Japanese ABC's

1
ABC Bookof Japanese Culture
Click on each picture to see a video or a game.
2
A
is for Asia.
The earth has 7 continents including Asia. Japan
is part of the continent of Asia. Match up the
islands in the Japan Puzzle.
3
B
is for bamboo.
Bamboo grows in the forests of Japan.
4
is for chopsticks.
C
Most Japanese eat with chopsticks.
5
is for dragonfly,
D
the Japanese symbol for success, strength and
happiness.
6
is for Emperor.
E
Emperor Akihito is the leader of Japan. He lives
with his wife, Empress Michiko, and his family
in a beautiful palace in Tokyo.
7
F
is for flag.
The flag of Japan is easy to draw. The red circle
represents the rising sun.
8
G
is for Geisha.
A Geisha is an entertainer. She sings, plays
instruments, and serves meals to her guests. She
wears white makeup and a traditionalkimono.
9
H
is for Hanami.
It celebrates the blooming of the Cherry Blossom
trees.
10
I
is for islands.
Japan has many islands.
11
J
is for Jinja.
A Jinja is a Japanese shrine.
12
K
is for koi fish.
Japanese koi fish are symbols of strength and
power because they often lift their entire body
up and jump out of the water.
13
L
is for lantern.
Paper lanterns are hung outside a store.
14
M
is for Mount Fuji.
It is the tallest mountain in Japan.
15
N
is for New Years Celebration.
To celebrate the New Year, the Japanese give
gifts like this hand-made card.
16
O
is for origami.
It is the Japanese art of folding paper.
17
P
is for pagoda.
There are many beautiful pagodas in Japan. They
have three or more levels and were built close to
Buddhist temples.
18
is for quince.
Q
A quince is a Japanese flower.
19
R
is for religion.
Buddhism is the major religion in Japan.
20
S
is Sumo Wrestler.
Sumo is a Japanese style of wrestling and Japan's
national sport. Each wrestling match lasts only
a few seconds.
21
T
is for Tokyo.
Tokyo is Japans largest city.
22
U
is for uniforms.
Most Japanese students wear uniforms. Their
school day is much longer than ours.
23
V
is for volcano.
The islands were formed by volcanoes.
24
W
is for wooden dolls.
Kokeshi dolls are carved from bamboo wood.
25
X
is not a letter in Japanese.
The Japanese use characters instead of letters.
Each one makes a different sound. These
characters are called the Kanji. Students must
learn 1,945 characters, but we learn only 26
letters.
26
is for yen.
Y
Japanese money is called yen.
27
is for zen garden.
Z
The Japanese use the gardens to relax and
meditate.
28
ABC Bookof Japanese Culture
Click on each picture to see a video.