Geography Final Project

     Japan's climate is generally temperate, with the four distinct seasons of Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. One of Japana's holiday's is New Year's, or Shogatsu. Shogatsu is the most important holiday in Japan, while only January 1st is desingated as a national holiday, many businesses remain closed till after January 3rd. On the second Monday of January, it is seijin no hi -or coming of age. The coming of age 20 year old men and women are celebrated on this national holiday. Then on February 11th, is kenkoku kinenbi -or National Foundation Day. This national holiday, according to the earliest Japanese history records, is the day that the first Japanese emperor was crowned in year 660 BC. These next four are not considered national holiday's, on Valentines day -February 14- the women give chocolates to the men and on White Day -March 14- the men give cakes or chocolate to the women. Christmas -December 24th/25th- is also not considered a national holdiay, but it is celebrated by an increasing amount of Japanese people. Also, Omisoka -New Year's Eve, on December 31st- is not considered a national holiday. There are many other holiday's that they celebrate where they, visit graves, celebrate the birthday's of former emperors, remembering the new constituion from the war, celebrate the ocean, celebrate the mountains, commemorate deceased ancestors, respect elders and lonevity, Olympic games, a day for promoting of culutre/freedom/peace, honoring labour, and the birthday of the current emperor are all holiday's or festival's in Japan.

Another thing in Japan is they were 'surgical masks' which -normally are used to prevent the spread of germs from a sick person to another (which the Japanese also use them for)- the Japense also wear them to prevent themselves from getting in contact with the germs in the first place. The Japanese eat many different food's then we do, some examples are; Donburimono, Kaiseki, Okonomiyaki, ect. (Pictures of these food are in the slideshow above.)