KIDS WEB PLAZA

Are you having trouble finding the information you want? There's more stuff contained in Kids Web Japan than you could imagine, if you just know where to go! Kids Web Plaza posts questions from visitors and guides you to the right place to find the answers.

If you've looked through this page and still can't find what you're looking for, submit your questions below; new questions will be posted regularly, so come back from time to time to check if your questions have been answered.

September 20, 2002

QUESTIONS

(Ashley)
When do Japanese use katakana?
Katakana is one of two syllabaries used in Japanese writing, the other being hiragana. Katakana symbols are used to write foreign names, place names, and "loan words." (Loan words are words from English or other languages that are used in Japanese.) They are also used to write animal noises like wan-wan (dog) or nyaa-nyaa (cat). Katakana is also sometimes used to stress ordinary Japanese words, for example in adverts or magazine headlines. You can learn how to write and pronounce katakana and hiragana in our Language Lab section.

(Brittney)
What is the tallest building in Japan? How tall is it?
The tallest building in Japan is Landmark Tower in the city of Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Landmark Tower is 296 meters tall and has 70 floors. It houses offices, shops, and a hotel. At the top there is an observation deck, from which on clear days you can see Mount Fuji.
(Samuel)
What is teppanyaki?
A teppan is an iron hotplate on which food is cooked. Yaki means "fry," so teppanyaki means "fried on a hotplate." This style of cooking is one of the most popular forms of Japanese food around the world. At teppanyaki restaurants, specially trained chefs cook meat, vegetables, seafood, and other foods on a teppan in front of customers. This means you can watch your dinner being prepared.
(Asfia)
What are the main energy sources used in Japan?
According to 1998 figures for Japan's primary energy supply, 52.4% of energy used in Japan comes from oil, 16.4% from coal, 13.7% from nuclear energy, 12.3% from natural gas, and 3.9% from hydro projects.

(Jessie)
When do typhoons blow?
Typhoons are tropical depressions that bring heavy rain and strong winds to Japan and other East Asian countries. The typhoon season in Japan runs from June to October, with August and September often the peak time for these storms. For more information on typhoons, see September in our calendar section.
(Rachael)
What do kids eat in Japanese schools?
Most Japanese elementary and middle schools do not have cafeterias, but many do have school lunches that are made in the school or at school-lunch centers. These lunches are distributed in each classroom, and the kids usually eat in their homerooms. In schools that do not offer lunch, kids bring lunch with them to school. The boxed lunches they bring from home are called o-bento. Our Virtual Culture section will soon have a Virtual Bento game, in which you will be able to find out what kind of things go into Japanese kids' lunch boxes.
(Bobby)
What is the longest river in Japan?
The longest river in Japan is the Shinano River, which runs for 367 kilometers from the mountains of Nagano Prefecture to the Sea of Japan in Niigata Prefecture. The second longest river is the Tone River, which runs across the Kanto plain. The third longest is the Ishikari River in Hokkaido.

(Chris)
Can you tell me about Japanese companies that build robots?
Japanese companies have long been the leaders in robot technology. Two of the most famous examples of Japanese robots are Aibo, a robot dog made by Sony, and ASIMO, a humanoid robot made by Honda. Find out more about ASIMO by clicking here.
(Colin)
What is the Tale of Genji about?
The Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari in Japanese) is a novel written by Murasaki Shikibu, a Japanese noblewoman, in the eleventh century. It is considered to be the world's first ever full-length novel. The book tells the story of a handsome aristocrat named Genji and his many romances. The story is set against the backdrop of Japan's imperial court society. It is believed to be based on Murasaki's own experiences of the imperial court. The Tale of Genji is considered one of the masterpieces of Japanese, and indeed world, literature. It has been translated into many languages, including English.
(Amanda)
What percentage of land in Japan is mountainous?
About 75% of Japan's land is mountainous. For more information on Japan's geography, go to the Nature and Climate section of Explore Japan.

(Kharisma)
What is the background of the name Japan?
Japanese people call their country Nihon or Nippon. Japan is the English name for the nation. The word Japan derives from the word Jipang, which was the name given to Japan by the Italian merchant and traveler Marco Polo. This word, in turn, was based on the southern Chinese pronunciation of the two Chinese characters for "Nihon," which are shown in this picture.

(Ming)
What is a koto?

A koto is a traditional Japanese muscial instrument. It is a plucked zither with 13 strings that is shaped like a half tube. To find out more about the koto and try your hand at playing a virtual koto, go to our Virtual Culture section.