Japan

Kaleb Toews

Map of Japan

Japanese Flag

Population

Japan is the tenth most populated country in the world with 127 million people

Japan is also a very crowded country due to the large amount of people in a relatively small country. The population density of Japan is 339 people per square kilometer, this is a lot considering Canada's population density of just over 3 people per square kilometer.

Climate Japan has 4 distinctive seasons,

winter, autumn, summer, and spring.

Japan is conidered to have a generally mild climate.

Summers in Japan can see extreme heat between july and august, yet winter temperatures rarely drop below 0.

Japan is also surrounded by sea. Warm and cold currents flow through the seas around it, creating an environment that supports a variety of fish species.

EconomyJapan’s currency is

a“yen” Yen has the third

highest value with only the U.S and China ahead.

Japan also has a gross national income of 4.265 trillion.

Agriculture The thing that sticks out the

most with Japanese agriculture is that there is a huge shortage of farmland.

Only 13.2 percent of the land is even cultivated.

That’s not to say that there is no cultivation because Rice paddies cover most of the countryside, plains, swampland and bays.

There is also non rice farmland which includes wheat and barley in the fall and sweet potatoes, vegetables and dry rice in the summer.

Since 1993, the farmers of the Japanese village of Inakadate make art work on rice paddy fiels. They do it my intermixing purple and yellow-leafed rice with local green-leafed plants. The art work lasts all through the growing season until the time of harvest.

Livestock, Forestry and Fishing

Livestock raising is a minor activity with pork being the most popular

The Japanese are huge with fishing and rank second in the world in the way of tonnage of fish caught, with China in the lead.

Fishing has long been a vital resource and the Japanese look to there fisherman as the major source of protein for the population.

Fish and Fish products rank second only to rice in the Japanese Diet.

Food Supply Food supply in Japan is a

worrisome issue, in 2008 many people were worried about a dwindling supply of food. Now suffering from contamination due to the radiation in Japan further precaution must be taken. Some food is to contaminated to eat causing it to go to waste.

Majority of japans food supply comes from the ocean, fish play a role in almost all meals.

Food Consumption

In Japan there is a saying “hara hachi bunme” This saying means to eat only until your 80 percent full. This is generally abided by the Japanese as they eat much smaller meals, and consume less calories.

The Japanese on average consume 2800 calories a day while Canadians average 3500 calories a day.

Health of Japanese Japan holds one of the healthiest

diets in the world Japan has the longest average life

span in the world averaging 86 years for women, and 79 years for men

Because of there diet japan also has a very low rate of obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, and some types of cancer.

Fish being there main source of food helps prevent certain types of cancer due to the high levels of vitamin A and Omega 3 fatty acids found in it.

Foods and Customs In Japan food is appreciated much more.

The Japanese take pride in enjoying there meals and put a lot of effort into the presentation of food.

One of the most popular foods in Japan is sushi. Sushi can be served in many different ways, and can contain many different kinds of fish, and vegetables.

In Japan it is also rare to rush when eating, the Japanese take their time while eating, it is considered one of the most enjoyable times of the day. Also,walking while eating is considered impolite, and if in a hurry there are such things as standing sushi bars.

Influences in Canada Sushi has become a very popular food

in Canada, especially in larger multicultural cities like Toronto and Vancouver.

Even grocery stores like Fortino’s has a sushi chef on board !

As Canada became more health conscious in the 1990’s with the focus on less fat and higher omega content for increase brain function, the Japanese focus on fish became increasingly popular in Canada.

Upper James, Hamilton Ontario

Tuna rollMajority of the work is making the rice

• 3 1/4 cups Water• 1/3 cup Rice Wine Vinegar• 2 tablespoons Sugar• 1 teaspoon Salt Before cooking, rinse rice

several times in running water until the water runs clear. Next prepare sushi vinegar by mixing rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pan. Then, place pan on low heat and cook until sugar dissolves. Allow the vinegar mixture to cool. Spread the cooked hot rice into a large plate. Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice and fold into the rice using a spatula. Do this part quickly and don’t smash the rice. You might want to use a fan to cool and remove the moisture from the rice. After it cools, use the sushi rice immediately.

Tuna roll

Now you must by a sushi grade type of tuna, it is very fresh, therefore safe to eat raw.

Cut the tuna into designated size

Now spread the rice overtop of the seaweed sheet

Once you have done this place the fish on the rice and roll using a bamboo sheet.

Tuna rolls go well with soy sauce, and wasabi.

Bibliography

http://www.japan zone.com/culture/food.shtml

http://www.naturalelixir.com/longlife.html

http://countrystudies.us/japan/107.htm

http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdi&met_y=sp_pop_totl&idim=country:JPN&dl=en&hl=en&q=population+in+japan