The follow is a brief introduction to the following topics:

1. Sendai City, Japan. The majority of LINC Placement Students are from Sendai.

2. Ten Fast Facts About Japan.

3. Japanese Manners and Etiquette. This information is provided to give you an idea of how the Japanese tend to conduct themselves socially. This information is actually directed toward those planning to live in Japan but we felt that it is also helpful to you as you host your Japanese students.

4. General Information about Japan. A little more detailed information about Japan.

• People & Language
• History
• Economy
• Education
• Culture
• Religion

1. Sendai City, Japan.

Sendai has a myriad of fascinating attractions. It is now the largest city in the area north of Tokyo with a vibrant population of about 1 million. A mild climate, 400 years' tradition a harmonious combination of beautiful nature and urban facilities, and a bountiful harvest from land and sea - all these blessings make Sendai attractive. A well organized transportation network, an exceptionally low crime rate rate, and the graciousness of the residents all contribute to this great city. Unlike some other Japanese cities you can not see 1000 year old architecture in Sendai, since it only has 400 years' history as a town. The Sendai area is not associated with such prosperous industries as seen in the western part of Japan since the city has been supported mainly by rather small industries based on agriculture.

2. Ten Fast Facts About Japan

1. The Japanese people are well educated, with a literacy rate of almost 100%.

2. Shoes are never worn in the Japanese home. Most homes have an area just inside the door called a genkan for removing shoes. Having taking off the shoes you will usually be offered slippers. There is another pair of slippers for use in the bathroom only.

3. The Japanese rarely entertain in their homes, mainly because of a lack of space.

4. Gift giving has been an elaborate social ritual in Japan for centuries. There are two traditional gift-giving seasons in Japan: oseibo, in December, and ochugen in July. During these times, department stores and some smaller shops display a wide selection of ornately wrapped gifts that are usually delivered directly to the recipient.

5. Although many foreign visitors to Japan assume that sushi is raw fish, the term actually refers to the specially prepared vinegared rice that is usually molded into small oblongs and topped with raw fish or shellfish.

6. Also contrary to popular Western belief, the geisha is not a barfly or a call girl. She is trained from an early age in the traditional arts and social graces. In fact, the word geisha is most closely translated as "artist." Training is difficult and the geisha does not reach her prime as an entertainer until she is in her 40s or 50s. Although maiko, or apprentice geisha, are stilled being trained, their number is dwindling. Today, true geisha are something of a rarity in Japan.

7. New Year's Day is the most important festival on the Japanese calendar and is observed throughout the country. Millions of people head to their hometowns to celebrate the holiday with their families. Once there, they dine on seasonal dishes called osechi-ryori, the equivalent of a turkey with all the trimmings in the US.

8. Japan's Shinkansen bullet trains are among the fastest in the world. Some of the newer models reach cruising speeds of more than 168 m.p.h.

9. Charity is a Western concept that has not really caught on in Japan; there are relatively few private organizations dedicated to the support of the needy.

10. There is a centuries-old custom in Japan of selling and purchasing goods in odd-numbered lots -- the even numbers are considered unlucky. Ten is acceptable because it is a multiple of five; four is avoided because the Japanese word for four, shi, also means death.

3. Japanese Manners and Etiquette

Here's a word about good manners while living in Japan. Up to now, unless you've been living in a cave, you must have heard about taking off your shoes before entering a residence and not getting into a bath while still soapy, since others have already talked these issues to death. But there are a lot more items you may not know. Japanese are very conscious about hygiene (except for the park and train station toilets, which are LETHAL), and Japanese are a very sensitive people--more fastidious about etiquette and proper form.

Here are a few do's and don'ts you should know:

Eating

It is impolite to eat or drink something while walking down the street.

Do not bite or clean your fingernails, gnaw on pencils, or lick your fingers in front of others.

In Japan it is impolite to pour your own drink when eating with others--you pour your companion's drink and your companion pours yours. If you don't want any more to drink, leave your glass full.

Do not make excessive special requests in the preparation of your food, nor wolf it down.

Do not use your chopsticks to skewer food, move dishes around, and NEVER dish out food to another using the same ends you just ate from--use the top ends.

Don't use your chopsticks to point at somebody.

Don't leave your chopsticks standing up out of your food.

It is normal in Japan to pick up your rice or miso soup bowl and hold it under your chin to keep stuff from falling.

Don't leave a mess on your plate--fold your napkins neatly.

Don't take wads of napkins, sugar packs, or steal "souvenirs" when you leave a restaurant.

Do not put soy sauce on your rice--it isn't meant for that.

If you must use a toothpick, at least cover your mouth with your other hand.

Be aware that in Japan it is normal to make slurping sounds when you're eating noodles. In Japan, it's good (in commercials, anyway) to make loud gulping noises when drinking. Expect to hear lots of it in ads.

It is normal to pay a restaurant or bar bill at the register instead of giving money to the waiter/waitress. There is no tipping in Japan.

Everyday Living

Avoid excessive physical and eye contact--forget the back-slapping, prodding, and pointing directly at someone with your finger (use your hand to point, if you must).

Do not chew gum when working or in other formal situations.

It is polite to put "-san" after anothers name, or "-chan" after a young girls name, or "-kun" after a boy's name, but never use these after your own.

Do not raise hell on why nobody speaks English, why there aren't 5 different varieties of a product you want, or why workplaces or restaurants are filled with chain-smokers. The "health thing" is not big here yet.

Avoid shouting loudly at someone to get their attention--wave, or go up to them.

If you have to blow your nose, use a tissue and try to face away from other people--and use a tissue--not a handkerchief!

Don't wear tattered clothes outside.

Japan has no tradition of making sarcastic remarks to make a point, nor "Bronx cheers" or "the Finger" --avoid using them.

The Japanese gesture of "Who, me?" is pointing at their nose, not their chest. The Japanese gesture for "Come here" is to put your hand palm out, fingers up, and raise and lower your fingers a few times. The western gesture of palm-up, closing your hand is only used to call animals to you.

Don't wear your slippers into a tatami (straw) mat room. Don't wear your slippers into the genkan (at the entrance to a home, where the shoes are kept), nor outside. Don't wear the toilet room slippers outside the toilet room.

White-collar Japanese typically leave the office only after their superiors have done so. Do not expect someone to be instantly free once the official business hours are over.

It's polite to initially refuse someone's offer of help. Japanese may also initially refuse your offer even if they really want it. Traditionally an offer is made 3 times. It may be better to state you'll carry their bag, call a taxi, etc., instead of pushing them to be polite and refuse.

When they laugh Japanese women often cover their mouths with their hand. This comes from an old Buddhist notion that showing bone is unclean, as well as a horrendous lack of orthodontics in Japan. If you're a woman you have no obligation to copy this, but you will soon notice how frequently Japanese do this.

It's polite to bring some snacks or drinks when you visit someone. Gift giving is very important in Japan, but extravagant gifts require an equally or slightly higher extravagant gift in return. Avoid giving pricey gifts. It's polite to belittle the value of your gift or food when you offer it, even if it's blatantly untrue.

It's polite to see a guest to the door (or the front of a building even) when they leave.

Japanese often compliment each other to promote good will, but it is polite to deny how well you speak Japanese, how nice you look, etc.

5. General Information about Japan

Japan is a collection of more than 3,000 islands situated east of China, Korea, and Russia in the Pacific Ocean. Of those, only 440 are inhabited, with the four main islands being:

Honshu, the largest and most populated island, on which Tokyo is located; Hokkaido to the north; Kyushu to the southwest Shikoku, snuggled between Kyushu and Honshu.

The combined size of all of the islands is 146,000 square miles-about the size of Montana.

Most of Japan is mountainous, while only 13 percent of the land is cultivable plains.

The islands also contain many volcanoes, several of which are still active. The most famous volcano is Mount Fuji - Japan's highest point at 12,388-which last erupted in 1707.

Japan is very susceptible to earthquakes. An average of four earthquakes of varying intensity occur each day.

The climate is generally temperate. From Tokyo to the southwest it's warm, with humid summers and cool winters. The north part of Japan has a more mild summer and gets several feet of snow in the winter. The islands are subject to two rainy seasons-mid-June to early July, and September through October. Typhoons are common in late summer and early fall.

People & Language

Japan is one of the most densely populated nations of the world, with more than 800 people per square mile. In addition, most of its 125 million citizens are concentrated in the narrow plains along its coasts. More than three-fourths of Japan's population live in urban areas. The capital city, Tokyo, is the country's largest city with a population of more than 8 million. However, there are 30 million people living within 30 miles of Tokyo. Ten other cities have populations of more than one million.

Japan has an extremely homogeneous population; more than 99 percent of its residents are ethnic Japanese. Koreans represent the largest minority ethnic group. Japanese is one of the most difficult languages in the world. Although it is spoken in several dialects, the Tokyo dialect is the standard used by schools, radio, and television, and is understood by almost all Japanese.

Japanese is also spoken in different styles according to social situations: intimate for everyday use; polite for cultivated use; and honorific to show respect. In writing, Japanese script and Chinese characters called "kanji" are mixed together. Japanese can be written up and down, and right to left on the page; as well as across and left to right as English is written. Despite the difficulty of the language, Japan has one of the world's highest literacy rates (99 percent).

History

According to legend, Japan was founded around 600 B.C. by Emperor Jimmu, the first in a line of emperors that continues to the present. Earliest records of a unified Japan, however, date from around 400 A.D.

During the country's early years, Japan borrowed heavily from Chinese culture. One key introduction was that of Buddhism, which has had a lasting effect on Japan.

Military dictators, or "shoguns," ruled Japan from 1192 to 1867. The country's first contact with the Western world occurred around 1543, when Portuguese sailors were shipwrecked off Kyushu. The ensuing decades brought European missionaries and traders to Japan.

Japan's leaders severed ties to the West in the early 1600's after the Tokugawa family began its 250-year rule. This was a reaction against the colonial aggression of the West.

During that time, Japan was closed to all missionaries and its ports were closed to trade until Commodore Matthew C. Perry of the United States sailed his warships into Tokyo Bay in 1854. Japan opened two ports to U.S. traders the next year. The Tokugawa family was overthrown in 1867, and power was regained by the emperor. The following year, 16 year-old Emperor Meiji announced Japan's intent to become an industrial power.

This drive for power lead Japan to become a military power, ending in its defeat in World War II. After the war, Japan entered a new era. On May 3, 1947, it implemented a new constitution forbidding military aggression. The country also intensified its efforts toward becoming an industrial power.

Today, Japan is governed by a constitutional monarchy. As a democratic society and world economic power, Japan and the United States share many similarities. Consequently, Japan is one of the United State's most important global partners.

Economy

From the mid-60's through the mid-80's, Japan had one of the highest rates of economic growth in the world. Japan is also one of the world's largest trading nations, with exports of nearly $300 billion, although it has come under sharp criticism for some of its trade practices. Because of its limited resources, Japan is dependent on importing most of the natural resources needed to run its industrial complex, including half of its food and nearly all of its oil.

The nation's major industrial products include electronics, computers, automobiles, textiles, watches, and iron and steel.

Japan's fishing and shipbuilding industries are among the largest in the world. Its sizable fishing fleet nets about 13 million metric tons of fish each year-roughly 15 percent of the total world's catch.

Education

Japan's rigorous educational system is one of the secrets behind its tremendous industrial success. Free public schooling is provided through junior high school, and attendance is compulsory. Nearly 90 percent of all Japanese students go on the attend and complete high school. Entrance exams are required to enter high school. The better the high school, the more difficult the exam.

Competition to get into colleges is fierce, and many students are turned down. Students not accepted into the premier colleges in Japan have the option of attending a "lesser" college (similar to U.S. junior colleges or technical schools), studying abroad, or going to a "cram school" to prepare to take the entrance exam again the following year.

Because of the stiff competition to get into college, Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world among people ages 15-24.

Japan is the third largest student-sending country to U.S. colleges and universities. During the 1998/99 academic year, over 40,000 Japanese studied in the United States.

Culture

Japanese typically feel a tremendous obligation and loyalty to the groups to which they belong, including family, their companies, and clubs and organizations. For example, many Japanese spend their entire lives with the same company. The value of hard work is also stressed, with workers characteristically devoting long hours to their jobs.

In Japan, the individual's will is considered secondary to the good of the group. Because of this, groups almost always operate by consensus, and even powerful individuals seldom make decisions without seeking input from others. The Japanese go to great lengths to avoid personal confrontation.

Japanese people, while an extremely gracious, value reserve and modesty in all relationships. Age and tradition are honored in Japanese culture.

People in Japan enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities. Performance arts such as a sophisticated puppet theater ("bunraku"), centuries-old drama ("noh", and "kabuki"), and music concerts are popular. Nature outings are another favorite form of leisure.

Baseball is the national pastime, although soccer, volleyball, tennis, skiing, and golf also claim many enthusiasts in Japan. Traditional sports such as Sumo wrestling, judo, and karate continue to retain their popularity.

Religion

Many Japanese do not claim a personal religion, yet the country's two traditional religions, Shinto and Buddhism, have a profound influence on the culture. Japanese adhere to a blend of these two religious philosophies in hopes of obtaining peace and happiness, both in this life and in the after-world. They also believe doing so will lead to a present life of virtue and wisdom.