Japan at a glance: land, people, language and trade

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Japan

   Land, people and government (cards A to D). Card A, a chart (columns Topic | What it shows): Land | four main islands (Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku) and thousands of smaller ones; mountains over most of the land, including Mount Fuji, 3,776 m; Climate | snowy winters in the north, warm and humid summers, and a subtropical far south; Share of people in cities (World Bank, 2024) | 92.2%; Life expectancy at birth (World Bank, 2024) | 84.0 years; Forest cover (World Bank, 2024) | 68.3% of land; Government | a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system: the emperor is a symbol of the state with no political power; the two-house Diet chooses the prime minister; 47 prefectures. Note: Under the 1947 constitution, the emperor is a symbol of the state; elected lawmakers in the Diet make the laws and choose the prime minister. The Ainu, an Indigenous people of Hokkaido, were recognized by law as an Indigenous people in 2019. Card B, a reminder from the fact table: Japan's population is 124.0 million (World Bank, 2024) and its area is 377,975 km², about 328 people per km². Card C, from the Brazil profile in this set: population 212.0 million; share of people in cities 87.9%; life expectancy 76.0 years; forest cover 58.5% of land. Card D, from the China profile in this set: population 1,409.0 million; share of people in cities 65.9%; life expectancy 78.0 years; forest cover 24.0% of land.

2. 1.

   Card A says mountains cover most of Japan, and 92.2% of its people live in cities. Together with a density of about 328, what does that suggest, Ari asks?

   • Most Japanese live on Mount Fuji, which is the tallest mountain
   • People are spread evenly over the mountains, with 328 in each km²
   • People are likely packed into a small share of the land, in cities
   • Few Japanese live in cities, since mountains cover most of the land
3. 2.

   Card A says 92.2% of Japan's 124.0 million people live in cities. About how many people is that, Bo asks?

   • About 92 million people
   • About 10 million people
   • About 114 million people
   • About 1,143 million people
4. 3.

   Which statement describes Japan's government by its structure, according to card A, Esme asks?

   • A federal republic with an elected president and many states
   • A monarchy in which the emperor makes the laws and chooses the prime minister
   • A one-party state in which one party runs the legislature
   • A constitutional monarchy in which the Diet chooses the prime minister
5. 4.

   Card A says the Ainu were recognized by law as an Indigenous people in 2019. Which statement is supported, Jun asks?

   • The Ainu are the one Indigenous people living in Japan
   • The Ainu lived on Hokkaido in the past but live elsewhere now
   • The Ainu, an Indigenous people of Hokkaido, were recognized in 2019
   • The Ainu are an Indigenous people of Honshu, recognized by law in 1947
6. 5.

   Cards A, C and D give forest cover. Which list puts the countries in order, highest share of land in forest first, Kira asks?

   • Japan, Brazil, China
   • Brazil, Japan, China
   • Japan, China, Brazil
   • China, Brazil, Japan
7. 6.

   Cards A and D give life expectancy for Japan and China. Which sentence is careful, Luz asks?

   • Japan's average is 6.0 years higher than China's, as a 2024 average
   • Japan's average is higher because Japan has better health care
   • Japan's figure is 84.0, so each person in Japan lives exactly 84 years
   • Japan's average is 6.0 years lower than China's, as a 2024 average
8. 7.

   Card A describes Japan's climate. Which statement is supported, Milo asks?

   • The summers are cold and dry, with snowy winters in the north
   • The north has snowy winters, and the far south is subtropical
   • The north is subtropical, and the far south has snowy winters
   • Japan has a mild climate with little change from north to south
9. 8.

   Cards A and D give city shares and populations. Which statement is supported, Pia asks?

   • The two city shares are close, so city life is much the same in both
   • Japan's city share is higher, so Japan has more city dwellers than China
   • China's city share is higher than Japan's, and China has more city dwellers
   • Japan's city share is higher, but China has far more city dwellers
10. 9.

    A student's note says: 'Japan has one island, called Honshu.' Which fix keeps what card A says, Ren asks?

    • Japan has four islands in total, with no smaller islands besides them
    • Japan has four main islands, including Honshu and Tokyo, plus smaller ones
    • Japan has thousands of main islands and just four smaller ones
    • Japan has four main islands, including Honshu, and thousands smaller
11. 10.

    Card A gives Mount Fuji as 3,776 m high. A student says it is more than 4 km high. How strong is that claim, Tala asks?

    • Weak: 3,776 m is about 38 km, which is more than 4 km
    • Strong: 3,776 is a bigger number than 4, so it is higher
    • Strong: 1 km is 100 m, so 3,776 m is about 37.8 km
    • Weak: 3,776 m is about 3.8 km, which is less than 4 km