Japan - Against All Odds
Japan Against All Odds
Japan is one now of the most advanced countries in the world and but it hasn’t always been this way. It has had to overcome many problems to succeed against all odds. This essay will be finding out how it has managed this.
One of Japan’s many problems was its physical geography. Japan’s land is over 75% mountainous and has over 80 active volcanoes. The lack of flat land means that is difficult for them to build vital roads for transport. Its weather and climate can cause problems such as severe storms called typhoons – there can be over 30 of these a year. These can interrupt building projects and cause severe damage to the people and their houses. Another problem Japan has is its tectonic activity. It is situated on the border of 4 different plates which causes many natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. Oil is also an issue in Japan as it does not have any natural resources to provide it, so oil has to be imported.
Japan has tried to solve these problems in a number of ways. To help solve the need for easy transport for the ever growing population, the top scientific minds created an innovative new type of transport – the bullet train. Known as the Shinkansen, this network of railways curve through the mountains travelling at speeds of up to 270km/h. Another way they have overcome the problem of transport is by building many brand new bridges to connect the once isolated islands. An example of one of these bridges is in Kansai, where they previously had lots of trouble with congestion in the city. They decided to build a new bridge which would be able to withstand the harsh weather and tectonic activity that Japan has and made it extra strong with very deep foundations.
They have also started to find a solution to their problem of fuel – as they don’t have the natural resources to provide it for themselves. They have turned to nuclear power as an alternative to oil since it is an effective fuel
Japan is one now of the most advanced countries in the world and but it hasn’t always been this way. It has had to overcome many problems to succeed against all odds. This essay will be finding out how it has managed this.
One of Japan’s many problems was its physical geography. Japan’s land is over 75% mountainous and has over 80 active volcanoes. The lack of flat land means that is difficult for them to build vital roads for transport. Its weather and climate can cause problems such as severe storms called typhoons – there can be over 30 of these a year. These can interrupt building projects and cause severe damage to the people and their houses. Another problem Japan has is its tectonic activity. It is situated on the border of 4 different plates which causes many natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. Oil is also an issue in Japan as it does not have any natural resources to provide it, so oil has to be imported.
Japan has tried to solve these problems in a number of ways. To help solve the need for easy transport for the ever growing population, the top scientific minds created an innovative new type of transport – the bullet train. Known as the Shinkansen, this network of railways curve through the mountains travelling at speeds of up to 270km/h. Another way they have overcome the problem of transport is by building many brand new bridges to connect the once isolated islands. An example of one of these bridges is in Kansai, where they previously had lots of trouble with congestion in the city. They decided to build a new bridge which would be able to withstand the harsh weather and tectonic activity that Japan has and made it extra strong with very deep foundations.
They have also started to find a solution to their problem of fuel – as they don’t have the natural resources to provide it for themselves. They have turned to nuclear power as an alternative to oil since it is an effective fuel