In The Go Jetters Speed Through Japan on the Bullet Train, the Go Jetters crew is waiting for a Shinkansen, a Japanese bullet train. Ubercorn shares funky facts about how fast bullet trains travel and how they are an environmentally friendly way to travel. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four international heroes as they travel the globe visiting landmarks and solving environmental problems with Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
In Did Two Atomic Bombs Really End the War in Japan?, historian Lucy Worsley learns how Harry S. Truman came to office in 1945. World War II had ended in Europe, but Americans were still fighting in Japan. The official story was that the two atomic bombs ended the war in Japan. This video is excerpted from BBC's American History's Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley, in which Worsley reveals the myths and manipulations behind American history.
In The Go Jetters and the Snowy Mountains of Japan, the Go Jetters crew heads to the snowy mountains of Japan! At Jigokudani Monkey Park, snow monkeys relax in hot springs to stay warm during the icy winters. These warm pools are like nature’s hot tubs, thanks to heat bubbling up from deep underground! Plus, every group of snow monkeys has a special leader to guide them through the snow. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four plucky international heroes as they travel the globe visiting the world’s most famous landmarks with their friend and mentor, Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
What island country is home to ancient temples, bustling cities, active volcanoes, and some of the world’s most unusual wildlife? Meet Japan, a country where centuries-old traditions and cutting-edge technology come together.
From Mount Fuji and the cherry blossoms to Japanese macaques and loggerhead turtles, Japan has an incredible variety of landscapes and living things. Discover how Japan’s islands and mountains have shaped its people and culture, explore key moments in its history, and learn about its government, language, food, and traditions. Along the way, you’ll uncover some surprising facts about this fascinating country.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce a geography or social studies unit
- Support nonfiction reading practice
- Compare countries and cultures
- Complete map and research activities
- Prepare students for projects or presentations (use our country report template!)
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
The article "Japan in Spring: Top Wildlife Spectacles and Species to See" from BBC's Discover Wildlife explores the diverse wildlife of Japan during the cherry blossom season. From whooper swans and Japanese macaques to red-crowned cranes and cherry blossoms, Japan offers a rich array of species and natural spectacles across its various climatic zones.
Japan’s Aeon shopping mall was the setting of a tragic scene when a powerful earthquake caused widespread destruction.
After the disaster, rescuers worked through the night to try to find survivors. Customers and staff began evacuating after the earthquake struck, but an explosion, possibly caused by a gas leak, collapsed part of the building before everyone could escape. At a nearby paper factory, a chimney also collapsed onto a building, where more people were still missing.
Japan builds structures specifically to withstand earthquakes, but this one was powerful enough to still cause serious damage — in fact, it could be felt as far away as South Korea. Hundreds of thousands of people were instructed to evacuate their homes, roads were torn apart, part of a bridge fell into the water, a train was derailed, and nearly 50,000 homes lost electricity. Historic sites, including a shrine and the wall of one of Japan's oldest castles, were also damaged.
Although people are already hard at work trying to recover, authorities warned that the danger did not end when the initial shaking stopped: weakened buildings, landslides, aftershocks and the possibility of further strong earthquakes could create additional risks.
In A Hierarchy of Japanese Macaques, these monkeys native to Japan are trying to survive the harsh Japanese winter. They seek out a thermal spa, then primate politics comes into play. This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.
In The Ritual of Bonsai, a bonsai sensei enjoys the ritual and tradition of cultivating bonsai trees. This video is excerpted from BBC's Extraordinary Rituals, a documentary produced by BBC Natural History that explores how humans mark major life moments through ceremonies and traditions.
In Salamanders on the Hunt, narrator Sir David Attenborough joins the world’s largest amphibian on its nighttime hunt. Learn how sensory nodes make up for its poor eyesight as it searches for prey. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Our Seasons Are All Because of a Tilt, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how our annual rhythms are caused by Earth’s tilt on its axis as it orbits the Sun. Trees blossom or shed leaves, daylight increases or decreases, and animals adapt to the changes. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Oppenheimer’s Atomic Bombs and the End of World War II, host Andrew Marr describes how J. Robert Oppenheimer developed the technology to end World War II with two atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Before the bombs were dropped, Oppenheimer calculated how to drop them to create the most damage. After the war was over, Oppenheimer felt conflicted about the creation of the bombs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andrew Marr's History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In Meet the Mudskipper, a Fish Out of Water, narrator Sir David Attenborough introduces the mudskipper, a fish like no other! These fascinating creatures can breathe air, walk on land, and dig deep tunnels in the mud to create safe homes and egg chambers. Plus, male mudskippers leap high into the air to impress females and fiercely defend their territory from rivals!. This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.
In The Go Jetters Speed Through Japan on the Bullet Train, the Go Jetters crew is waiting for a Shinkansen, a Japanese bullet train. Ubercorn shares funky facts about how fast bullet trains travel and how they are an environmentally friendly way to travel. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four international heroes as they travel the globe visiting landmarks and solving environmental problems with Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
In Did Two Atomic Bombs Really End the War in Japan?, historian Lucy Worsley learns how Harry S. Truman came to office in 1945. World War II had ended in Europe, but Americans were still fighting in Japan. The official story was that the two atomic bombs ended the war in Japan. This video is excerpted from BBC's American History's Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley, in which Worsley reveals the myths and manipulations behind American history.
In The Go Jetters and the Snowy Mountains of Japan, the Go Jetters crew heads to the snowy mountains of Japan! At Jigokudani Monkey Park, snow monkeys relax in hot springs to stay warm during the icy winters. These warm pools are like nature’s hot tubs, thanks to heat bubbling up from deep underground! Plus, every group of snow monkeys has a special leader to guide them through the snow. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four plucky international heroes as they travel the globe visiting the world’s most famous landmarks with their friend and mentor, Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
What island country is home to ancient temples, bustling cities, active volcanoes, and some of the world’s most unusual wildlife? Meet Japan, a country where centuries-old traditions and cutting-edge technology come together.
From Mount Fuji and the cherry blossoms to Japanese macaques and loggerhead turtles, Japan has an incredible variety of landscapes and living things. Discover how Japan’s islands and mountains have shaped its people and culture, explore key moments in its history, and learn about its government, language, food, and traditions. Along the way, you’ll uncover some surprising facts about this fascinating country.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce a geography or social studies unit
- Support nonfiction reading practice
- Compare countries and cultures
- Complete map and research activities
- Prepare students for projects or presentations (use our country report template!)
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
The article "Japan in Spring: Top Wildlife Spectacles and Species to See" from BBC's Discover Wildlife explores the diverse wildlife of Japan during the cherry blossom season. From whooper swans and Japanese macaques to red-crowned cranes and cherry blossoms, Japan offers a rich array of species and natural spectacles across its various climatic zones.
Japan’s Aeon shopping mall was the setting of a tragic scene when a powerful earthquake caused widespread destruction.
After the disaster, rescuers worked through the night to try to find survivors. Customers and staff began evacuating after the earthquake struck, but an explosion, possibly caused by a gas leak, collapsed part of the building before everyone could escape. At a nearby paper factory, a chimney also collapsed onto a building, where more people were still missing.
Japan builds structures specifically to withstand earthquakes, but this one was powerful enough to still cause serious damage — in fact, it could be felt as far away as South Korea. Hundreds of thousands of people were instructed to evacuate their homes, roads were torn apart, part of a bridge fell into the water, a train was derailed, and nearly 50,000 homes lost electricity. Historic sites, including a shrine and the wall of one of Japan's oldest castles, were also damaged.
Although people are already hard at work trying to recover, authorities warned that the danger did not end when the initial shaking stopped: weakened buildings, landslides, aftershocks and the possibility of further strong earthquakes could create additional risks.
In A Hierarchy of Japanese Macaques, these monkeys native to Japan are trying to survive the harsh Japanese winter. They seek out a thermal spa, then primate politics comes into play. This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.
In The Ritual of Bonsai, a bonsai sensei enjoys the ritual and tradition of cultivating bonsai trees. This video is excerpted from BBC's Extraordinary Rituals, a documentary produced by BBC Natural History that explores how humans mark major life moments through ceremonies and traditions.
In Salamanders on the Hunt, narrator Sir David Attenborough joins the world’s largest amphibian on its nighttime hunt. Learn how sensory nodes make up for its poor eyesight as it searches for prey. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Our Seasons Are All Because of a Tilt, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how our annual rhythms are caused by Earth’s tilt on its axis as it orbits the Sun. Trees blossom or shed leaves, daylight increases or decreases, and animals adapt to the changes. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Oppenheimer’s Atomic Bombs and the End of World War II, host Andrew Marr describes how J. Robert Oppenheimer developed the technology to end World War II with two atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Before the bombs were dropped, Oppenheimer calculated how to drop them to create the most damage. After the war was over, Oppenheimer felt conflicted about the creation of the bombs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andrew Marr's History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In Meet the Mudskipper, a Fish Out of Water, narrator Sir David Attenborough introduces the mudskipper, a fish like no other! These fascinating creatures can breathe air, walk on land, and dig deep tunnels in the mud to create safe homes and egg chambers. Plus, male mudskippers leap high into the air to impress females and fiercely defend their territory from rivals!. This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.