The Japan Project is a multi-lesson unit designed to give KS1 and KS2 students a cross-curricula introduction to Japan.  

Japan is often portrayed as a bustling metropolis with cities full of people, bright lights and noise. Japanese cities are busy places, but not all of Japan is like this. In this lesson, students take a look at the countryside areas and compare rural and urban Japan!

Japan has many festivals and seasonal celebrations throughout the year. See our list of lesson links for each celebrations. There is also our complete collection of activity packs!

In the final lesson, students will learn about the different materials and techniques which have been used to design buildings in Japan, allowing them to withstand earthquakes.

In this lesson, students students will learn how earthquakes can cause a tsunami and will also consider the impact of the disaster on survivors. They will also look at the work of Fumio Obata, a graphic novelist and illustrator who produced ‘comic reportage’ detailing the scale and human tragedy of the disaster.

In Lesson 5, students will study Sakurajima, located on the island of Kyushu and learn to describe the key features of a volcano.

In this lesson, students study a population graph and produce a written description of the changes in Japan. They will also use population data to produce their own choropleth map showing Japan’s population density.

In this lesson students explore the wildlife of Japan and consider what makes it home to so many different animal species. Using the information sheets, students will gather information about some animals and their habitats and create a labelled map showing where they are located in Japan.

In lesson 2, students will learn about the climate of Japan and the climatic variations between different regions. Using information fact sheets about the different seasons and seasonal festivals they will produce a climate calendar and decide the best time to visit Japan.

In the first lesson of this unit students learn key features of Japan’s location and geography, including that it is within the Pacific Ring of Fire and on the boundaries of four tectonic plates. They will consider the opportunities and challenges of living in Japan.