Welcome to Tokyo to Get Into Certain

release dates: July 10-16, 2021 28 (21)

Next Week: Let the Games begin!

Issue 28, 2021 Founded by Betty Debnam Kids in Japan Being a Japanese kid is very much like Mini Fact: being an American kid. But there are a few “Tokyo” differences. means “east • Doing well in school is important capital” in to kids and their families. Since students Japanese. have to pass hard exams if they are Welcome to Tokyo to get into certain

Parker schools, many

photo by Dick Thomas Johnson Eric take extra classes by After a year’s delay after school and

The capital city photo because of the COVID-19 on the weekends.

Tokyo2020 Tokyo is • Children go to school five days a pandemic, the Games of home to about 37 the XXXII Olympiad will week. School starts at 8:30 a.m. and goes courtesy million people. take place in Tokyo, Japan, to about 3:30 p.m. Their classes are large, image Centuries ago, Sartoni starting on July 23. with 30 to 40 in each room. Most study

it was a fishing Luca English from the seventh grade up. by Next week, we’ll look village called Edo. more closely at the games, • Japanese kids have to work Today, the photos hard to learn kanji, or written but this week The Mini Page city is a global Tokyo has busy, bright, modern city streets, but characters. These symbols are learns more about this huge Asian city. business center, visitors also enjoy its used instead of spelling out This is Getting to know Japan with a wide variety traditional sights, such as words. Before finishing the the kanji Japan is a nation of 6,852 islands in the of companies the Hozomon, or Treasure symbol for House Gate (below), sixth grade, students must learn water. Pacific Ocean, near the headquartered outside the Senso-ji more than 1,000 of them. coast of Asia. Most of there. Buddhist temple, Tokyo’s oldest temple. • Children take off their shoes when its land is mountainous, Tokyo is also they arrive at school and put on slippers. and most people live a popular place Students are also responsible for cleaning near the coasts. for tourists, with the school. This teaches them respect and More than 125 museums and responsibility. million people live in restaurants to • At school, the kids eat lunch in their Japan, although the visit. Theaters classrooms. Students help serve the meals. country is slightly offer Japanese Rice and fish are favorite foods. smaller than the state of California (where drama and music, about 40 million people live). About 30% of and the city is home to many festivals during Japanese people live in the capital of Tokyo. the year. The country lies along the Ring of Fire, People move around the city on trains and Resources an active area of volcanoes and earthquakes subways. in the Pacific Ocean. Japan has 111 volcanoes Past Olympics On the Web: and often experiences tsunamis, or large sea Tokyo hosted the • bit.ly/MP-Japan waves caused by an earthquake. 1964 Summer Olympics; The prime minister and cabinet are Nagano, Japan, hosted At the library: the leaders of Japan’s government. There the 1998 Winter • “The Story of the Olympic Games” by is also an emperor, but he plays a mostly The flag of Japan Olympics, and Sapporo The Olympic Museum ceremonial role. hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics. The Mini Page® © 2021 Andrews McMeel Syndication

Try ’n’ Find Mini Jokes Words that remind us of Tokyo are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some Toshi: What kind of tree letters are used twice. See if you can find: fits in your hand? Tamako: A palm tree! ASIA, COAST, EDO, B B P P A C I F I C I J N A K GAMES, ISLANDS, T S A O C O N A C L O V E J N JAPAN, KANJI, L V I S L A N D S S T Y V W S Eco Note MODERN, MOUNTAINS, A S I A T R A D I T I O N A L OCEAN, OLYMPICS, Q B S N R E D O M N O D Z Y B PACIFIC, STUDENTS, M O U N T A I N S E X D U J H Climate change and TEMPLE, TOKYO, Y H I L O Y K O T D O C E A N pollution are being blamed for the growing marine threat known as sea TRADITIONAL, H N A P A J O T S U N A M I G snot, mucuslike organic matter that E L P M E T C Z N T V O W K H TSUNAMI, VOLCANO. currently threatens coral and the fishing N O L Y M P I C S S E M A G B industry in parts of the Mediterranean Sea. Globs of sea snot can also be found elsewhere in the planet’s waterways. Rice balls are popular When the marine mucilage forms a layer Cook’s Corner Japanese treats. The over the water’s surface, it prevents fish Japanese eat them at Rice Balls home, in restaurants and from being able to breathe. This kills them and depletes oxygen levels in the You’ll need: at picnics. You must use Japanese rice, which • 1 cup Japanese rice, uncooked water, eventually choking other marine can be found in many life. • 2 cups water grocery stores. adapted with permission from Earthweek.com • salt • sesame seeds For later: What to do: Look in your newspaper for articles 1. Wash rice in water (not the 2 cups used in cooking). Drain well. about Japan and the Olympics. 2. Place in a medium saucepan.

3. Add water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. 2021 Andrews McMeel Syndication 4. Keep covered and lower heat to medium. Cook 10 minutes. Teachers: Follow and 5. Lower heat to low and cook 10 minutes. Do not stir. interact with The Mini 6. After rice has cooled, shape into small balls. Sprinkle salt or sesame seeds on the

outside. help with this recipe. need an adult’s * You’ll . 7 Little Words for Kids Use the letters in the boxes to make a word with the same meaning as devices Amazon the clue. The numbers in parentheses represent the number of letters in the solution. Each letter combination can be used only once, but all letter combinations will be necessary to complete the puzzle. 1. big rock (7) INA MOW RON DER 2. look up to (6) Download the app on Apple and 3. iced tea container, maybe (7) ADM CHER NER AUT . 4. dancer in a tutu (9) 5. anxious (7) LER AST BAL IRE 6. boy in “The Jungle Book” (6)

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