japan

Everyday

1. Japan: an island country in East Asia, in the Pacific Ocean; its capital city is Tokyo. tree →
2. japan (rare): a hard, glossy black lacquer, and to coat something with it. tree →

In the lessons

In geography, Japan is made of four main islands and many small ones; it has many volcanoes and earthquakes, so children there practise earthquake drills — a link to safety lessons. Culture lessons mention sushi, origami, kimonos, cherry blossoms, bowing and anime. Phrases: in Japan, from Japan, Japanese (the language and people).

Examples

• Japan is an island country in Asia. tree →
• The capital of Japan is Tokyo. tree →
• Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan. tree →
• Children in Japan practise earthquake drills at school. tree →
• We folded paper cranes — origami comes from Japan. tree →
• People in Japan often bow to say hello. tree →
• My cousin is learning Japanese. tree →
• “This is Urashima Taro, from the country of Japan. tree →

Note

Proper noun: always a capital J — Japan. A person from Japan is Japanese (not «Japan» or «Japanian»); the language is also Japanese. In Japanese the country is called Nihon or Nippon.