chapter 32

Chapter 32, Section

World GeographyWorld Geography

Chapter 32

Japan and the Koreas

Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

Chapter 32, Section

World GeographyWorld Geography

Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

Section 1: Japan: Land of the Rising Sun

Section 2: Japan's Economic Development

Section 3: The Koreas: A Divided Peninsula

Chapter 32: Japan and the Koreas

Chapter 32, Section

Japan: The Land of the Rising SunJapan: The Land of the Rising Sun

• What are Japan’s chief physical characteristics?

• What geographic factors contribute to the variety of climates found in Japan?

• What factors encourage national unity and identity among the majority of the Japanese people?

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Chapter 32, Section 1

Physical CharacteristicsPhysical Characteristics


Physical CharacteristicsPhysical Characteristics

• Japan is an archipelago with many small islands and four large islands, which are actually the peaks of an underwater mountain range.

• The surrounding seas have isolated and protected Japan from invaders.

• Because of the mountainous terrain, only 13 percent of the land is arable.

• Japan is part of the Ring of Fire, and seismographs detect about 7,500 earthquakes in Japan annually.

• Japan also has a number of active volcanoes.

Chapter 32, Section

ClimatesClimates

• Japan’s climates vary according to latitude.• Monsoons, or prevailing winds, bring heavy rains

and hot temperatures in summer and cool, dry air in winter.

• Typhoons, hurricanes that form over the Pacific Ocean, often cause floods and landslides from the summer to early fall.

• Ocean currents also affect Japan’s climate.• The Japan Current, flowing northward from the

tropics, warms the air and results in long growing seasons.

• The Oyashio Current, flowing southeastward along the coast of Hokkaido and northern Honshu, supports high fish harvests.

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Chapter 32, Section

People and CulturePeople and Culture

• Population density affects housing and family patterns and has caused problems with pollution and waste disposal.

• Shared ancestry makes most of Japan’s population homogeneous, or uniform, enabling the Japanese to build a strong sense of national unity and identity.

• Most of Japan’s people share similar religious beliefs that reflect Shinto, Buddhist, and Confucian influences.

• The vast majority of Japan’s people belong to a highly educated middle class, with social and economic uniformity contributing to Japanese homogeneity.

• Japanese popular culture is influenced both by Japanese traditions and ideas from the West.

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Chapter 32, Section

Section 1 ReviewSection 1 Review

How does the Japan Current affect climate in some parts of Japan?

a) It makes the climate cooler.

b) It makes the growing season shorter.

c) It makes the climate warmer.

d) It does not affect the climate.

How has Japan’s island location affected Japanese culture?

a) Japan is a nation of sailors and explorers.

b) The Japanese have a sense of their own separate identity.

c) The Japanese belong to many diverse ethnic groups.

d) The Japanese have always been open to outside influences.

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Chapter 32, Section

Japan’s Economic DevelopmentJapan’s Economic Development

• Why did Japan isolate itself from the West, and what happened when new relations were established in the 1800s?

• Why did Japan attempt to gain control of neighboring countries?

• What was Japan’s role in World War II, and how did it affect Japan’s status at the war’s end?

• How was Japan able to prosper economically after World War II?

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Chapter 32, Section

The Closure of Japan and the Meiji EraThe Closure of Japan and the Meiji Era

• At the time of its first contact with the West, Japan had a highly developed civilization and a prosperous nation.

• The Japanese welcomed European traders and missionaries, but soon began to worry that European nations might try to conquer them and closed its doors to the West in 1639.

• Beginning in 1853, Western governments forced Japan to sign unequal treaties that gave all the economic advantages to foreigners.

• During the Meiji era, Japan modernized and became a major industrial power.

• By 1900, Japan was strong enough to end the unequal treaties with the West.

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Chapter 32, Section

Japanese ImperialismJapanese Imperialism

• Lack of natural resources was an obstacle to Japan’s goal of becoming an industrial power.

• Japan adopted imperialist policies, and began efforts to gain control of weaker countries that were rich in resources.

• Japan fought China and Russia at the turn of the century, gaining new trading rights and territory, and took over German colonies after World War I.

• Militarists gained control of the government, and Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 and China in 1937.

• Japan gradually became a military dictatorship, and the new leaders promoted militarism, or the glorification of the military and a readiness for war.

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Chapter 32, Section

World War and Military OccupationWorld War and Military Occupation

World War II• Japan’s leaders sided with

Nazi Germany in World War II.• Japan seized French and

Dutch colonies in Southeast Asia when France and the Netherlands fell to the Nazis.

• Japan attacked the United States fleet at Pearl Harbor in 1941.

• The United States and its allies gradually destroyed Japan’s ability to wage war.

• Japan quickly surrendered after the United States dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities.

American Military Occupation• From 1945 to 1952, Japan

was occupied by the United States army.

• The military leaders were removed from power, and the emperor was stripped of political powers.

• Japan was forbidden to rebuild its military.

• A democratic constitution was introduced, giving women legal equality with men.

• Large farms and businesses were broken up and sold to poor citizens.

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Chapter 32, Section

Sources of SuccessSources of Success

• After World War II, Japan experienced rapid economic growth.

• Japan has a highly educated work force: almost all Japanese students attend high school and a third go on to college.

• Traditional patterns of loyalty and team spirit are changing as many Japanese workers are now finding themselves downsized, or fired, as companies try to trim costs.

• Japan is at the center of active trade networks as other Asian nations develop economically.

• The Japanese government takes an active role in business and has controlled trade through tariffs and quotas on imported goods.

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Chapter 32, Section


How did the Meiji government promote industrialization?

a) It encouraged foreign investment in Japan.

b) It established large collectives.

c) It adopted Western models for all political and economic institutions.

d) It paid for the development of new industries.

In the early 1900s, how did Japan obtain natural resources?

a) trading with other countries

b) mining the mineral-rich mountains of Japan

c) conquering countries with needed natural resources

d) ocean-bed mining operations


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Chapter 32, Section

The Koreas: A Divided PeninsulaThe Koreas: A Divided Peninsula

• What cultural elements did the Koreans adapt from the Chinese?

• How did the Korean Peninsula become two separate countries?

• How do the physical characteristics of North Korea and South Korea differ?

• Why is reunification a challenge to both North Korea and South Korea?

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Chapter 32, Section

A Common CultureA Common Culture

• Through more than 2,000 years of history, invading armies have swept through the Korean Peninsula.

• Koreans adapted Chinese cultural ways, borrowing from the Chinese writing system and adapting many Chinese words.

• Koreans adopted Daoism and Confucianism from China, and later modified Buddhist teachings to their own culture.

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Chapter 32, Section

The Korean WarThe Korean War

• After World War II, Korea became caught up in the Cold War struggle between Communist and non-Communist powers.

• The Soviet Union administered northern Korea, and the United States administered southern Korea.

• The Soviet Union established a Communist government in North Korea, and in South Korea an election was held. American troops pulled out in 1949.

• In 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea to unite the country under a Communist government, and United Nations forces came to the aid of South Korea.

• A cease-fire agreement was signed in 1953 establishing the division between North and South Korea, separated by a demilitarized zone.

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Different EnvironmentsDifferent Environments

Chapter 32, Section

Different EnvironmentsDifferent Environments

• North Korea, located closer to the Asian mainland, has a climate similar to southern Siberia.

• The land of North Korea is mountainous and rugged, and contains some of the richest natural resources in East Asia.

• South Korea is very densely populated.

• The climate of South Korea is moderated by the surrounding seas, and some areas have a subtropical climate.

• South Korea has fewer mountains and more plains, and is better suited to agriculture than North Korea.

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Chapter 32, Section

Challenges to ReunificationChallenges to Reunification

A Changing Economy• After 1953, South Korea

was economically disadvantaged, as most industries were in North Korea.

• With aid from the U.S. and Japan, South Korea industrialized.

• Communist North Korea lags far behind South Korea in its standard of living.

• With the fall of the Soviet Union, North Korea lost its major trading partner, and shortages of supplies and food have made the situation dire.

Planning for the Future• North and South Korea have

discussed reunification, but have not been able to agree on conditions.

• North Korea wanted an exclusively Communist Korea, while South Korea wanted to maintain its high standard of living and free system of government.

• North Korea’s withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1993 alarmed many nations.

• After the succession of Kim Jong Il in North Korea, the two Koreas again began to talk of reunification.

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Chapter 32, Section


Korea adopted religious beliefs and other cultural ways from which of the following countries?

a) Japan

b) China

c) Russia

d) Taiwan

Which countries administered Korea after World War II?

a) the Soviet Union and Japan

b) China and the United States

c) the United States and Japan

d) the Soviet Union and the United States


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chapter 32

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