Whew, this country study was two years in the writing. My kids and I spent about a month reading through countless picture books, and enjoyed most of them. felt the best kids books on Japan were the stories and biographies that highlighted a specific aspect of Japanese culture. I had to narrow down the booklist for this country study but still provide multiple book titles for many of the topics.
This was such a BIG topic with so many books on Japan! In the end, I whittled it down to three weeks of exploration in:
- History, chronologically organized from ancient to modern times (*Disclaimer: not too much WWII history is included; that was just too much to include here)
- Natural science
- Artist Studies and Project suggestions
- Japanese Martial Arts
- Music and accompanying projects
- Poetry and Copywork
- Engineering and Modern Innovation
- Cooking and food stories
- Mapwork and Geography
- Geology of the Ring of Fire and Mount Fuji
“Traveling is the greatest teacher of all, so let your dear child journey.” (Japanese proverb)
In the style of all of my country studies, you’ll learn all about Japan through picture books, short videos, and easy projects! Here’s a preview of a few pages below:
If your library doesn’t have them, most of my book recommendations are available on archive.org and YouTube.
Sign up below for your 20% off coupon and freebie Author Spotlight booklist. (The freebie is included in the country study.)
Things You’ll Encounter
- Be wowed by woodblock printing
- Meet a town that recycles almost everything
- Watch the ancient techniques of mochi making
- Meet the queen of polka dots
- Learn history through Japan’s martial arts
- Map the migration of sea turtles
- Make a sushi bowl
- Write a tanka poem
- Learn about composer Toru Takemitsu
5-Star Review
Here’s a review from Amy W:
“Discover Japan” country study displays a stunning representation of Japan. It covers all the essential elements of a geographic study such as language, food, tradition, sports, and art from the country of Japan. The kids and I were truly mesmerized by the thoughtful layout and the extra details put into the selection of books and corresponding activities. The boys especially loved opening the country unit with ninjas. How fun!