9781422278857

J A P A N

Japan: An Introduction

Y oumay already knowa little bit about Japanwithout even realizing it. If you’ve ever added boiling water to one of those packages of dried ramen from the supermarket for an afternoon snack, you’ve eaten a food that originated in Japan. If you’re a fan of video games like Super Mario, have ever playedPokémon, or owna product featuringHelloKitty, youhave some things in common with people in Japan. Japan is an archipelago (a string of islands) on the eastern edge of the continent of Asia. There are four main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—as well as thousands of smaller islands. Most of Words to Understand habitable  suitable to live in industrialization  the process in which an economy is transformed from mainly agricultural to one based on manufacturing goods prefecture  an area of land administered by a local government ramen  quick-cooking egg noodles, usually served in a broth with bits of meat and/or vegetables regent  a person appointed to administer a country because the monarch is either too young or unable to govern for some other reason tectonic  a geologic term relating to the structure of the Earth’s surface

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