Japan

Kon’nichiwa (“Hello” in Japanese)!

We loved exploring the four main islands of Japan. Before our trip, Sam was most excited about eating sushi. By the time we left, we were excited about the natural beauty of Japan which you can see in Mount Fuji, a volcano that is Japan’s highest peak. Also, I’m pretty sure I took a million pictures of cherry blossom trees. In Japan, cherry blossoms, or sakura, symbolize new beginnings.

This is the new beginning of our love for Japan and hopefully yours, too. Keep scrolling to learn more!

Sofia and Sam

Photos

Quick Pick

What would you like to do in Japan?

Daruma dolls

A Daruma doll is a Japanese token of good luck. When the owner sets a goal, they color in one eye on the face. After the goal is achieved, they color in the second eye.

Learn Japanese!

Click to play!

Good Morning おはよう
Ohayō

Good Evening こんばんは
Konbanwa

See you (goodbye) またね
Mata ne

Thanks ありがとう
Arigatō

Excuse me すみません
Sumimasen

Welcome ようこそ
Yōkoso

No いいえ
Īe

Yes はい
Hai

Fun Facts

More cats live on the islands of Tashirojima & Aoshima than humans.

Japan was connected to Siberia and Korea by land bridges around 30,000 years ago.

Mountains cover about three-quarters of Japan's land.

Print and Play

Writing Ema Wishes

Click the picture to write your wishes on ema tablets.

Food Matching

Click to print a matching activity about Japanese food.

Ready? Check your answers here!

Flag Garland

Print to color the flag of Japan and make a garland.

Pen Pals

Our friend Shou, who lives in Japan, answered our letter!

Cormorant fishing in Gifu.

What do you usually eat for breakfast?

I usually eat rice with seaweed and green tea.

What do you usually eat for lunch?

Today I ate ginger chicken with rice, miso soup and bean sprouts with carrots and komatsuna (a leafy vegetable).

What sport do you like to play?

I like to play baseball. A lot of people in Japan like baseball! There is a professional league with very talented players.

What do you love about where you live?

In my town, Gifu, we can watch cormorant fishing in the summer. This is when fishermen train cormorant birds to catch fish and fly back to their boats.

My town is surrounded by beautiful nature. You can see the four seasons. We have springtime cherry blossom viewing, summer fireworks, autumn leaves changing colors and in the winter we like to eat mochi (pounded rice).