Mr. Maraca is writing from Japan, where he has been writing haiku poems and never wearing shoes inside. He has seen men in traditional clothing called yukata and women with pale makeup and elaborate kimonos. Japan is an island country made up of over 6,800 islands in East Asia, with over 70% consisting of mountains and volcanoes. Some famous attractions include the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and Mount Fuji, the highest volcano in Japan. Traditional festivals include the Lake Towada Snow Festival with snow sculptures and fireworks and the Amori Nebuta Festival with colorful lantern parades. Traditional Japanese instruments include the bamboo flute shakuhachi, string instruments like the biwa and koto,

3. Hello everyone!
Mr. Maraca here, saying hello from a very far off and exotic place! It
is interesting being on a land mass that is completely surrounded by
water! Since I have been here I have written at least twelve haiku
poems and have never entered a house with my shoes on! While
going through my travels I have seen men in giant white diapers and
women with powdered white faces and elaborate dresses! Well, I’m
going to go have my rice for the evening, even though I already had it
for breakfast and lunch! Goodbye and talk to you soon!
- Mr. Maraca

5. I’m in...
JAPAN!

6. I’m in...
JAPAN!

7. I’m in...
JAPAN!

8. I’m in...
JAPAN!

9. I’m in...
JAPAN!

10. I’m in...
JAPAN!

14. Japan is a chain
of islands located
in Asia

15. Japan is a chain
of islands located
in Asia
More than 70% of
Japan is made up of
mountains, including
more than 200
volcanoes!

17. Famous Attractions

18. Famous Attractions
The Imperial Palace in Tokyo

19. Famous Attractions
- home to the Emperor of Japan
- there are huge stone walls
surrounding the building and tons
of gardens surrounding it
- much of the area is closed to
tourists since it is the Emperor’s
home
The Imperial Palace in Tokyo

20. Famous Attractions
- home to the Emperor of Japan
- there are huge stone walls
surrounding the building and tons
of gardens surrounding it
- much of the area is closed to
tourists since it is the Emperor’s
home
The Imperial Palace in Tokyo Mount Fuji

21. Famous Attractions
- home to the Emperor of Japan
- there are huge stone walls
surrounding the building and tons
of gardens surrounding it
- much of the area is closed to
tourists since it is the Emperor’s
home
The Imperial Palace in Tokyo Mount Fuji
- Mt. Fuji is 12,388 ft high!
- it also happens to be an active volcano
- people come to climb it, paraglide off
of it, or simply view it from a distance

23. Festivals

25. Lake Towada Snow Festival

26. Lake Towada Snow Festival
* It’s Held in the town of Yasumiya South
west side of lake Towada .
* Festival starts every year beginning February
where Lake Towada weather is full of snow.
* There’s so many snow features that you can
experience such as:
 Giant Snow Slide
 Fireworks at 8pm
 Nebuta Haneto Preformance
 Igloos and other snow sculptures
 Traditional Japanese Music 7-8pm.
 Local food specialties
 Horseback Rides on Saturday and Sunday

27. Lake Towada Snow Festival
* It’s Held in the town of Yasumiya South
west side of lake Towada .
* Festival starts every year beginning February
where Lake Towada weather is full of snow.
* There’s so many snow features that you can
experience such as:
 Giant Snow Slide
 Fireworks at 8pm
 Nebuta Haneto Preformance
 Igloos and other snow sculptures
 Traditional Japanese Music 7-8pm.
 Local food specialties
 Horseback Rides on Saturday and Sunday

29. Amori Nebuta Festival

30. Amori Nebuta Festival
* It’s held every august 2nd- 7th at the
streets of central Aomori.
* This event attracts most visitors because of the
colorful features of lanterns and floats called
“nebuta.”
* There's always a dance portion in thia event
where dancers that are called haneto dress in
special costumes.People can purchase there
own costume and join the event.

31. Amori Nebuta Festival
* It’s held every august 2nd- 7th at the
streets of central Aomori.
* This event attracts most visitors because of the
colorful features of lanterns and floats called
“nebuta.”
* There's always a dance portion in thia event
where dancers that are called haneto dress in
special costumes.People can purchase there
own costume and join the event.

33. Sapporo Snow Festival

34. Sapporo Snow Festival
* The Festival is one of Japan’s
largest winter event in Sapporo and
it’s the fifth largest city by population.
* Many people visit the city to see many
amazing ice statues and ice sculptures of
what people made about the city
or other international relations.
* It’s held every year in the beginning of
of February.
* There’s about a hundred ice statues around the
city.

35. Sapporo Snow Festival
* The Festival is one of Japan’s
largest winter event in Sapporo and
it’s the fifth largest city by population.
* Many people visit the city to see many
amazing ice statues and ice sculptures of
what people made about the city
or other international relations.
* It’s held every year in the beginning of
of February.
* There’s about a hundred ice statues around the
city.

37. Japanese Instruments

38. Japanese Instruments

41. Shakuhachi
The Shakuhachi is the most
famous of these, a bamboo
flute played vertically like a
recorder.
Shakuhachi are usually
made from the root end of

42. Shakuhachi
The Shakuhachi is the most
famous of these, a bamboo
flute played vertically like a
recorder.
Shakuhachi are usually
made from the root end of

43. Shakuhachi
The Shakuhachi is the most
famous of these, a bamboo
flute played vertically like a
recorder.
Shakuhachi are usually
made from the root end of
Biwa
The Biwa is a short-necked lute descended from
the Middle East (which in Europe became the
lute).
There are two types of modern Biwa:
The Chikuzen Biwa, with four strings and four
frets or five strings and five frets. Popularly used
by female Biwa players.
The Nishiki Biwa, with five strings and five frets.
The Biwa is the instrument of Benten, Goddess
of music, eloquence, poetry, and education in
Japanese Buddhism.

46. Taiko means “big drum,“
The rumbling power of the Taiko has also
been long been associated with the gods,
and has been appropriated by the
religions of Japan.
Taiko of all different shapes, sizes, and
pitches to be included in his ensemble.

47. Taiko
Taiko means “big drum,“
The rumbling power of the Taiko has also
been long been associated with the gods,
and has been appropriated by the
religions of Japan.
Taiko of all different shapes, sizes, and
pitches to be included in his ensemble.

48. Taiko
Taiko means “big drum,“
The rumbling power of the Taiko has also
been long been associated with the gods,
and has been appropriated by the
religions of Japan.
Taiko of all different shapes, sizes, and
pitches to be included in his ensemble.

49. Taiko
Taiko means “big drum,“ Shinobue is a Japanese transverse flute
The rumbling power of the Taiko has also which emits a high-pitched sound.
been long been associated with the gods, Shinobue is made from the upper length
and has been appropriated by the of the bamboo stalk.
religions of Japan.
Taiko of all different shapes, sizes, and
pitches to be included in his ensemble.

50. Taiko Shinobue
Taiko means “big drum,“ Shinobue is a Japanese transverse flute
The rumbling power of the Taiko has also which emits a high-pitched sound.
been long been associated with the gods, Shinobue is made from the upper length
and has been appropriated by the of the bamboo stalk.
religions of Japan.
Taiko of all different shapes, sizes, and
pitches to be included in his ensemble.

52. Kokyu

53. Kokyu
It is 70 cm tall, with a neck made of ebony and
body made of snakeskin wrapped on hollowed
coconut or japonica trees.
The kokyū ( ) is a traditional Japanese
string instrument String instrument.
A string instrument is a musical instrument that
produces sound by means of vibrating strings,
the only one played with a bow.

54. Kokyu
It is 70 cm tall, with a neck made of ebony and
body made of snakeskin wrapped on hollowed
coconut or japonica trees.
The kokyū ( ) is a traditional Japanese
string instrument String instrument.
A string instrument is a musical instrument that
produces sound by means of vibrating strings,
the only one played with a bow.
Koto

55. Kokyu
It is 70 cm tall, with a neck made of ebony and
body made of snakeskin wrapped on hollowed
coconut or japonica trees.
The kokyū ( ) is a traditional Japanese
string instrument String instrument.
A string instrument is a musical instrument that
produces sound by means of vibrating strings,
the only one played with a bow.
Koto
The Koto is a 13-stringed zither, played horizontally by
plucking the strings with the thumb and fingers.
The Koto is a long, hollow instrument, made from Paulownia
wood.
The Paulownia Crest is the Imperial Crest of Japan, and the
Koto is the official national instrument.
The shape of the Koto is said to resemble a dragon; the
names of parts of the Koto correspond to various parts of
the dragon.

58. Shamisen
The shamisen is a 3-stringed banjo-like
instrument, a relative of the Sanshin of Okinawa
which in turn derives from Chinese and Central
Asian instruments.
The three strings are traditionally made of silk,
but nowadays are generally nylon.

60. Music From Japan

61. Music From Japan

62. Music From Japan
1. Bamboo Flute

63. Music From Japan
1. Bamboo Flute

64. Music From Japan
1. Bamboo Flute

65. Music From Japan
1. Bamboo Flute
2. Sakura (famous Japanese song)

66. Music From Japan
1. Bamboo Flute
2. Sakura (famous Japanese song)

67. Music From Japan
1. Bamboo Flute
2. Sakura (famous Japanese song)

68. Music From Japan
1. Bamboo Flute
2. Sakura (famous Japanese song)
3. Kodo Ibuki Taiko Drums

69. Music From Japan
1. Bamboo Flute
2. Sakura (famous Japanese song)
3. Kodo Ibuki Taiko Drums

70. Music From Japan
1. Bamboo Flute
2. Sakura (famous Japanese song)
3. Kodo Ibuki Taiko Drums

71. Music From Japan
1. Bamboo Flute
2. Sakura (famous Japanese song)
3. Kodo Ibuki Taiko Drums
4. Fuyu Momiji (‘winter maple’ song)

72. Music From Japan
1. Bamboo Flute
2. Sakura (famous Japanese song)
3. Kodo Ibuki Taiko Drums
4. Fuyu Momiji (‘winter maple’ song)

73. Music From Japan
1. Bamboo Flute
2. Sakura (famous Japanese song)
3. Kodo Ibuki Taiko Drums
4. Fuyu Momiji (‘winter maple’ song)

74. Music From Japan
1. Bamboo Flute
2. Sakura (famous Japanese song)
3. Kodo Ibuki Taiko Drums
4. Fuyu Momiji (‘winter maple’ song)
5. Seki Setsu (‘meditation on rocks and
snow’ song)

75. Music From Japan
1. Bamboo Flute
2. Sakura (famous Japanese song)
3. Kodo Ibuki Taiko Drums
4. Fuyu Momiji (‘winter maple’ song)
5. Seki Setsu (‘meditation on rocks and
snow’ song)