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Facts and Figures: 

World Fact Book: Japan— A comprehensive list of basic information about Japan from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html 

Japan: A country study— An online book on Japan from the Library of Congress.
http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/jptoc.html

Languages of Japan— An authoritative listing of the spoken living languages of Japan by the SIL International’s Ethnologue site.
http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=Japan 

The Japan Times Online— Japanese sports, life, and culture
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/ 

The Daily Yomiuri—online version of highly respected national newspaper
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/index-e.htm 

Brief outline of government—http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2136.html

Embassy of Japan— Outstanding links for ongoing news about US-Japan relationshttp://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/english/html/index.htm 

Japanese Education: Japan Digest at Indiana University—Japanese educational achievements, and reforms
http://www.indiana.edu/~japan/digest5.html 

The Japanese Educational System: A case study— includes statistics comparing math and science achievement in Japan and the United States http://www.ed.gov/pubs/ResearchToday/98-3038.html

Languages of Japan—Resources for learning the written and spoken languages of Japan
http://www.nihongo.org/english/language/education/

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Articles and Links: 

Lonely Planet: Japan— An overview of Japan from Lonely Planet’s online magazine.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/africa/japan/ 

Encarta on Japan—Japan and its land, resources, climate, and animal life
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761557915/Japan.html 

Timelines: http://www.askasia.org/frclasrm/readings/t000013.htm  and http://www.photo.net/japan/timeline 

Occupied Japan—rural and urban http://library.osu.edu/sites/rarebooks/japan/about.html

Japanese Internment in America— http://www.jainternment.org/ and http://www.children-of-the-camps.org/

Culture in Japan—A comprehensive guide to Japanese culture, religion, language and customs http://www.japan-guide.com/ 

Samurai— http://www.japan-guide.com
Castles— http://pages.ca.inter.net/~ttoyooka/oshiro/
Tea ceremony— http://www.teahyakka.com/E.html
Kurosawa— http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/kurosawa/
Bullet trains—http://www.o-keating.com/hsr/bullet.htm
Zen— http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/FEUJAPAN/ZEN.HTM
Martial arts (sumo, kendo, aikido, and others)—
http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/japan/MartialArts/
Japanese_Martial_Arts.html
Contemporary Japan, with audioclips on popular culture,  
religions, family life http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/at_japan_soc/

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Oral Narratives from Residents of Greater Mecklenburg County, NC:

Yoko Kawakami—Yoko Kawakami tells some traditional Japanese fables and a favorite story, "The Tortoise and the Hare." Each tale teaches important lessons in life.
http://education.uncc.edu/more/SearchRes/Kawakami_Yoko_LG-KA0066.htm

Masako Sakurai—Masako Sakurai talks about the difficulties and challenges of raising an autistic child.
http://education.uncc.edu/more/SearchRes/Sakurai_Masako_LG-SA0434.htm 

Yuichiro Yamaguchi—Yuichiro Yamaguchi talks about studying in the US, adjusting to the US, and about a Japanese folktale.
http://education.uncc.edu/more/SearchRes/Yamaguchi_Yuichiro_LG-YA0508.htm

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Lesson Plans: 

Hiroshima—  Thinkquest http://library.thinkquest.org/J0111422/home.htm

The Price of Freedom: teaching about Hiroshima. http://www.world-affairs.org/globalclassroom/schools/priceoffreedom/hiroshima.htm 

National Clearinghouse for US-Japan Studies includes a searchable database, plus lessons and activities, such as the California Teachers project on Teaching About Japan http://www.indiana.edu/~japan/lessons.html 

The Kennedy Center’s Arts Edge includes K-12 lessons on calligraphy, woodblocks and Noh Theatre – including redoing Macbeth http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3412/ 

Sushi Bar in (National Geographic’s) Xpeditions is not just about sushi: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/16/g68/sushi.html

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