Comparing Localities - Rural and Urban Japan

Japan is often portrayed as a bustling metropolis full of people, bright lights and noise. Japanese cities are busy places, but not all of Japan is like this. Much of Japan is covered in forest and mountains and there are many towns and villages too.

The video A Trip to the Japanese Countryside shows students a quieter side of Japan. Use it with the accompanying materials to show students different localities in Japan and allow them to compare rural and urban areas. Download all lesson resources (Zip File 23MB) or see below for individual resources. 

Learning Objectives

• Students will learn about features of urban and rural areas and their similarities and differences.  
• They will be able to identify similarities and differences between a rural area and an urban area in Japan. 
• Some students will compare their own area (or another locality) to an area in Japan. 

Learning Outcomes 

• Students will complete a venn diagram identifying similarities and differences in localities. 
• Some students will identify benefits and disadvantages of living in different settlements.  

Resources

• Lesson Plan: Comparing Localities - Rural and Urban
• Presentation: Rural and Urban Japan (19MB)
• Photo Sets: Images of Rural and Urban Japan (4MB) 
• Video: A Trip to the Japanese Countryside

Additional Resources

• Worksheet: Comparing Localities – Venn Diagram 
• Religion in Japan - Shrines and Temples 

Note: This is a new resource and is under review; some sections may be revised or updated.