Introducing Japan to Your Classroom
Bring Japan to your classroom this term with these free fun activities and resources, allowing pupils the chance to further explore and learn more about the country and its culture. Our resources cover a range of topics including Geography and RE, with a range of links to the curriculum.
See below for a list of some of our recommended learning resources and activities that we recommend using when introducing Japan as a topic in your classroom.
Need to brush up on your knowledge of Japan? Download our Background Notes for Teachers - PDF (606 KB) for all the key facts and information you need to know!
Learning Resources
These resources can be easily adapted to suit your classroom, either as an extended unit of learning or as a stand-alone lesson.
- The Japan Project / Key Stage: 2 & 3
The Japan Project is a multi-lesson unit, designed to give pupils a cross-curricular introduction to Japan, including lessons about Japan's location, physical geography, climate, wildlife, and even samurai!
Lesson Duration: multiple lessons, 50 minutes - 1 hour each - Geography of Japan / Key Stage: 3
The Geography of Japan is a 7-lesson unit that introduces pupils to both the human and physical geography of Japan. Ideal for KS3, within this unit, pupils will learn about Japan's location, climate, wildlife, population, and natural hazards. These lessons can be taught together as a unit about Japanese geography, but can also be easily-adapted to use as a stand-alone resource, too.
Lesson Duration: multiple lessons, 50 minutes - 1 hour each - School Life in Japan / Key Stage: 2
Explore what life at a typical Japanese elementary school is like with this resource! Pupils will learn about the many different but also many similar aspects of a typical Japanese elementary school compared to their own primary school.
Lesson Duration: 50 minutes - 1 hour - Comparing Localities: Rural and Urban / Key Stage: 2
Discover the contrast of Japanese landscapes - the busy and bustling cities, the towering mountains, and the peaceful, green countryside full of nature and wildlife. Pupils will compare the rural and urban areas of Japan in this lesson, to better understand what life might be like for people all across the country.
Lesson Duration: 50 minutes - 1 hour - Japanese Festivals and Seasonal Celebrations / Key Stage: 2 & 3
There are many exciting and unique festivals that take place across Japan all throughout the year! Why not learn about and celebrate some of them in your classroom, too?
Lesson Duration: multiple lessons, 30 minutes - 50 minutes - Religion in Japan - Shrines and Temples / Key Stage: 2
Learn all about Japan's two main religions - Shinto and Buddhism - and the places of worship associated with them.
Lesson Duration: 30 minutes - 40 minutes - Ready Steady NihonGo! / Key Stage: 2
Introduce Japanese language to your classroom this term with Ready Steady NihonGo! Consisting of ten 45 minute lessons, this resource will allow pupils to learn the basics of the Japanese language, including vocabulary and phrases used in everyday life, numbers, as well as how to write their own names. Designed for Key Stage 2, it can be easily adapted to be taught as a stand-alone lesson and/or to be suitable for Key Stage 3.
Lesson Duration: multiple lessons, ~45 minutes each
Activities
Stand-alone activity resources which can be easily implemented into your lessons all about Japan.
- 5 Minute Focus Activities / Key Stage: 2 & 3
Try out these fun, quick, simple crafts in your classroom, either as a starter or as an extended activity in your lesson, to engage your pupils in learning about Japan!
Activity Duration: 5 - 10 minutes - Japan Quiz! / Key Stage: 2 & 3
Test your pupils' knowledge and see how much they know about Japan with this fun and interactive quiz!
Download the Japan Quiz PowerPoint presentation - PPT (15.5 MB) to use in your classroom.
Activity Duration: 20 - 30 minutes - Research Japan - Fact File Template / Key Stage: 2 & 3
Download and use these fact file templates in your classroom, and let pupils go and independently research all about Japan.KS2 - Japan Fact File Template
KS3 - Japan Fact File Template
Activity Duration: 20 - 30 minutes+