Sports: Japan has many sports. Some are like ours and some are not. Some Japanese practice martial arts. A few practice Aikido. Aikido is a practice of smooth movements. Aikido is practiced to clear your mind. Judo and Karate are practiced mainly for self-defense. They require fast sharp movements. Other sports include baseball, basketball, golf, and skiing.
            
             Schools: Japan's schools are like any other school you would see here in the U.S.A. There is only one difference. They speak Japanese. In Japan, students go to year-round school. Year-round school is where they go the school all year long. Japanese kids, as you can imagine are probably smarter than us.
            
             Poetry: Japan has given the world many beautiful things. Their culture., traditions, and influence have touched nearly every aspect of our lives. The most admired, however, must be in their art, whether it is paintings, architecture, theaters, gardens, or poetry. For hundreds of years, Japanese poets have written a special form of poetry called "Haiku." A Haiku is a short verse about nature. There is always a special pattern in the number of verses. The first line contains five syllables, the second line contains three syllables and the third line has five.
            
             Government: Japan has a government just like ours. In Japan, cities are like states. There is an Emperor and there is a governor. The cities vote for the government. The diet makes Japan's laws. The diet consists of the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors. The House of Councillors is made up of five hundred and eleven members. The House of Counselors is made up of two hundred and fifty-two members. Japan's highest court is the Supreme Court. There is a Chief of Justice who the emperor appoints. Then there are the fourteen other judges in who the cabinet votes in. Japan's Armed Forces fight only if attacked first. They maintain air to surface communication for self-defense. They also maintain a number of aircr...