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Japan

1General information about JapanJapan is an island nation inEast Asia.Also is anarchipelagoof6,852 islands .The four largest islands areHonshu,Hokkaid, KyshandShikoku. Japan has the world'stenth-largest population, with over 127million people.Japan has the world'sthird-largest economy. Japan has thelongest life expectancyof any country in the world.

2LanguagesMore than 99 percent of the population speaksJapaneseas their first languageJapanese writinguseskanji(Chinese characters) and two sets ofkana(syllabariesbased on simplified Chinese characters), as well as theLatin alphabetandArabic numerals.Most public and private schools require students to take courses in both Japanese andEnglish.

3Religion8496 % of the Japanese population subscribe toBuddhismorShinto.

Fewer than one percent of Japanese areChristian. In addition, since the mid-19th century numerousnew religious movementshave emerged in Japan.

4Education Compulsory education in Japan: elementaryandmiddle school (9years).the overall knowledge and skills of Japanese 15-year-olds is 6th best in the world.75.9 % attend higher education.

5HealthIn Japan, health care is provided by national and local governments.

People without insurance through employers can participate in a national health insurance program administered by local governments.

Patients are free to select the physicians or facilities of their choice.

6Culture IDolls (ningy n noh).

Swords(nihont)Lacquer ware.

7 Hiragana Katakana

8Music Japanese music is eclectic and diverse.Popular music has been heavily influenced by Western trends, ledading to the evolution ofJ-pop.Karaokeis the most widely practiced cultural activity in Japan.

9ArtTraditional housingand manytemple buildings.

Japanese sculpture.

Japanese painting. woodblock printing.

Western art led to the creation ofmanga.

Manga-influenced animation for television and film is calledanime.

10CuisineThe primary staple isJapanese rice. Japanese cuisine offers a vast array ofregional specialtiesthat use traditional recipes and local ingredients. TheMichelin Guide has awarded Japanese cities more Michelin stars than the rest of the world combined

11SportsTraditionally,sumois considered Japan's national sport.

Also judo,karateandkendo.

Football

Baseball

12 Places to visit in JapanJapan is a country that offers the tourist exotic beauty and marvelous attractions.

13TokyoTokyo is where most tours of Japan start and the city is the natural places to start your introduction to this enchanting country. It is hard to understate the shock value of Tokyo to the western visitor and upon arriving in Tokyo you will finally understand the real meaning of the word "foreign".

14 KamakuraKamakura contains one of Japan's best collections of shrines, temples, and monuments. In addition, the town is famous for its Great Buddha statue.

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KyotoKyoto is Japan's second most popular tourist destination. Its fame results from a several well preserved historical sitesKyoto was Japan's capital through part of the First and most of the Second Millennia.

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Daisetsuzan NPMany visitors travel there to enjoy the island's reputation as Japan's most scenic landscape.The Daisetsuzan National Park is the best place to see "wild" Japan.

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Hiroshima Peace Memorial ParkHome to the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome, which was the site of the atomic bomb explosion.

18OsakaOsakais a city in theKansai regionofJapan'smain island ofHonsh.Osaka is thethird most populated city afterTokyoandYokohama"Osaka" literally means "large hill" or "large slope.

City Map

ClimateOsaka belongs to thehumid subtropical climatezone with four distinct seasons.Its winters are generally mild. Snowfalls are rare.Spring in Osaka starts off mild, but ends up being hot and humid; Osakas wettest season.Summers are very hot and humid.Falls early part resembles summer while the latter part resembles winter.

TimeStandard time zone:GMT +9 hours

So, 5 or 6 (during daylight saving time) hours ahead of Greece.

Living Cost (ouch )6th most expensive city in the world in 2010 Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant 9.18Water (0.33 liter bottle) 0.89Milk (regular), 1 liter 2.15One-way Ticket (local transport) 3.05Monthly Pass 138.53Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat 18.32

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=Japan&city=Osaka

Public TransportationPublic transportation withinOsaka is mostly by rail, offered by many different companies.

As a means of cheap transportation from home tothe nearest railroad station, lots of peopleuse their bicycles.

Osaka Municipal Subway is themetronetwork in the city ofOsaka.

Regular bus services are provided byOsaka Municipal Transportation Bureau (http://www.kotsu.city.osaka.jp/foreign/english/) with a dense network covering much parts of the city.

Osaka Unlimited Pass: http://www.pia.co.jp/kansai/index.html

SightseeingTheOsaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (located in the ward ofMinato) is one of the largestpublic aquariumsin the world.

TheNakanoshima Park is the first public park opened in Osaka.

Universal Studios Japan is a Universal Studios theme parks.

Osaka Castle is one of Japan's most famous castles.

Sank Shrine is aShintoshrineon a hill named Mt. Sanada()inTennji-ku.

Sumiyoshi Park, an Osaka prefectural park in Hamaguchi-higashi Itchome

Shinsekai (), "New World" in English, is an old neighborhood located next to downtown "Minami" area.

Shitenn-ji ()is aBuddhisttemple.

Utsubo Park is a large public,urban park, situated at Utsubo-Hommachi inNishi-ku.

MuseumsTheNational Museum of Art().

Fujita Art Museum()is one of the largest private collections in theKansai region.TheOsaka Contemporary Art Center().TheOsaka Science Museum(),next to the National Museum of Art.

Science MuseumNational Art MuseumEvents and FestivalsTenjin-matsuri is held on July 24 and 25. Boat festival with performing arts.

Shitennoji Temple Doya Doya Festival (Huge Naked Festival), January 14th

TheKansai International Film Festival.

Useful Sites: http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/search/list/event.php ,http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/search/list/calendar.php ,http://www.osaka.world-guides.com/osaka_events.html

NightlifeOsaka offers countless choices !

Bars, clubs, cafs and many other to choose from.

Hard Rock Caf(Universal City Walk Osaka, floors 3F & 4F)

Useful Sites: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Japan/Osaka_fu/Osaka-971424/Nightlife-Osaka-TG-C-1.htmlhttp://www.10best.com/destinations/japan/osaka/nightlife/

Local Cuisine Okonomiyaki()is a Japanese savourypancakecontaining a variety of ingredients.

Takoyaki(or)is a popular ball-shapeddumpling made ofbatterand cooked.

Udon(?, usually written as )is a type of thickwheat-flour noodle.

Oshizushi "pressed sushi"), also known ashako-zushi, "box sushi"), is a pressed sushi.

Osaka Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp1WySv3O8kSurprise Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjmQw3JaTsE&feature=channel_video_titleThank you !!! !!!