英語版

Textbook for Foreign Students (Geography)
外国人児童生徒のための学習資料（地理）Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education
Multicultural Children’s CenterChapter 1

Various Areas of Japan

1. Geographical Features of Japan1

2. The Climate of Japan3

3. Agriculture in Japan

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4. Fisheries of Japan8

5. Munufakturing Industry of Japan10

6. The Population of Japan14

7. Environmental problems in Japan

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Chapter 2 Various Countries and Regions of the World
1. The Peoples’ Republic of China

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2. Republic of Korea (South Korea) / The Democratic

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People’s Republic of Korea North Korea)
3. South-East of Asia

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4. Brazil25

5. United States of America

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6. EU (European Union)

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Chapter 1 Various Areas of Japan
1 Geographical Features of Japan

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図１ 日本地図
1 Honshu ○2
Japan lies east of the Asian Continent. It consists of four large islands ○3 Kyushu ○4 Hokkaido and many other small islands. Japan covers about 378,000
Shikoku ○square kilometers.
5 the Pacific Ocean and ○6 the JapanThe Japanese islands are surrounded by seas, such as ○Sea. Since Japan contains several volcanic chains, it has diverse natural features. The
rivers are generally short and stream rapidly .
Prefectures (都、道、府、県)
There are 47 prefectures (to- 都, do- 道, fu- 府, ken -県). Do (道), which means region, isused only for Hokkai-do. To (都), which means capital city, is used only for Tokyo-to. Fu (府)is used for Kyoto-fu and Osaka-fu. Ken (県) is used for the other prefectures.
Mountains in Japan
Since the Japanese islands are on located on the Ring of Fire, volcanic activity often causes
earthquakes. Seventy percent of Japan’s land is mountainous. The mountains are covered
with forests.
In the center of Honshu, there are three mountain ranges, the Hida, the Kiso, and the
Akaishi.These three mountain ranges each rise to over 3000 meters and are called the
Nihon Alps or 〝the roof of Japan〟.
Fuji-san is the highest mountain in Japan. It has an altitude of 3,776 meters.
1Currently, there are about sixty active volcanoes in Japan. Some of the most famous are
Asama-yama, Aso-san, Sakura-jima, Unzen-dake and Mihara-yama.
Plains in Japan
In Japan, there are many plains formed from silt brought by rivers. Other features formedby rivers include:
1 Deltas (三角洲): A plain where a river runs into many smaller rivers near the sea. These
are triangular in shape. They were named after the Greek letter “delta”. (⊿)
2 Alluvial fans (扇状地): They are formed where a river flows from the mountains onto
flatland. These were named after the shape of a fan.
3 River terraces (河岸段丘): These were formed by river erosion. They are named after their
steplike appearance.
Rivers in Japan
Japan’s land area is small and mountainous. Consequently, most rivers are short and flow
rapidly into the sea. While there is a risk of flooding or drought, there are also many rivers
that are suitable for hydroelectric power generation using their fast flowing waters.
The longest river in Japan is Shinano-gawa River. It is 367 kilometers long.
The biggest river basin is that of the Tone-gawa River, which flows through the Kanto plain.
Lakes in Japan
Most lakes in Japan are in the mountainous regions and are not very large. The largest
lake in Japan is Biwa-ko (琵琶湖) in Shiga prefecture. Biwa-ko has an area of 670 square
kilometers. The deepest lake in Japan is Taszawa-ko in Akita prefecture, which has a depthof 423 meters.

22 The Climate of Japan

図１ 日本近海の海流
Of the five major climate zones of the world (tropical, temperate, cool temperate, arcticarid), most of Japan is in the temperate zone. As a result, we experience four seasons.
Rainfall is quite high. Compared with other areas in the temperate zone, Japan ischaracterized by a large temperature difference between summer and winter and highrainfall throughout the year. Since the group of islands making up Japan stretches a longway from north to south, the climate in Hokkai-do in the northernmost region and that in
Okinawa-ken in the southernmost region are quite different.

The Climate of Hokkai-do
Hokkai-do is included in the cool temperate zone (subarctic). Hokkaido has four distinct
seasons and does not have “Tsuyu” (梅雨). The temperature and humidity are low
throughout the year. The winter season is long and its snowfall is high. Since spring andautumn seasons are shorter than those of Honshu, cherry blossoms bloom the latest andleaves turn colour the earliest here.
In Kushiro, facing the Pacific ocean, in summer, warm southwest winds are cooled over
Chishima Kairyu,(千島海流)Oyashio(親潮) and sometimes generate heavy fog. Therefore,
the temperature does not rise ,even in summer. This can cause cold weather damage to
agricultural crops (冷害).
In Abashiri-shi, facing the Sea of Okhotsk, the people cannot fish due to drift ice, which
arrives off the coast from winter to spring. The drift ice, however, attracts a lot of tourists.

For more information: Shiretoko Peninsula was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in
July, 2005.For reference: http://www.hokuhoku-hokkaido.com/weather/index.html

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The Climate of Okinawa-ken
Okinawa-ken is included in the subtropical zone. The weather in Okinawa is characterized
by a high temperature throughout the year,unlike Hokkai-do. There is no snow even in
winter and the four seasons there are not as distinct as those on Honshu. Cherry blossoms
bloom earlier than in any other region in Japan. Since clouds are frequently generated, itrains often.
The Okinawa-ken area is also known as “Typhoon Ginza” (台風銀座), named after theJapan’s most flourishing street, as a lot of typhoons go through there every year. Although
the highest temperature in summer is lower than that of Honshu, intense sunlightcharacterizes this season.

For your information: The islands of Okinawa-ken are surrounded by beautiful coral reefs.
On Iriomote Island ,which is the second largest island , about ninety percent of the island iscovered with forests. This island has a lot of tropical animals and plants, such as Iriomote
yamaneco, which has been designated as a Special Natural Monument and is protected.

図２

札幌と那覇の月平均の比較

The Climates of the Japan Sea and Pacific seaboard
The climate on the Japan sea side and the Pacific side are different. In winter, the seasonal
northwest wind blows from the Eurasian continent. The cold and dry wind from thecontinent absorbs the heat and water vapor from the sea while passing over the Japan Sea
and form generous snow clouds. The clouds do not go beyond the high mountain ranges
such as the Ou Mountains and the Chugoku Mountains, the backbone of the Japaneseislands, causing heavy snowfall in all areas on the Japan Sea side of the mountains. So, thewind becomes dry after crossing the mountains and the areas on the Pacific side generally
experience continual sunny days. In summer, the seasonal winds blows from the opposite
direction, the southeast. This wind is very humid and causes a lot of rain along the Pacificseaboard.
4For your information: From spring to summer, the Pacific side of the Tohoku district
sometimes has a cold, humid wind from the east. This wind is called “Yamase (やませ)”.
When this wind blows, the temperature in and around the coastal areas falls, often
resulting in fog. When this lasts for a long time, crops such as rice can be damaged due tothe low temperatures and lack of sunshine.

For reference:http://www.hokuhoku-hokuhoku.com/weather/index.html

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3 Agriculture in JapanThe Hokkaido Region
Agriculture flourishes here. The potato, sugar beet, wheat and onion production here is thehighest in Japan. Also, the largest number of dairy cows in Japan are kept here. Dairy
farming is also popular. Dairy farming is an industry in which cows are kept to produce
dairy products such as butter, cheese and milk.

The Tohoku Region
There is a lot of snow and it is cold. Taking advantage of the climate, the principal
agriculture activities that are thriving are growing fruit, such as apples, and rice farming.
Aomoriken
Iwate-The production output of apples is the highest in Japan.

ken
Akitaken
Yamagat

Rice is grown in the Akita Plain

Dairy farming and chicken processing.
Grapes, apples, cherries are grown and the crop of cherries isthelargestin Japan.

a-ken
Fukushima-kenApples and peaches are grown in abundance.

The Kanto Region
In the Kanto region, as there are many big cities which are densely populated ,like Tokyo,
and agriculture is centered in the areas around the cities to provide for their inhabitants.
(agriculture in suburban areas, 近郊農業). The Kanto Plain is the widest in Japan andvegetables, fruit, eggs, and milk that are produced there are sent to the cities.
In Ibaraki-ken, sweet potatoes, peanuts and Chinese cabbages are grown in fields. There
are many paddy fields in the Tone-gawa river basin and early session rice (早場米) is
harvested earlier and shipped sooner than in other areas. To prevent floods that occur at
the reaches of the river in autumn, early harvest rice is grown.

The Chubu Region
In the Chubu Region, various kinds of crops are grown.
Niigata-ken
Toyama-ken

One of the most productive rice growing areas in Japan. The Echigo
Plain is a famous rice-producing area.
Growing rice is common and its Toyama Plain is a famous rice-producing
aria

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Nagano-ken

Yamanashi-ken
Shizuoka-ken

Chinese cabbages and lettuces, as well as apples and grapes, are grown
here. These vegetables are harvested in cold season The cool summer
climate of its highland, Sugadaira and the foothills of Asama- yama
allows vegetables to be harvested in summer, earlier than usual, andshipped. This is called highland agriculture( 高冷地農業)
Grape and peach production is thriving in the Kofu Basin
Mandarin oranges (みかん), and tea leaves (茶)are grown The tea leaves
crops are the largest in JapanThe Kinki Region
Wakayama-ken is a famous for growing plums (梅) and mandarin oranges.

The Chugoku and Shikoku Region
Tottori-ken
Okayama-ken
Ehime-ken“Nijusseiki nashi（２０世紀なし）, a type of pear, is quite famous andthe crops of pears is the highest in Japan.
Rushes (igusa, い草), which are used for tatami, are grown as well as
grapes and peaches.
One of the most productive mandarin oranges producing areas in Japan.
“Iyokan” (いよかん, a kind of mandarin orange) are also grown and the
production is the highest in JapanThe Kyusyu and Okinawa Region
Hukuoka-ken
Miyazaki-ken
Kagoshima-ken

Okinawa-ken

Strawberries are famous. The crop of strawberries is the second largest
in Japan.
With a mild climate even in winter, heated greenhouses (促成栽培) areused to grow vegetables which are grown faster.
The Shirasu Plateau (シラス台地) is made of volcanic ash deposits from
Sakura-jima and other volcanoes. On the plateau, crops such as sweet
potatoes, tea leaves, and tobacco, are grown. The production of sweet
potatoes is the highest in Japan. Also, pigs, cows, and chickens areThe
only
raisedforsubtropicaltheir meat.climate zone in Japan. Therefore, crops grown in
the tropics, such as mangoes, pineapples and sugarcanes are grown.

The problems in Japanese Agriculture
In Japan, it is common to use a lot of fertilizers to enhance the production of small areas offarmland. Mechanization to save on labor is also common. These processes result in higher
production per unit area, but the production costs such as for fertilize, and fuel are higher
than those of imported crops. Another problem is the youth’s declining interest in farming.
It is especially hard to find young people willing to take on a farm while the problem of anaging society continues to worsen.

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4 Fisheries of Japan
In the seas around Japan, the warm currents (Tsushima Kairyu<対馬海流>and Kuroshio
Kairyu＜黒潮＞ ) and cold currents (Riman Kairyu<リマン海流> and Chishima Kairyu<千島海流> or Oyashio<親潮>) meet each other. A lot of fish are caught where these two currents
collide.

Japan’s fisheries
1) Coastal fishing ( 沿岸漁業 ): Catching fish close to the coast (port). Returnig the sameday.
2) Offshore fishing (沖合漁業 ): Fishing is done in the ocean a little further from theJapanese coast (port). Returning after one week.
3) Pelagic fishing (遠洋漁業 ): Fishing is done in the ocean far from Japan. Sometimes
returning after more than a month.
4) Fish farming (栽培漁業 ): Inshore and pelagic fishing are now on the decline. So thefishing industry has been shifting to raising fish (fish farming (栽培漁業) andaquaculture ( 養殖) from conventional fishing (caching fish).Fish farming is an operationthat raises young fish in captivity from eggs and releases them in the rivers or the sea
to catch them again when they are fully grown.

Exclusive Economic Zone
A sea zone over which a country has a special rights is a 200-miles economic zone. For
example, Japanese people can fish inside of 200-miles (approx. 370 kilometers) but can
not fish outside of that zone.

排他的経済水域

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Examples of Good Fishing Grounds around Japan
Hokkai-do: Kushiro-shi
Tohoku region: Aomori-ken (Hachinohe-shi ), Miyagi-ken ( Kesennuma-shi, Onagawa-cho,Ishinomaki-shi ).
Kanto Region: Chiba-ken (Yaizu-shi )Chubu Region: Shizuoka-ken (Yaizu-shi )Chugoku Region: Tottori-ken (Sakaiminato-shi )Kyusyu Region: Fukuoka-ken, Saga-ken (Yaizu-shi ), Nagasaki-ken (Matsuura-shi )Around Hokkaido, northern-sea fishery (北洋漁業、遠洋漁業 ), that catch salmon or crab in
the sea of Okhotsk or North Pacific Ocean, occurs. But after the Exclusive Economic Zone
was established, northern-sea fishing has declined.
In the Seto Inland Sea（瀬戸内海）, fish farming and aquaculture is thriving. A
particularly successful cultivation operation is the aquaculture of oysters (かき) in
Hiroshima Bay(広島湾), fish farming of young yellowtails (はまち) and prawns (くるまえび).

95 Manufacturing Industry in JapanThe Hokkai-do Region
In Hokkai-do, agriculture and daily farming are thriving as well as manufacturingindustries. Sapporo-shi’s industries are centered on food production, such as daily products
and beer. In the port city of Hakodate-shi, there is fish processing. Tomakomai-shi is known
for its pulp and paper industries and there are also areas with heavy and chemicalindustries.

The Tohoku Region
The Tohoku region used to be centered on agriculture, however, many new manufacturing
facilities are being built, taking advantage of new highways and airports. In Aomori-ken,
Akita-ken and Fukushima-ken, manufacturing is thriving. In addition, the ironware （鉄器） of Morioka, silk fabrics（絹織物） of Yonezawa, Kokeshi dolls of Naruko, and lacquerware（漆器）of Aizu Wakamatsu are famous traditional industries of this area.
Aomori-ken: In the factories of Hachinohe-shi, large quantites of cement and chemicalfertilizer are produced.
Akita-ken: Lumber and petrochemical industries thrive. Akita-shi has oil fields beneath thesea floor and produces petrochemicals and pulp.
Fukushikma-ken: In Fukushima-ken, there are nuclear power plants and hydropower
plants, as well as thermal, wind and geothermal power stations. They supply power not
only to the

Tohoku Region but also to the Kanto region.

Some nuclear power plants were destroyed by the Tohoku Pacific Earthquake (2011),and
this has greatly affected a large area of Japan.

For your information: http://www.tohoku.meti.go.jp/s-chusyo/densan-ver3/index.html

Kokeshi dolls of Naruko（Miyagi-ken）

Lacquer ware（漆器）of Aizu Wakamatsu（Fukushima-ken）

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The Kanto Region
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is located in this region. Many ports are located along the coastof the Tokyo Bay, and Narita International Airport is located in Chiba, so there are a lot offactories in this area. In particular, the Keihin Manufacturing Zone ( 京浜工業地帯 ), whichis centered in Tokyo and Yokohama, has thriving machine manufacturing and heavy
industries and chemicals. Tokyo and Yokohama, the industries of machine manufacturing,heavy industries and chemicals are thriving.
In the center of Tokyo-to, there are many factories associated with printing and publishing.
In Ibaraki-ken, where agriculture and fishing used to be the main industries,
manufacturing is thriving.

The Chubu Region
The Chukyo Manufacturing Zone (中京工業地帯 ), which stretches from southern Aichi-Ken
and Gifu-ken to the coast of Ise Bay, has a thriving machine manufacturing industry.
There is a particularly big automobile manufacturing plant in Toyota-shi, Aichi-ken. Some
petrochemical factories in Yokkaichi-shi in Mie-ken are also very big. In the area close to
the petrochemical factories in Yokkaichi-shi, a disease caused by pollution spread due tothe smoke from the factories ( Yokkaichi zensoku< 四日市ぜんそく＞).
Traditional industries thrive here, particularly silk fabrics ( 絹織物 ), woolen fabrics（毛織物 ）and ceramic ( 陶磁器 ).
In Niigata-ken, Toyama-ken and Ishikawa-ken, which are located along the Japan Sea,
agriculture is thriving. However, in winter, due to heavy snow, indoor manufacturing
handcrafts have been developed. In Wajima-shi, Ishikawa-ken, lacquer ware ( 漆器 ) is
roduced. In Ishikawa-ken and Fukui-ken, silk fabrics (絹織物) are produced. In Ojiya-shi
Niigata-ken, fabrics ( 織物 ) are produced.
Around Wakasa Bay in Fukui-ken, there are nuclear power plants.

The Kinki Region
The Hanshin Manufacturing Zone ( 阪神工業地帯 ), which covers the coastal Osaka bay and
Kobe, is the third largest in Japan, in value of goods shipped. Electric machine
manufacturing industry (Ibaraki-shi, Takatsuki-shi and Kadoma-shi in Osaka-fu) fabricproduction ( Izumioostu-shi and Kishiwada-shi in Osaka-fu ) and heavy industries Region(Osaka-shi and Sakai-shi in Osaka-fu, Kobe-shi and Amagasaki-shi in Hyogo-ken ) are
thriving.

11However, since the water used in the manufacturing zone is taken from Biwa-ko and underground in Osaka, the water level of Biwa-ko is falling and another problem is land
subsidence.
There is an industrial zone stretching from southern of Osaka-fu to Wakayama-ken. To thewest of Kobe lies the Harima Manufacturing Zone .In particular, the steel industry in
Himeji-shi and the shipbuilding industry in Aioi-shi have developed.
In Kyoto, the old capital city of Japan, the famous traditional industries of Nishijinori( 西陣織 ), kiyomizuyaki ( 清水焼 ) and yuzenzome ( 友禅染 ) are established.

The Chugoku and Shikoku
Around the Inland Sea, which is located between the Chugoku and Shikoku regions, thereis good transportation and there are many factories. This area is called the Setouchi
Manufacturing Zone ( 瀬戸内工業地域 ). In this manufacturing zone, fabric manufacturing( Mihara-shi in Hiroshima-ken, Okayama-shi and Kurashiki-shi in Okayama-ken ) andshipbuilding (Kure-shi and Innoshima-shi in Hiroshima-ken ), and also, the petrochemicals
industry（Mizushima-chiku of Kurashiki-shi inOkayama-ken, Ootake-shi in Hiroshimaken, Iwakuni-shi and Syunan-shi in Yamaguchi-ken, Niihama-shi in Ehime-ken ) and thesteel industry ( Fukuyama-shi in Hiroshima-ken, Kurashiki-shi in Okayama-ken ) are
thriving.
However, in the sea neighboring the areas where petrochemical industries are thriving,factory waste-water has polluted the sea and Red Tides have occurred. This has become aproblem.
In Hiroshima-shi, there is a big automobile manufacturing plant.

For your information: There are famous bridges and roads connecting Honshu and Shikoku.
The Seto-Ohashi (瀬戸大橋 ): Completed in 1988, connects Sakaide-shi (Kagawa-ken ) and
The Kurashiki-shi (Okayama-ken).
The Akashi-Kaikyo-Ohashi (明石海峡大橋 ): Completed in 1988,connects Awaji-shi ( Hyogoken and Tarumi-ku (Kobe-shi )The Shimanami-Kaido (しまなみ海道 ): Completed in 1999, connects Onomichi-shi( Hiroshima- -ken ) and Imabari-shi ( Ehime-ken )12The Kyusyu and Okinawa Regions
The Kyushu Manufacturing Zone( 北九州工業地帯 ) is in and around Fukuoka-ken, which islocated in the north of Kyushu. Led by Yahata Steel Works（八幡製鉄所）, thismanufacturing zone once flourished . Currently, the major industry is automobile
manufacturing.
In Kumamoto-ken, Nagasaki-ken, and Oita-ken, there are many elecronics factories. These
factories produce IC ( integrated circuit ) chips that are used in computers. The factories
are conveniently located near airports or highways so that production can be sent smoothly
to other prefectures. As Kyushu has many factories producing IC chips from silicon, it isalso known as “Silicon Island”.
In Nagasaki-ken shipbuilding is thriving.
This district’s famous traditional industry is its ceramics from Imari-shi, Arita-shi andKaratsu-shi.
As Okinawa-ken does not have sufficient land area, neither agriculture nor manufacturingis thriving. Instead, tertiary industries, such as trading and service buisinesses, areflourishing.

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６

The Population of Japan

Overpopulation and depopulation problems
In Japan, many people live on flat lands. This is especially true of Tokyo, Osakaand Nagoya which are located in huge plain areas and they have a large population.
These big cities have become overcrowded with high population densities. As aresult, overpopulation causes problems such as environmental issues and traffic
congestion.
On the other hand, the population in mountainous regions and islets is generally
much smaller. In particular, in the mountainous regions of Tohoku and ChugokuShikoku districts, depopulation (reduction in the number of people living in aparticular area) has become a problem.
.
Declining birth rate and aging population problems
Today in Japan, with a small portion of younger people (0-14 years) and a larger
portion of elderly people (65 or over), the declining number of births and aging insociety have become a problem. In particular, regions where young people have left
for big cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, are facing social problems related to
the growth in the number of aged people.
As this trend advances, the shrinking working population will affect Japan’s
economy. In addition, the growing needs of care giving services for elderly people
present another challenge.
100%

9.1%

17.3%

29.2%

80%

36.5%
さい

こ うせ いわ りあ い

こうせいわりあい

割合
構成
構成
割合
構成
割合

いじょう

65歳以上
15歳～64歳
0歳～14歳

60%

さい

さい

40%

さい

さい

20%
0%

ねん

1980年

ねん

ねん

2000年
2020年
ね ん じ
ね ん じ
年次
年次

ねん

2040年

年次

Fig.1 The change of the age structure in Japan (〝Statistics Handbook 2010〟Ministry of
Health, Labour and Welfare)14

７

Environmental problems in Japan

Four Major Diseases Caused by Pollution
After the end of World War II in Japan, especially from the 1950’s through 1970’s,
the rapidly developing economy resulted in the occurrence of pollution-relateddiseases and problems in various areas. These diseases were caused by harmful
substances or smoke from factories. In particular, the following four diseases,
which caused serious damage to many people, are called the “ Four Major Diseases
Caused by Pollution”:① Minamata-byo: Arose in the area along Minamata Bay in Kumamoto Prefecturearound 1953. It was caused by the discharge of a harmful substance, methyl
mercury, into the sea. People were affected with symptoms such as being unable
to move, and paralysis of the hands and feet.
② The Second Minamata-byo: Arose in the area along Agano River in Niigata
Prefecture around 1964.
③ Yokkaichi Zensoku: Arose in Yokkaichi city in Mie Prefecture around 1960. It
was caused by air polluted with a poisonous gas, sulfur dioxide. People whobreathed in the polluted air suffered lung damage and affected with symptoms
such as difficulty in breathing.
④ Itai-Itai-byo: Arose in areas along Zintsuu River in Toyama Prefecture. It wascaused by the discharge of a harmful substance, cadmium, into the river. The
river water went into rice fields and some people who ate the rice suffered weakbones or were affected with symptoms such as pains throughout their entire
body.

Waste Problems and Recycling
In Japan, about 130,000 tons of waste is produced per day. Most of the waste isburned. Nowadays, however, recycling is popular in Japan. Instead of just throwing
things away, waste materials are collected and processed to be used again.
For example, bottles, trays, and packages made of plastic give off harmful smoke
when burned. So recycling them has become popular. In addition, milk cartons,
aluminum cans, steel cans, paper, tires, and cooking oil are also recycled. Air
conditioners, refrigerators, and television sets have recently been included in thelist of recyclable items.

15

Chapter 2 Various Countries and Regions of the World

1 The People’s Republic of China (China)
Geography of China
a to c indicate cities and ア and イ indicate big rivers. Let’s see what the names are.

City： a Beijingb Shanghaic Hong Kong

River：ア Yellow Riverイ Chang jiang◆Basic Quiz ◆The People’s Republic of China has the largest () in the world with some(
) people, which is about one fifth of the world’s population. In agriculture,
production of () and (
) are the highest in the world. In 1978, China
concluded the () with Japan.
Its capital city is (). The city close to the Chang Jiang River with the largest
population in the country is ().
The city which was once a colony of the British and was returned to China in 1997
is (). The longest river in the country is (), and the second one is().
☞ Answers: population, 1.3 billion, rice, wheat, treaty of peace and friendship,
Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chang Jiang, the Yellow River◆ Past Exam ◆What continent contains China (among the six continents) ?
☞Answer：Eurasia

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Climate (Shanghai and Urumchi)
Since China has a huge amount of land, the temperatures and precipitation differ
from region to region.※The location of Urumchi is shown by a mark☆ on theprevious page.
＜Shanghai＞
Shanghai is a city close to the sea. It has four seasons like Japan and its
precipitation is high.

17

＜Urumchi＞
Urumchi is located far from the sea. It has a dry climate with very little rainfall
throughout the year.

18

Trade Partners of Japan
Look at the table below and study the change of Japan’s trading partners over 15
years.
＜Change of Japan’s Top Import Suppliers＞
1
2
3
4
5

1996
2010
United States
22.5%
1 China
22.2%
China
11.8%
2 United States
9.4%
Indonesia
4.4%
3 Australia
6.6%South Korea
4.4%
4 Saudi Arabia
5.3%
Taiwan4.1%
5 United Arab Emirates 4.3%
Trade Statistics of Japan Ministry of Finance＜Change of Japan’s Top Export Destinations＞
1
2
3
4
5

1996
United States
27.5%
South Korea
7.1%
Taiwan6.3%
Hong Kong
6.2%
China
5.2%

2010
1 China
18.9%
2 United States
16.1%
3 South Korea
8.1%
4 Taiwan
6.3%
5 Hong Kong
5.5%
Trade Statistics of Japan Ministry of Finance

The United States of America topped the list as both the supplier of imports
destination of exports for Japan 15 years ago. However, the table shows, thatcurrent largest trading partner of Japan is China. Therefore, China has become avery important country for Japan.

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2 Republic of Korea (South Korea) / The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
North Korea)
Geography of Korean Peninsula
A and D indicate countries、and a and b show the capitals of each country. Let’scheck their names.

Country：
A North Korea
B South Korea
Capital：a Pyongyangb SeoulTrade between Japan and South Korea
Japan and the United States make up a large percentage of South Korean’s trade asits partners. In terms of the total amount of money, South Korea is importing morefrom Japan than it exports to Japan.
→To make up a large percentage: compared to other countries,
the country has a large volume of trade.
Trade from Korea to Japan

Trade Statistics of Japan Ministry of Finance（2010）20

＜South Korea’s Export Items＞
Since South Korea has few natural resources (materials taken from nature) such as
forests and crude oil, it imports those resources from other countries to produce
machines and exports them. The figure below shows the top ten items in exports（Unite: US$ million ）Japan External Trade Organization（2009）
でんきで ん し せいひん

電気・電子製品＝Electricity and electronic goods

Korea; Export Statistics Document

きかいるい

機械類＝Machinery
ゆそうきかい輸送機械＝Transport machinery
でんしぶひん

電子部品＝Electronic parts
せんぱくかいようこうぞうぶつ

船舶海洋構造物など＝Ships and ocean structures,etc.
さんぎょうよう で ん し ぶ ひ ん

産 業 用 電子部品＝Industrial electronic goods
か が く こうぎょうせいひん

化学 工 業 製品＝Chemical industry products
はんどうたい半導体＝Semiconductors
む せ ん つうしん きき

無線通信機器＝Radio communication equipment
てっこう

きんぞくせいひん

鉄鋼・金属製品＝Steel. metal products
21

3 Southeast Asia
Geography of Southeast Asia
A to J indicate countries, and ①～④ show the capitals of each country. Let’s checktheir names.
Country：
A Philippines
B Vietnam
C Cambodia
D

Laos

E

ThailandF Myanmar
G Malaysia
H Singapore
I Indonesia
J Brunei
Capital：① Hanoi② Bangkok③ Kuala Lumpur④ Jakarta

History of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asian countries were once colonized by other counties. In the colonial
period, being defeated in wars caused Southeast Asia to be controlled by thegovernment of victors. Thailand is the only nation in Southeast Asia that has neverbeen colonized by others.

Current name of the colonized country
Philippines
Vietnam
Cambodia
Malaysia
Indonesia
Singapore
Laos

Name of the country that colonized
The United States of America,Spain
FranceFranceBritain
Netherlands
BritainFrance22

Southeast Asian countries＜Thailand＞
Thailand is the world’s largest rice exporter. The national religion of Thailand is Bu
ddhism.
＜Philippines＞
The Philippines consists of some 7000 islands. Crops like bananas are grown onplantations (large farms), and a large number of bananas are exported to Japan.
＜Malaysia＞
Malaysia is a major producer of natural rubber and timber. Rainforest destruction,
however, is a big problem
Rice Export by Country

World Agricultural Production and Trade by USDA (2009/2010）Unit: 1000t

23

Natural Rubber Production

International Rubber Study Group(2009) Unit: t

Climate（Bangkok, Thailand）
Southeast Asian countries have only two seasons：wet and dry seasons. The wet
season has a lot of rain. On the other hand, the dry season sees little precipitation.
The average temperatures are high throughout the year.
℃24

4 Brazil
Geography of Brazil
A to C indicate countries, a and b indicate cities, and c indicates a big river.
Country：
A Brazil
B PeruC ArgentinaCity：a Sao Paulob Brasilia
River：
What is Brazil like?

c the Amazon

The capital of Brazil is Brasilia. Brazil is the world largest coffee producer. ManyJapanese have immigrated to Brazil. They are called Nikkeijin. The language usedin Brazil is Portuguese.
◆ Past Exam ◆Which is the equator among the latitude lines of ア to エ in the Figure below?

☞ Answer：ア25

Trade between Japan and Brazil
One feature of the trade between Japan and Brazil is that Brazil exports a large
amount of iron ore to Japan.
Trade from Brazil to Japan

exportimportTrade Statistics of Japan Ministry of Finance（2010）

World’s Amount of Iron Ore Production
Iron ore is the raw material which makes steel.

By World Steel Association（2007）Unit：1000ｔ

26

がっしゅうこく

5 United States of America (U.S.A.=[アメリカ合衆国])
Nature and Largest CityThe Rocky Mountains
さんみゃく

The Rocky Mountains (= ロ ッ キ ー 山 脈 ) run
north-south from Canada to the United States ofAmerica, forming part of the Circum-Pacific
かんたいへいようぞうざんたい

orogenic belt (=環太平洋造山帯).

The Rocky Mountains(Source: adapted from Wikipedica - Creative Commons, GNU)
The Mississippi Riverがわ

The Mississippi (ミシシッピー川) is the longest
river in the United States It flows from north
ちゅうおうへいげん

through the the Central Plain (=中 央 平原) down
to south, discharging into the Gulf of Mexico (=メわん

キシコ湾).
The Mississippi(Source: adapted from Wikipedica - Creative Commons, GNU)
New York
New York is the largest city in the Unitesd States,
and is deemed one of the centers of the world
economy.
こくさい

Also, the United Nations headquarters (= 国際
れんごう

ほ んぶ

連合の本部) is located in the city.

New York(Source: adapted from Wikipedia - Creative Commons, GNU)27

Spring Wheat
Dairy
Spring/Winter Wheat
Dairy
Corn (Corn Belt)

Livestock
Horticulture

Mediterranean
Winter Wheat

Agriculture

Cotton (Cotton Belt)
Subtropical Crops

Livestock Areas

Crop Areas
ねんかんこうすいりょう

X: Annual rainfall (=年間 降 水 量 ) of 1,000 mm
Y: Annual rainfall of 500 mm
きょうかい

はたさく

ぼくちく ち た い

Z: Boundary (=境 界 ) between crop and livestock areas (畑作と牧畜地帯)
Agriculture
のうぎょう

The features of agriculture (=農 業 ) are that farmers grow crops best suited to the climates ofて き ち てきさく

different regions (”right crop for right land” [=適地適作]), and that they operate “large-scale
だ い き ぼきぎょうてきのうぎょう

corporate farming” (=大規模な企業的 農 業 ), using vast areas of land and large machinery, for the
production of particular crops such as soybeans and corn.

大豆の生産量India

インド, 3%だ い ず

せいさんりょうQuantityof Soybean
大豆Productionの生産量

Othersその他,
7%
U.S.A. 41%
アメリカ,

China
中国,
9%
Argentina
アルゼンチン,17%

ブラジル, 23%
Brazilとうけい

Global Share of U.S. Soybean Production(World Statistics 2009 [=世界の統計],
そうむしょうとうけいきょく

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication Statistics Bureau [=総務省 統 計 局 )28

Quantity
だ い ず
ゆof
しゅつりょう大豆の輸出量Soybean
大豆の輸Export
出 量
in Quantity

OthersCanadaカナダ 3%

その他 3%

Paraguay 7%
パラグアイ

U.S.A.
アメリカ
45%

Argentina
アルゼンチン
9%
Brazilブラジル 33%

Global Share of U.S. Soybean Export(World Markets and Trade 2010／2011,のうむしょうUSDA United States Department of Agriculture [=アメリカ農務省])

とうもろこしの生産量 Quantity of Corn

せいさんりょう

とうもろこしの生産量
Production

Othersその他 28%in Quantity
U.S.A.

アメリカ 41%
Indonesia 2%
インドネシアMexico 3%
メキシコ
China
中国 20%
Brazil 6%
ブラジル

Global Share of U.S. Corn Production(World Statistics 2009, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication Statistics Bureau)

Quantity of CornゆExport
しゅつりょうとうもろこしの生産量
とうもろこしの輸 出 量
in Quantity
India

インド 3%

Others 12%
その他

U.S.A.
アメリカ
52%

Ukraine 6%
ウクライナ
Brazilブラジル
12%

Argentina
アルゼンチン
15%

Global Share of U.S. Soybean Export
せ かい

のうぎょうせいさん(World Trade 2008/09, USDA World Agricultural Production [=世界の農 業 生産]）29

Industry
こうぎょう

ご だ いこU.S. industry (=工 業 ) first developed around the Great Lakes (=五大湖) because of mines (=
こうざん

せきたん

てっ こうせきこうぎょうようすい鉱山) ,coals (=石炭) and iron ores (=鉄鉱石), availability of abundant industrial water (工 業 用水),
こうつう

べん

and convenient location and accessibility (=交通の便).

こうぎょう としDetroit (=デトロイト) as an industrial city (=工 業 都市) was once the first in the world to start
たいりょうせいさん

automobile mass production (=大量生産) and used to be the top automobile industrial city (=じ ど う し ゃ こうぎょう とし自動車 工 業 都市) in the world. But it is now facing big problems, particularly because the recent
とうさん

increase in Japan and China’s automobile production caused bankruptcies (=倒産) of relatedcompanies and a resulting rise in the unemployed (=失業者).

Quantity of Automobile
自動車の生産量
じ ど う し ゃ

せいさんりょう

Production
自動車
の生産量

Othersその他 46%China
中国 24%

Japan
日本 12%

Germany
ドイツ 8%U.S.A. 10%
アメリカ

Global Share of U.S. Automobile Productionに ほ ん じ ど う し ゃ こうぎょうかい(JAMA Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (=日本自動車 工 業 会 ) 2010)にしかいがん

Currently, the United States industrial center has moved to the West Coast (=西海岸) that
だ い と しincludes such big cities (=大都市) such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.

きんこうComputer-related factories are concentrated in the suburbs (=近郊) of San Francisco. This area
is referred to as Silicon Valley (=シリコンバレー). They manufacture electronic components (=で んしぶ ひんはんどうたい電子部品) such as semiconductors (=半導体) used in computers and television sets. The UnitedStates is the world’s top exporter of computers and semiconductors, and Japan is competingwith the United States in the export market for semiconductors.

30

Trade between Japan and U.S.Aのうさくもつこうぎょうせいひん

The United States exports a lot of agricultural and industrial products (=農作物や工 業 製品) toJapan, and also imports a lot from Japan. The United States, formerly Japan’s largest trade
ぼうえき あ い て こく

partner (=貿易相手国), is now the second largest following China.

Export volume of a computer

Export volume of a Semiconductor

U.S.A.
アメリカ 12%

アメリカ 18%
U.S.A.

中国 11%
China

その他 60%Others

The Netherlands

Japan.
日本 13%

シンガポールSingapore9%

その他 50%Othersオランダ 8%

シンガポールSingapore
12%
マレーシア 7%
Malaysia.

せ か い こくせい ず

えGlobal Share of U.S Computer and Semiconductor Export（世界国勢図会）
Trade Statistics of Japan Ministry of Finance（2010）2005/06）

Trade from U.S.A to Japan
Japan’s Import of Soybeans, Wheat, and Beef
Japan is the biggest importer of soybeans and wheat from the United States.

Countries Exporting Soybeans to Japan
OthersChina
CanadaBrazilU.S.A.

31

Countries Exporting Wheat to Japan
OthersCanadaAustralia
U.S.A.

Countries Exporting Beef to Japan
Others
MexicoCanadaNew Zealand
U.S.A.
Australia

Japan’s Import of Soybeans, Wheat and Beef

つうしょうはくしょ(White Paper on International Economy and Trade [= 通 商 白書] 2010)

export36％

Import64％

ざいむしょう ぼうえき とうけい

さくせい

財務省貿易統計から作成（2010）32れんごう

6 EU (European Union) [=ヨーロッパ連合]) Nations
Nature and Cities
おんたい

き こう

かんきょう

Europe has a temperate climate (=温帯の気候), and the livable environment (=住みやすい環 境 )has contributed to the historical development of large cities such as Rome, Paris and London.
The climate of Europe varies greatly, depending on location, particularly to the north and southof the Alps.
さんみゃく

Alps [=アルプス 山 脈 ]ちゅうなんぶThe Alps are located in the south-central region (=中南部) of Europe, and forms part of the Alpsぞうざんたい

Himalayan orogenic belts (= ア ル プ ス ・ ヒ マ ラ ヤ 造山帯 ). Long ranges of high and rugged
mountains stretch over countries such as Switzerland and Austria.

The Alps

The Monc Blanc with the highest peak
さいこうほう(=最高峰: 4,810m ASL) in the Alps
(Source: adapted from Wikipedia Public Domain, Free Art License)
ちちゅうかいせい き こ う

Mediterranean Climate (=地中海性気候)
Temperature

Rome

Rainfall

The Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of the regions
facing the Mediterranean Sea, including those of Italy, the south ofFrance, and Spain located to the south of the Alps. This climate

Average Temperature: 15.8 ℃

きおんfeatures mild temperatures (=気温) all year round, a dry climate
with low precipitation (=降水量) in summer, and slightly higher
precipitation in winter.

Annual Rainfall: 476.8mm

Temperature and Precipitation of Rome, Italy’s Capital City (=しゅと
さ ず首都) (Left=[左図])http://nocs.myvnc.com/study/uonzu.htm(Graph created using the MSN weather data)33

せいがん かいようせい き こ う

Marine West Coast Climate (=西岸海洋性気候)
いど

Even in winter, it does not get so cold at the location at higher latitudes (=緯度). Precipitation
changes are stable all year round, Typical examples places with aLondonmarine west coast climate include the United Kingdom and thenorthwest region of France, located on and to the north of the Alps,and the northern and southern regions of Europe close to the
たいせいようAtlantic Ocean (=大西洋).

Temperature and Precipitation of London, England’s Capital
しゅと

さ

ず

City (=首都) (Left=[左図])(Graph created using the MSN weather data)
げんいん

おんだん

き こ う

Causes (=原因) for Warm Climate (=温暖な気候)
Although, by looking at the map, Paris, France and London, England are located at higher
いど

ほっかいどうlatitudes (=緯度) than Hokkaido (=北海道), it is not so cold there as one thinks.
Wakkanai

The left graph shows the temperature and precipitation (meaning
amount of rain and snow that falls) of the northernmost city of
わっかない

Wakkanai (= 稚 内 ), Hokkaido, and indicates that it is colder in
Hokkaido. Two reasons explain this:
きた たいせいようかいりゅう(1) The North Atlantic Current (=北大西洋 海 流 [Warm Current (=だんりゅう暖 流 )]) flows.

The North Atlantic Current flows in the Atlantic Ocean to the south
たいりく

of the European Continent (=ヨーロッパ大陸). The current is the
だんりゅう

warm ocean stream (warm current [= 暖 流 ]) that flows from the
わん

たいりく

Mexican Gulf (=メキシコ湾) off American Continent (=アメリカ大陸)
せきどう

near the equator (=赤道), towards Europe. The arrows on the map
below indicate how the current flows.

The North Atlantic Currrent(Source: adapted from Wikipedia Creative Commons, GNU)34

へんせいふう(2) The Westerlies (=偏西風) blow.
Also, in Europe, there are winds that bring warm air from west, blowing above the warm
North Atlantic Current, to the northern and western parts of Europe. The winds are called
Westerlies.
Above the sea where the warm North Atlantic Current flows, the air is warmed, and then,
the warmed air is brought to Europe by the Westerlies. This way, it is not so cold even in
winter for locations at high latitudes.
Terminologies
い せ ん

けいせん

Latitude Line (=緯線) and Meridian (=経線)“A” (horizontal line) on the map below is referred to as “latitude line,” and “B” (vertical line)
as “meridian.”
ＢＣＡ

せ か い ひょうじゅん じ

きょうてい せ か い じGreenwich Mean Time (=世界 標 準 時) [Coordinated Universal Time =協 定 世界時)]

A line of 0 degrees longitude (see the map above) runs through England’s capital city of
ほんしょ し ご せ ん

London. The line of 0 degrees latitude is referred to as the“Prime Meridian” (=本初子午線).
The lines drawn to the east of the Prime Meridian areとうけいreferred to as “east longitude” (=東経 ) and those in the
せいけい

as “west longitude” (=西経), allowing degrees of longitude

west
to be

counted using either of these terms.
Each country of the world determines its own standard
with reference to the clock of the Royal Greenwich
Observatory in London. Japan uses the 134 degrees east
longitude as the standard meridian for all of Japan.

The Royal Greenwich Observatory in London（Source: adapted from Wikipedia Creative Commons, GNU）
35

time

のうぎょうAgriculture (= 農 業 )こんごうのうぎょう

Mixed Farming (=混合 農 業 )さいばい

Mixed farming is the combination of crop cultivation and livestock farming. Cultivation (=栽培)
しょくぶつ

し いく

どうぶつ

means to raise plants (= 植 物 ), and farming (=飼育) means to raise animals (=動物). Mixedfarming is the practice prevailing in the northern and middle areas of Europe.
Northern Europe(=北ヨーロッパ)
Western Europe(=西ヨーロッパ)
Eastern Europe(=東ヨーロッパ)
Southern Europe(=南ヨーロッパ)
Europe (Source: adapted
Wikipedia Creative Commons)from

ち ちゅうかいしきのうぎょう

Mediterranean Agriculture (=地 中 海 式 農 業 )This is the type of agriculture conducted in the regions of Mediterranean climate, including Italy,
Spain, and the south of France.
ちちゅうかい えんがん

In the Mediterranean region (= 地中海 沿岸 ), dry weather in summer helps facilitate theproduction of a lot of dryness-resistant crops such as olives (=オリーブ) and grapes (=ぶどう).

Mediterranean Region
Fruit-Bearing Olive Tree
(Source: adapted from Wikipedia Public Domain, Creative Commons, GNU)36

E.U. Today
か め い こくMember States (=加盟国) of the European Nations
れんごう

The E.U. (European Union), translated into Japanese as “ ヨーロッパ連合 ,” consists of 27
European nations, including Germany, France, England, and Italy, who have entered into the
きょうりょくかんけい

agreement to become one by transcending national borders, forming a partnership (= 協 力 関係)
with each other and sharing the same goal.
EURO (=ユーロ)
つうか

They stopped using currencies (=通貨) such as the Mark (Germany) and the Franc (France),that had circulated only in their own countries, andcreated a common E.U. currency called the EURO.
Even when you go beyond your national border, you can
use the same currency, so you won’t have any hesitation togo out shopping or working in any other E.U. member
countries.
※Some of the member nations such as England still use
their own currencies.
EU Member Nations (Cited from the website of the
がいむしょうministry of Foreign Affairs (=外務省)
Eurotunnel (=ユーロトンネル)
かいてい

かいきょう

This is the tunnel built under the seabed (=海底) of the Strait of Dover (=ドーバー海 峡 ) lyingてつどう

between England and France. The railroad (= 鉄道 ) operation through the tunnel has
しまぐに

contributed to the promotion of back-and-forth flow of traffic between the island country (=島国)たいりく

England and Continental Europe (=ヨーロッパ大陸).

37

Main E.U. Nations and Their Features
１ France
France is a prosperous country with the most thriving agriculture in the European Union. It
produces a lot of wheat and grapes used for bread and wine respectively.
２ Germany
Germany is a prosperous country with the mostthriving industries in the European Union. The
こうぎょう ち た いRuhr Industrial Region (= ル ー ル 工 業 地帯 )dominates the industries in the European Union.
ち ほう

The Ruhr (=ルール地方), with it’s industrial region,
せきたん

is rich in coal (=石炭) and has the Rhine River (=ラがわイ ン 川 ) flowing across the country down to the
Atlantic Ocean.

The Rhine (from mpedia’s Website)

The convenient location and use of the Rhine River, enabling Germany to transport needed
し げん

せいひん

resources (=資源) and manufactured products (=製品) by boat and export them abroad, haveencouraged the development of steel, machinery and chemical industries since early times.
This is the largest industrial region in the European Union, and accepts many foreign
ろうどうしゃworkers (=労働者).

United Kingdom

３

さんぎょう

The UK has been a world-leading industrial country since the Industrial Revolution (= 産 業
かくめい革命) that took place in the 18th century, while the country held vast colonies in Asia and Africa.
だいじ せ か い たいせんご

しょくみんちSince World War II (=第２次世界大戦後), however, many colonies (=植民地) have gained their
どくりつ

independence (=独立) from the UK, and the UK has experienced a decline in the power andinfluence that were symbolized in the phrase, "the Empire on which the sun never sets" (=
たいよう

しず

くに

「太陽の沈まぬ国). The UK is now intensifying its cooperation with E.U. nations such as Franceand Germany.
せ きゆ

The UK exports the oil (petroleum=石油) produced in the North Sea, located between Englandand Scandinavian Peninsula.

38

North Sea Oil Field (=北海油田)(mpedia’s Website)【Questions from Past Test Papers (=過去問)】
The following graphs show the temperature and precipitation of London and Tokyo. Put
the correct words in the boxes below based on the graphs.

http://nocs.myvnc.com/study/uonzu.htm(Created using the MSN weather data)
London and Tokyo are both located in the①difference in the seasonal precipitation, Tokyo hassummer and winter.

☞answer: ①a temperate climate ②larger

39

きこうたい

climate zone (=気候帯). But, looking at the②

precipitation than London in発行年月日：2012（平成 24 年）３月 31 日
作成・編集：子ども多文化共生センター・姫路獨協大学大学院言語教育研究科
日本語コース
翻訳：樋口公子、大槻美保
岸田尚子、Paula Armstrong
発行：子ども多文化共生センター〒659-0031 芦屋市新浜町１－２

電話 0797(35)4537

協力：姫路獨協大学外国語学部外国語学科 教授 山崎 恵 氏