MAY 2000 QUESTIONS
- (Alicia)
What does the Japanese flag mean?
The Japanese flag is made up of a red circle, symbolizing the sun, against a white background. It is known as the hinomaru in Japanese, meaning "circle of the sun." Because Japan lies at the far West of the Pacific Ocean, the sun rises spectacularly over the sea to the East. That is the inspiration for the design of the flag.
- (Class 8h Japanese, Australia)
Are there any good soccer players in Japan?
Recently soccer has become very popular in Japan, and more and more young Japanese are playing soccer at school and with local clubs. Japan's most famous soccer player is Hidetoshi Nakata, a midfielder who plays for AS Roma in Italy. He is one of the biggest sports stars in Japan and is also very popular in Italy. Other stars include Shoji Jo, Hiroshi Nanami, and Shinji Ono.
- (No Name)
What is the climate like in Japan?
Most of Japan has four distinct seasons: a warm spring, a hot and humid summer, a cool autumn, and a cold winter. There is also a short rainy season in June, and typhoons sometimes strike around September. You can find out more in our Nature and Climate section.
- (Fria, Philippines)
Can you tell me about traditional Japanese wooden slippers? What is the Japanese term for them?
Traditional wooden slippers are called geta. They are made of a thong attached to a wooden platform with two crosswise supports. Geta were worn by people working in rice paddies in the Yayoi period (around 300 B.C. to 300 A.D.), so you can see that they have a very long history. Today, geta are often worn with yukata, an unlined kimono popular in summer.
- (Ray, U.S.A.)
What kinds of letters are on the keyboards of Japanese computers?
 The letter keys of Japanese keyboards are arranged the same as Western
keyboards (QWERTY...). However, as well as a letter each key is printed
with one Japanese hiragana
or katakana character,
so there are two symbols on each key. By pressing a special "input
mode change" key, people can switch from typing in Roman letters or
in Japanese characrters.
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