Population Density (class notes 2/27)

1. Population Density (class notes 2/27) Which of the following countries has the largest population density? a) USA b) Australia c) China d) Japan Lets do an experiment to find out! 1 paper = 150,000 Square miles

2. Experiment Examples First Example = 20 pieces of paper How many Square Miles? 3,000,000 (yes 3 MILLION) Population = 25 Million people Each person = 12.5 Million people Pop Density = ~8 people / square mile! Country = Australia

3. Next Example 2nd Example = 23 ½ pieces of paper! How many Square Miles? ~3,531,000 (yes 3.53 MILLION square miles) 330 Million people Each person = _____ Million people Pop density = 93 people / Sq. mile Country = USA!

4. Last Example - Japan How many pieces of paper should Japan have? < 1 piece of paper! Japan has only 146,000 Square miles! BUT HAS 126 Million People! Population Density = 863 People / Square Mile! BUT Japan is very Mountainous so Japan is 94% URBAN (people live in cities). Actual Density = 14,383 People / Square Mile!

5. What effect do your think such a high population density would have on Japan? • Video Examples • Subway at rush hour nightmare! Do you know what you need in Japan before you can buy a car? Ans: Proof that you have a space to park the car!

6. A Capsule Hotel in Tokyo, Japan

7. Population Density • Population Density = The number of people per square mile.

8. Japan’s Geography!What can you infer from these pictures?

9. I. Facts to know about the effect of Japan’s Geography on Population Density and Japanese History: • Today most of the Japanese people live on the coastal plains and in the valleys which makes up just 15% of Japan’s total land mass. This greatly increases the actual Population Density. • The Limited amount of “good” land and large population density had/has many impacts on Japanese Culture. Japan’s dense population causes them many problems but one positive effect is that they become innovative = solve the problem. • Example: Sparse farmland = terrace farming. • Connections to today: Tokyo one of the most densely populated regions in the world! • Examples: subway at rush hour – crawl-space micro hotel rooms?

10. Terrace Farming A

11. Terrace Farming B

12. Japan is an archipelago An Archipelago is an island chain. Japan is made up of 4 main large islands and over 3,000 smaller islands.

14. In this photo taken with a 15-second exposure by a fixed-position camera in Ushinefumoto in Tarumizu, Kagoshima Prefecture, lightning flashes above flowing lava as Sakurajima, a well-known active volcano in southern Japan. This picture is from Feb 5, 2016.

15. More Effects of being a Mountainous & a Volcanic Island Chain (archipelago) on Japan: • The development of Shintoism = A nature orientated religion that is still followed in Japan today where especially beautiful natural forces are believed to have Kami – or divine spirits. (Like a Volcano – Mt. Fuji). • When you live around powerful natural forces that can wipe you out (like a volcano) you learn to respect those forces. • Intense Competition over Land (a scarce resource) = the development of the Samurai Warrior (to guard, protect, and develop the land). • Today: A different sense of personal space (get close).

16. Effect of population density on limited resources today • When you have a high population density items of value are often rationed to limit consumption. • Ex: if we were running out of gas for our cars, people would be limited in how much gas they could buy. • In a similar way, education (a valuable resource) is limited to students who qualify in Japan. • Ex: Mandatory education stops after 9th grade and Japanese students need to take entrance examinations to go on to high school or they enter the work force. • With so much focus on discipline and hard work, what do you think Japanese schools are like? • Strict? Sources: https://www.tokyo-icc.jp/guide_eng/educ/01.html https://www.tofugu.com/japan/japanese-cram-school/