

  (older version)

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

  (older version)

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

 (older version)

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

 (modern version)

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

Someone has had a lot of fun making curry with rice カレーライス

カレーライス

kareeraisu

curry and rice

Someone’s been having fun cooking! Japanese curry tends to be generally milder, sweeter than either Thai or Indian curry (depending on the overall type, of course). It’s very popular for lunch or a quick dinner.

How to make Japanese curry

(photos from the internet for educational purpose)

How do you do. hajimemashite very formal introduction

The Ainu people are the native people of Japan. Their culture is to some extent preserved in Hokkaido. Their culture is unique to Japan and must be acknowledged.

Almost all countries in the world have a wide range of different languages and cultures. The native American Indians are represented by many different languages and identities. The Hispanic communities, the Afro-American cultures are all representative of the United States of America and visible and important to the outside world.



The native people of Australia are the Aborigines. Their ancestors have lived on the Australian continent for some 50000 years. There are many different languages among the Australian Aborigines, each with their own cultural identity and expression. Among the very recent immigrants of the last few hundred years there are many different languages and cultures; English is the unifying language of Australia.

Canada is a country of many different cultures. The British immigrants and the French immigrants of centuries ago, the new Canadian immigrants, but a very important part of Canadian culture are the native Canadians largely over northern Canada, the Inuit who have lived there for tens of thousands of years. They are represented by many different languages too. English and French are presently the unifying languages of Canada.

China is a vast country with well over a billion people. Outside China people often do not realise that there is great cultural, linguistic and even racial diversity in China. China is like a sub-continent inhabited by peoples for tens of thousands of years.

Great Britain too is represented by many peoples. The United Kingdom officially consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Great Britain too, ancient languages are still being spoken in some communities.

The sport of sumo seems so Japanese, yet these days many top athletes of this sport come from Mongolia, America, Estonia and from Bulgaria. Despite its distinct Japanese cultural flavour the sport attracts increasingly athletes from other parts of the world.

Korea is presently a divided country and its people share a long history and identity. The word かんこく kankoku refers to modern South Korea. Many Korean families have lived in Japan for hundreds of years. The Korean people, their language and their culture are closely related to Japan’s.

The Maori people of New Zealand represent an important and significant part of the New Zealand identity. New Zealand is called Aotearoa in the Maori language: アオテアロア.

Hello, Mr Hart

The largest nation on earth is also represented by many different languages, cultures and racial identities. It is impossible to represent them all here, but Anna Netrebko who is perhaps the most famous Russian singer certainly presents a beautiful face of modern Russia.

As the world is shrinking and as people have so much more connectivity with each other – social media has had a tremendous influence – Japan too is coming to terms with its history. It is beginning to discover its origins, its make-up, its community spirit. 

In that process Japanese people increasingly realise their connectivity with the Ainu, their Korean heritage in Japan, their Chinese heritage, the Russian contribution, the Dutch and Spanish-Portuguese contributions and more recently the American influence. 

No doubt, large elements of these encounters have been very painful and not everyone is presently on-board about the future direction. However, youth in all its strength and passion bodes to universal respect and appreciation.

(photos from internet for educational purposes)