TOP　>　Culture and People of Japan

This section features Japan today. It presents topics of interest to overseas elementary and secondary school students from two points of view (culture and people). Please read “Concerning Copyright” before using the photographs in this section.

Resource No.	Topic	Overview	Categories	Class Ideas
New! 21	Cell Phones for Communication and Enjoyment	Cell phones have become an essential communication tool for almost everyone today. Their diverse functions have made them more than just a tool of communication. How are cell phones used among students in elementary school, junior high school, and high school?		J / E / C
	Akane, Izuho, and Lisa	What We Have Gained, What We Have Lost
20	Living with the Environment in Mind	Recently we have become keenly aware that climate change, destruction of the ozone layer, and other environmental problems can directly affect our daily lives. In order to combat them, people have to work together at the national and local levels and must create systems for finding solutions through cooperation that transcends national boundaries as well. Equally important is awareness and action on the part of each individual to protect the environment and conserve its resources. In this issue we introduce various efforts being made in Japan, particularly by ordinary people as part of their daily lives.		J / E / C
	Keita and Asuka	Ecocon: Connecting for the Environment
19	Dreams and Career Planning	When Japanese students think about their future, what kinds of occupations do they seek? What kinds of careers do they choose? Career education is recently attracting a lot of attention in Japan, and students from elementary school through graduate school are being encouraged not only to learn about different kinds of occupations but also to better understand themselves and their aptitudes so that they can make informed choices. We report on career-related trends among Japanese students.		J / E / C
	Shiori	Music or English: My Search for a Career to Use Both
18	Games for Cross-Generational Enjoyment	Digital games, once designed to be played mainly by young children, have expanded to a cross-generational, international phenomenon. People are beginning to discover new ways to use digital games for purposes other than play, such as for teaching and study. What games, including digital games are people of different generations in Japan enjoying?		J / E / C
	Hiroshi, Atsushi, Isami, and Kita	Here the four students, Hiroshi, Atsushi, Isami, and Kita, devoted digital game players since they were little, talk about what it is like taking their first steps into the real world of digital game development.
16	Photography	Photography has become a much more familiar art with the spread of digital cameras and cell phones with built-in cameras. An increasing number of people now think of photography as a handy means of expression and a routine part of their daily lives.		J / E / C
	Midoring	Midoring has been taking photographs in her high school photography club for three years. She explains what was in her mind when she is taking photographs, and what kind of photographs she really wants to take.
14	Animals	Dogs, cats, and other pets, as well as farm animals such as cows and horses, are familiar parts of our lives. With the advent of zoos, moreover, animals that were once seen only in the wild can now be observed quite close-up. We all go through life with various relationships to animals. We report on the relationships between people and animals in Japan through a close look at the country's zoos and pets.		J / E / C
	Saki	Saki, who is eight years old has become very friendly with the monkeys, and her relationship with the monkeys has been featured numerous times on television, their heartwarming interaction leaving a deep impression with viewers. Saki and her parents talk what Saki learned from her relationship with the monkeys.
12	Robots	In Japan, research and development of humanoid robots is active and advanced. And not only researchers but an increasing number of amateurs, too, are enthusiastic about making robots.		J / E / C
	Toshihide, Hiroshi, Ryosuke, Yusuke	The Robocon (Robot Contest), a national contest for technical college robot-building teams, is the focus of the passions of talented young people who devote their energies to creating hand-made robot devices. The members of the robot contest team of the Tokyo National College of Technology talk what they learned from the experience.
11	Traditional Games	What children do for fun has changed dramatically since the video game appeared. Recently, however, traditional games are gaining attention because they help develop children's physical agility and strength, foster perseverance and concentration, and develop balance without them even knowing it.		J / E / C
	Tario	Tario, a third-year university student, belongs to the kendama (cup-and-ball game) club at his university. He talks about how fascinating the game is, and about his experiences in Mongolia where members of his club visit every year.