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Around the World!

Did you know Cupertino has a sister city in ?

The City of Cupertino has four established Sister City relationships.

Toyokawa, Japan is one of them!

A Sister City relationship is a long-term, formal agreement that may include cultural, educational, business, and technical exchanges. These can include visits by delegations of civic and business leaders, student exchange programs, and cultural events. About 60% of all animated shows are produced in Japan!

More paper is used to print comics than to print toilet paper.

Mount Fuji is the highest and tallest volcano in Japan. Tokyo is one of the world’s most populous cities.

Official Name: Japan

Capital: Tokyo

Kimono Continent: Asia

A traditional Japanese garment that Population: 126,500,000 million people come in different styles and patterns. They are hand-sewn into a T shape Official Language: Japanese from 4 pieces of fabric called tans and Money: Japanese yen tied with a obi (belt).  Japan is an archipelago IKEBANA or in other words a string of islands.  Is the art of arranging

 It is in the eastern flowers, blossoms, coast of Asia. branches, leaves and stems.  There are 4 Main Islands: Hokkaido,  It is also known as Kadō . Honshu, Shikoku and CALLIGRAPHY Kyushu.  Also called Shūji.  Honshu is the largest  The art of writing by hand of the four.  Almost four-fifths of Japan is  In addition to those 4 covered with mountains. to create letters or symbols using a brush main islands there are  Japan has about 200 dipped in ink. 4,000 smaller islands. volcanoes; 60 of them are active volcanoes!  First introduced to Japan by China in the 6th  The highest peak UKIYO-E century. and most famous  Paintings and wood- mountain is Mount Fuji. block prints showing the everyday life and  Mount Fuji is a interest of Japanese sleeping volcano people. which last erupted in 1707.  The flag was first SUMO adopted in 1870.

 Sumo is the national sport of  The current design of Japan.. the flag became the  The highest-ranking sumo wrestler National Flag in 1999.

 Each year six major sumo tournaments are held across  Japan’s flag consists of the county. a white background with a

 Gained popularity in the late 17th century in Tomioka red disk in the center.  The red disk in the center BASEBALL represents the sun.

OLYMPICS  Many consider baseball the unofficial national sport.  Japan hosted the  Animal: Tanuki (Japanese Summer Olympics  Known as yakyu or puro Racoon dog) in 1964. yakyu  Fish: Koi  They will host the  In 1936 a professional summer Olympics league was established.  Bird: Green pheasant, again in 2020. Red-crowned crane  Popular teams include the Yomiui Giants and the Hanshin Tigers.

 In Japan the baseball bat, playing field and strike zone are smaller. DUGONG

 The dugong has a large body and thick but smooth skin.  Japanese food consists of lots of rice  At birth they have a (Gohan), fish, soy products and pale color but as they vegetables . get older their color  Several kinds of noodles (, and darkens. ) are very popular light meals.  It is referred as a sea cow because it eats sea  Japanese people consume more fish than grass. meat. JAPANESE MACAQUE

SUSHI  Also called snow RAMEN monkey. Raw fish wrapped in  They have a pinkish face Wheat noodles served rice and seaweed. with brown grey or yellow in fish-based or meat SOUP brown fur. broth, flavored with or made from stock  They are omnivorous who topped with sliced called “” mixed eat plants, insects and soil. pork, , or scallions. with miso paste.

TEMPURA JAPANESE GIANT SALAMANDER

A light and crispy deep  Also known as Ōsanshōuo, fried vegetables, fish or meaning giant pepper fish. seafood.  It is the second largest salaman- der species in the world.

 They can grow up to 5 feet long. YAKITORY

 Japan has 153 species of Bite-sized chicken mammals in the country; cubes grilled on a 700 bird species, and 300 skewer often dipped YAKITON species of fish. into a salty soy sauce. -Pork cubes on skewers. TANUKI UDON

 Also known as the Japanese A dense and chewy SOBA Raccoon dog. noodles made from Made from buckwheat wheat flour. Udon  The average adult weighs flour. It is a long thin noodles can be eaten between 10—20 pounds. noodle that can be hot or cold and  They have thick fur, black- served in a hot broth or customized with tipped bushy tail and short chilled with a dipping RED-CROWNED CRANE many toppings. rounded ears. sauce.  A large crane known as a symbol of luck and TAIYAKI longevity. A fish-shaped  It is snow white in color with sweet treat with A rice cake made of mochigome, black on the lower parts of the various fillings. wings. a short-grain japonica . The rice is pounded into  Males have black cheeks, paste and molded into a desired throats and necks while, shape. females are gray in those spots.

 They feed on rice, carrots and water plants. TANABATA

 Or Star Festival is celebrate on July 7.

 Long, narrow strips of colorful paper known as tanzaku are hung from bamboo branches. HINAMATSURI  Wishes are written on the tanzaku  Or Doll’s festival is celebrated on March 3.

 This day is to wish happiness , health and UMI NO HI growth to girls in Japanese families.  Or Ocean Day celebrated  Displays of dolls are places inside the on the third Monday of house. July. KODOMO NO HI  A day to celebrate the  Or Children’s Day is celebrated ocean. on May 5.  Families take trips to the  Families celebrate the healthy beach, enjoy firework growth and happiness of children. displays by the sea and enjoy seafood.  Huge Koinobori are hung outside the house.

YAMA NO HI

KEIRO NO HI  Or Mountain Day is celebrated in  Or Respect for the Aged day is celebrate on August. the third Monday of September.  Day to honor the mountains and  Day to honor and celebrate the elderly. ecosystem of Japan.  First introduced in 2014.