Japanese Kimono Dress

"Yen" redirects here. For other uses, see Yen (disambiguation).
Japanese yen


The yen (円 or 圓, en?) (sign: ¥; code: JPY) is the currency of Japan. It is the third most-traded currency in the foreign exchange market after United States dollar and the euro.It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling. As is common when counting in East Asia, large quantities of yen are often counted in multiples of 10,000 (man, 万) in the same way as values in Western countries are often quoted in thousands.
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Pronunciation and etymology

Yen is pronounced "en" [eɴ] among Japanese. The word (Shinjitai:円, Traditional Chinese/Kyūjitai:圓) literally means "round object" in Japanese, as yuán does in Chinese. Originally, Chinese had traded silver in mass, and when Spanish and Mexican silver coins arrived, they called them 銀圓 (silver round) for their circular shapes.The coins and the name also appeared in Japan. Afterwards, the Chinese abbreviated 圓 with 元 which has the same pronunciation in Mandarin (but not in Japanese), while the Japanese preferred 圓 and it remains even now.

The spelling and pronunciation "yen" is standard in English. This is because mainly English speakers who visited Japan at the end of the Edo era to the early Meiji era spelled words this way. In the 16th century, Japanese "e (エ)/we (ヱ)" had been pronounced [je] and Portuguese missionaries had spelled them that way. Some time thereafter, by the middle of the 18th century, "e/we" came to be pronounced [e] as in modern Japanese, although some regions retain the [je] pronunciation. Walter Henry Medhurst, who had not come to Japan and interviewed some Japanese in Batavia (Jakarta), spelled some "e"s as "ye" in his An English and Japanese, and Japanese and English Vocabulary (1830). In the early Meiji era, James Curtis Hepburn, following Medhurst, spelled all "e"s as "ye" in his A Japanese and English dictionary (1st ed. 1867). That was the first full-scale Japanese-English/English-Japanese dictionary, which had a strong influence on Westerners in Japan and probably prompted the spelling "yen". Hepburn revised most of "ye"s to "e" in the 3rd edition (1886) in order to mirror the contemporary pronunciation, except "yen". This was probably already fixed and have remained so ever since.


History
Further information: Japanese currency

Introduction
Early 1 yen banknote, front and reverse.

In the nineteenth century silver Spanish dollar coins were prolific throughout South east Asia, the China coast, and Japan. These coins had been introduced through Manila over a period of two hundred and fifty years, arriving on ships from Acapulco in Mexico. These ships were known as the Manila galleons. Until the nineteenth century these silver dollar coins were actual Spanish dollars minted in the new world, mostly at Mexico City. But from the 1840s they were increasingly replaced by silver dollars of the new Latin American republics. In the latter half of the nineteenth century some local coins in the region were made in the likeness of the Mexican dollar. The first of these local silver coins was the Hong Kong silver dollar coin that was minted at a mint in Hong Kong between the years 1866 and 1868. The Chinese were slow to accept unfamiliar coinage and preferred the familiar Mexican dollars, and so the Hong Kong government ceased minting these coins and sold the mint machinery to Japan.

Early one yen coin (1.5g of pure gold), front and reverse.


The Japanese then decided to adopt a silver dollar coinage under the name of 'yen', meaning 'a round object'. The yen was officially adopted by the Meiji government in an Act signed on May 10, 1871. The new currency was gradually introduced beginning from July of that year. The Yen was therefore basically a dollar unit, like all dollars, descended from the Spanish Pieces of eight, and up until the year 1873, all the dollars in the world were more or less the same value. The yen replaced Tokugawa coinage, a complex monetary system of the Edo period based on the mon. The New Currency Act of 1871 stipulated the adoption of the decimal accounting system of yen (1, 圓), sen (1⁄100, 錢), and rin (1⁄1000, 厘), with the coins being round and cast as in the West. The yen was legally defined as 0.78 troy ounces (24.26 g) of pure silver, or 1.5 grams of pure gold hence putting it on a bimetallic standard. (The same amount of silver is worth about 1181 modern yen, while the same amount of gold is worth about 4715 yen.)
Early silver one yen coin, 24.26 grams of pure silver, Japan.

Following the silver devaluation of 1873, the yen devalued against the US dollar and the Canadian dollar units since they adhered to a gold standard, and by the year 1897 the yen was worth only about 50 cents(US). In that year, Japan adopted a gold exchange standard and hence froze the value of the yen at 50 cents.

(The sen and the rin were eventually taken out of circulation at the end of 1953.)


Fixed value of the yen to the US dollar

The yen lost most of its value during and after World War II. After a period of instability, in 1949, the value of the yen was fixed at ¥360 per US$1 through a United States plan, which was part of the Bretton Woods System, to stabilize prices in the Japanese economy. That exchange rate was maintained until 1971, when the United States abandoned the gold standard, which had been a key element of the Bretton Woods System, and imposed a 10 percent surcharge on imports, setting in motion changes that eventually led to floating exchange rates in 1973.

Undervalued yen


By 1971 the yen had become undervalued. Japanese exports were costing too little in international markets, and imports from abroad were costing the Japanese too much. This undervaluation was reflected in the current account balance, which had risen from the deficits of the early 1960s to a then-large surplus of U.S. $5.8 billion in 1971. The belief that the yen, and several other major currencies, were undervalued motivated the United States' actions in 1971.


Yen and major currencies float


Following the United States' measures to devalue the dollar in the summer of 1971, the Japanese government agreed to a new, fixed exchange rate as part of the Smithsonian Agreement, signed at the end of the year. This agreement set the exchange rate at ¥308 per US$1. However, the new fixed rates of the Smithsonian Agreement were difficult to maintain in the face of supply and demand pressures in the foreign-exchange market. In early 1973, the rates were abandoned, and the major nations of the world allowed their currencies to float.


Japanese government intervention in the currency market

In the 1970s, Japanese government and business people were very concerned that a rise in the value of the yen would hurt export growth by making Japanese products less competitive and would damage the industrial base. The government therefore continued to intervene heavily in foreign-exchange marketing (buying or selling dollars), even after the 1973 decision to allow the yen to float.

Despite intervention, market pressures caused the yen to continue climbing in value, peaking temporarily at an average of ¥271 per US$1 in 1973 before the impact of the 1973 oil crisis was felt. The increased costs of imported oil caused the yen to depreciate to a range of ¥290 to ¥300 between 1974 and 1976. The re-emergence of trade surpluses drove the yen back up to ¥211 in 1978. This currency strengthening was again reversed by the second oil shock in 1979, with the yen dropping to ¥227 by 1980.


Yen in the early 1980s

During the first half of the 1980s, the yen failed to rise in value even though current account surpluses returned and grew quickly. From ¥221 in 1981, the average value of the yen actually dropped to ¥239 in 1985. The rise in the current account surplus generated stronger demand for yen in foreign-exchange markets, but this trade-related demand for yen was offset by other factors. A wide differential in interest rates, with United States interest rates much higher than those in Japan, and the continuing moves to deregulate the international flow of capital, led to a large net outflow of capital from Japan. This capital flow increased the supply of yen in foreign-exchange markets, as Japanese investors changed their yen for other currencies (mainly dollars) to invest overseas. This kept the yen weak relative to the dollar and fostered the rapid rise in the Japanese trade surplus that took place in the 1980s.


Effect of the Plaza Accord
1977 Nishiki International
Ten speed road bike

Japanese bicycle brands such as Nishiki had enjoyed tremendous success during the United States' 1970's bike boom, only to suffer during the late 1980s Yen fluctuation. Because of the steep decline in the Yen's value, the manufacture of Nishiki bicycles was moved from Japan in 1989 to Giant Bicycles in Taiwan. The brand was ultimately absorbed by Derby International, which discontinued the brand in the United States in 2001.

In 1985 a dramatic change began. Finance officials from major nations signed an agreement (the Plaza Accord) affirming that the dollar was overvalued (and, therefore, the yen undervalued). This agreement, and shifting supply and demand pressures in the markets, led to a rapid rise in the value of the yen. From its average of ¥239 per US$1 in 1985, the yen rose to a peak of ¥128 in 1988, virtually doubling its value relative to the dollar. After declining somewhat in 1989 and 1990, it reached a new high of ¥123 to US$1 in December 1992. In April 1995, the yen hit a peak of under 80 yen per dollar, temporarily making Japan's economy nearly the size of the US.
 

Post-bubble years

The yen declined during the Japanese asset price bubble and continued to do so afterwards, reaching a low of ¥134 to US$1 in February 2002. The Bank of Japan's policy of zero interest rates has discouraged yen investments, with the carry trade of investors borrowing yen and investing in better-paying currencies (thus further pushing down the yen) estimated to be as large as $1 trillion. In February 2007, The Economist estimated that the yen is 15% undervalued against the dollar and as much as 40% undervalued against the euro.

Coins
Early 20 yen gold coin.

Coins were introduced in 1870. There were silver 5, 10, 20 and 50 sen and 1 yen, and gold 2, 5, 10 and 20 yen. Gold 1 yen were introduced in 1871, followed by copper 1 rin, ½, 1 and 2 sen in 1873.

Cupronickel 5 sen coins were introduced in 1889. In 1897, the silver 1 yen coin was demonetized and the sizes of the gold coins were reduced by 50%, with 5, 10 and 20 yen coins issued. In 1920, cupro-nickel 10 sen coins were introduced.

Production of silver coins ceased in 1938, after which a variety of base metals were used to produce 1, 5 and 10 sen coins during the Second World War. Clay 5 and 10 yen coins were produced in 1945 but not issued for circulation.

After the war, brass 50 yen, 1 and 5 yen were introduced between 1946 and 1948. In 1949, the current type of holed 5 yen was introduced, followed by bronze 10 yen (of the type still in circulation) in 1951.
Japanese 10 yen coin (obverse) showing Phoenix Hall of Byōdō-in

Coins in denominations of less than 1 yen became invalid on December 31, 1953, following enforcement of the Small Currency Disposition and Fractional Rounding in Payments Act (小額通貨の整理及び支払金の端数計算に関する法律, Shōgaku tsūka no seiri oyobi shiharaikin no hasūkeisan ni kan suru hōritsu?).

In 1955, the current type of aluminium 1 yen was introduced, along with unholed, nickel 50 yen. In 1957, silver 100 yen pieces were introduced. These were replaced in 1967 by the current, cupro-nickel type, along with the holed 50 yen coin. In 1982, the first 500 yen coins were introduced.

The date (expressed as the year in the reign of the current emperor) is on the reverse of all coins, and, in most cases, country name (through 1945, 大日本 or Dai Nippon, "Great Japan"; after 1945, 日本国, Nihon koku, "State of Japan") and the value in kanji is on the obverse, except for the present 5-yen coin where the country name is on the reverse.

As of September 4, 2009, 500 yen coins are the highest valued coins to be used regularly in the world (this place is typically taken by the 5 Cuban convertible peso coins), with values in the neighborhood of US$5.50, €3.90, £3.80 and CHF 5.80. The United States' largest-valued commonly-used coin (25¢) is worth ¥23; the Eurozone's largest (€2) is worth ¥255; the United Kingdom's largest (£2) is worth ¥260; and Switzerland's largest (CHF 5) is worth ¥430. Because of this high face value, the 500 yen has been a favorite target for counterfeiters. It was counterfeited to such an extent that in 2000 a new series of coins was issued with various security features. In spite of these changes, however, counterfeiting continues.[citation needed]

The 1 yen coin is made out of 100% aluminum.

On various occasions, commemorative coins are minted, often using gold and silver with face values as high as 100,000 yen. The first of these were silver ¥100 and ¥1000 Summer Olympic coins issued for the 1964 games. Recently this practice is undertaken with the 500 yen coin, first in commemoration of the Nagano Olympic games in 1998, and then the Aichi Expo in 2005. The current commemorative 500 and 1000 yen coin series began circulation in December, 2009, with 47 unique designs for each with only one available from banks in each prefecture. 100000 of each have been minted and they are all currently (as of February, 2010) still available in major banks at face value. Someone collecting one of each coin would need to invest 70500 yen, thus creating a major source of income for the Japanese government. Even though all commemorative coins can be used, they are not seen often in typical daily use and normally do not circulate.

The issuance of the yen banknotes began in 1872, two years after the currency was introduced. Throughout its history, the denominations have ranged from 10 yen to 10000 yen.

Before and during World War II, various bodies issued banknotes in yen, such as the Ministry of Finance and the Imperial Japanese National Bank. The Allied forces also issued some notes shortly after the war. Since then, the Bank of Japan has been the exclusive note issuing authority. The bank has issued five series after World War II. Series E, the current series, consists of ¥1000, ¥2000, ¥5000, and ¥10,000.

Determinants of value

Beginning in December 1931, Japan gradually shifted from the gold standard system to the managed currency system.

The relative value of the yen is determined in foreign exchange markets by the economic forces of supply and demand. The supply of the yen in the market is governed by the desire of yen holders to exchange their yen for other currencies to purchase goods, services, or assets. The demand for the yen is governed by the desire of foreigners to buy goods and services in Japan and by their interest in investing in Japan (buying yen-denominated real and financial assets).

Since the 1990s, the Bank of Japan, the country's central bank, has kept interest rates low in order to spur economic growth. Short-term lending rates have responded to this monetary relaxation and fell from 3.7% to 1.3% between 1993 and 2008. Low interest rates combined with a ready liquidity for the Yen prompted investors to borrow money in Japan and invest it in other countries (a practice known as carry trade). This has helped to keep the value of the Yen low compared to other currencies.

International reserve currency

The Special Drawing Rights (SDR) Valuation is an IMF basket of currencies, including the Japanese yen. The SDR is linked to a basket of currencies with 44% for the dollar, 34% for the euro, and 11% each for the yen and pound sterling. The exchange rate for the Japanese yen is expressed in terms of currency units per U.S. dollar; other rates are expressed as U.S. dollars per currency unit. The SDR currency value is calculated daily and the valuation basket is reviewed and adjusted every five years. The SDR was created in 1969 to support the fixed exchange system.

Critics worry that the SDR (Special Drawing Rights) or the amount of SDRs will not rival the dollar, euro or yen:

Far from becoming a separate international currency, the SDR will remain a derivative of the dollar and a few other major national currencies.



Also, the SDR does not contain the Chinese Yuan, Indian Rupee, Australian Dollar or Canadian Dollar, which are important benchmark or secondary global reserve currencies.
Main article: Reserve currency

Gakuran
Museum exhibit of the uniforms of the Ichikawa Gakuen school. The middle mannequin is displaying a gakuran.

The gakuran (学ラン?) or the tsume-eri (詰め襟?) are the uniforms for many middle school and high school boys in Japan. The color is normally black, but some schools use navy and dark blue as well.

The top has a standing collar buttoning down from top-to-bottom. Buttons are usually decorated with the school emblem to show respect to the school. Pants are straight leg and a black or dark-colored belt is worn with them. Boys usually wear penny loafers or sneakers with this uniform. Some schools may require the students to wear collar-pins representing the school and/or class rank.

The second button of the top of a male's uniform is often given away to a female he is in love with, and is considered a way of confession. The second button is the one closest to the heart and is said to contain the emotions from all three years attendance at the school. This practice was apparently made popular by a scene in a novel by Daijun Takeda.
Traditionally, the gakuran is also worn along with a matching (usually black) student cap, although this custom is less common in modern times.

The Gakuran is derived from Prussian army uniforms. The term is a combination of gaku (学) meaning "study" or "student", and ran (らん or 蘭) meaning Holland or, historically in Japan, the West in general; thus, gakuran translates as "Western student (uniform)". Such clothing was also worn by school children in South Korea and pre-1949 China.

Sailor outfit
Japanese junior high school students in sailor outfits

The sailor outfit (セーラー服, sērā-fuku?) is a common style of uniform worn by female middle school and high school students, and occasionally, elementary school students. It was introduced as a school uniform in 1920 in Heian Jogakuin (平安女学院?) and 1921 by the principal of Fukuoka Jo Gakuin University (福岡女学院?), Elizabeth Lee. It was modeled after the uniform used by the British Royal Navy at the time, which Lee had experienced as an exchange student in the United Kingdom

Much like the male uniform, the gakuran, the sailor outfit bears a similarity to various military styled naval uniforms. The uniform generally consists of a blouse attached with a sailor-style collar and a pleated skirt. There are seasonal variations for summer and winter: sleeve length and fabric are adjusted accordingly. A ribbon is tied in the front and laced through a loop attached to the blouse. Several variations on the ribbon include neckties, bolo ties, neckerchiefs, and bows. Common colors are navy blue, white, grey, light green and black.

Shoes, socks, and other accessories are sometimes included as part of the uniform. These socks are typically navy or white. The shoes are typically brown or black penny loafers. Although not part of the prescribed uniform, alternate forms of legwear (such as loose socks, knee-length stockings, or similar) are also commonly matched by more fashionable girls with their sailor outfits.

Cultural significance
Wikipe-tan clad in a Japanese school uniform, depicted in an anime art style

Various schools are known for their particular uniforms. Uniforms can have a nostalgic characteristic for former students, and is often associated with relatively carefree youth. Uniforms are sometimes modified by students as a means of exhibiting individualism, including lengthening or shortening the skirt, removing the ribbon, hiding patches or badges under the collar, etc. In past decades, brightly coloured variants of the sailor outfit were also adopted by Japanese yankee and Bōsōzoku biker gangs.

Because school uniforms are a popular fetish item, second-hand sailor outfits and other items of school wear are brokered through underground establishments known as burusera, although changes to Japanese law have made such practices difficult. The pop group Onyanko Club had a provocative song called "Don't Strip Off the Sailor Suit!" Sailor outfits, along with other styles of school uniform, play an undeniably large role in otaku culture and the Japanese sexual canon as evidenced by the large amount of anime, manga, and dōjinshi featuring characters in uniform, Sailor Moon being one of the most popular examples.

Chibi Maruko-chan (ちびまる子ちゃん?) is a shōjo manga series by Momoko Sakura, later adapted into an anime TV series by Nippon Animation, which originally aired on Fuji Television from January 7, 1990 to September 27, 1992. The series depicts the simple, everyday life of a little girl nicknamed Maruko and her family in suburban mid-seventies Japan. The series is set in the former city of Shimizu, now part of Shizuoka City, birthplace of its author.

The first story under the title "Chibi Maruko-chan" was published in the August 1986 edition of the shōjo manga magazine Ribon. Other semi-autobiographical stories by the author had appeared in Ribon and Ribon Original in 1984 and 1985, and were included in the first "Chibi Maruko-chan" tankōbon in 1987. The author first began writing and submitting strips in her final year of senior high school, although Shueisha (the publisher of Ribon and Ribon Original) did not decide to run them until over a year later. The author's intent was to write "essays in manga form". Many stories are inspired by incidents from the author's own life, and some characters are based on her family and friends. The nostalgic, honest and thoughtful tone of the strip led to its becoming popular among a wider audience.

The Chibi Maruko-chan series has spawned numerous games, animated films and merchandising, as well as a second TV series running from 1995 to the present. Maruko's style and themes are sometimes compared to the classic comic Sazae-san. In 1989, the manga tied to receive the Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo. As of 2006, the collected volumes of the manga had sold more than 31 million copies in Japan, making it the fifth best-selling shōjo manga ever.
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The trademark face fault of this series, the manga and anime and drama all, in reaction to an awkward "don't know what to say" situation (or sometimes, embarrassment) is the sudden appearance of vertical lines (黒い線, kuroi sen?) on a character's face, sometimes with an unexplained gust of wind blowing above that character's head.

Characters
Sakura family
Back row, from left: Hiroshi, Sumire, and Tomozo; middle row, from left: Sakiko and Kotake; and front row: Momoko (a.k.a. Maruko)

Momoko "Maruko" Sakura (さくらももこ, Sakura Momoko?)
Voiced by: Tarako
The title character, Maruko (born May 8, 1965) is a nine-year-old third-grade student raised in a relatively poor family of six. She is lazy, disorganized and usually late for school, in strong contrast with her neat, calm and tidy older sister (sixth-grader) who must share her room with her. Maruko, like many kids, tries to avoid homework and chores, and she takes advantage of her doting grandfather and squabbles with her sister. Nevertheless, she is a well-meaning child who tries to do good. She is similar to Calvin in Calvin and Hobbes in that she often uses adult-like language to express her child-like feelings. She has many food dislikes, including natto and tomatoes. She loves reading manga and is a good artist, and her stated goal is to become a manga artist when she grows up. It is implied that the show is drawn by Maruko herself. Maruko has a problem with her sister cooking and throws whirlwind tantrums. She knows a lot about her mother, father and grandmother.

Hiroshi Sakura (さくらひろし, Sakura Hiroshi?)
Voiced by: Yūsaku Yara
Maruko's father. He drinks every now and then but is a kind loving dad. His birthday is June 20, 1934, making him 40 years old during the series.

Sumire Sakura (さくらすみれ, Sakura Sumire?)
Voiced by: Teiyū Ichiryūsai
Maruko's mother. She tends to scold Maruko a lot. She is a strict mother but a very pleasant one. She's extremely focused on household finances, and shops mainly at department stores during bargain sales. Her birthdate is May 25, 1934, and her blood type is A. It is revealed in one episode that her maiden name is Kobayashi.

Sakiko Sakura (さくらさきこ, Sakura Sakiko?)
Voiced by: Yūko Mizutani
Maruko's older sister. She is clever and diligent, the exact opposite of the lazy Maruko. She and Maruko fight often but they get along fine. Her birthday is March 21, 1962, making her 12 in the series.

Tomozou Sakura (さくら友蔵, Sakura Tomozō?)
Voiced by: Kei Tomiyama (1990-1995), Takeshi Aono (1995-)
Maruko's kind but absent-minded grandfather. Naive and easily tricked, he keeps a pet turtle and loves watching TV with Maruko. When feeling distressed or nostalgic, he spontaneously retreats to a surreal inner world for a few seconds to improvise a sad yet comical haiku about his state of mind. His birthday is October 3, 1898, making him 76 in the series. The author has said that she used her own grandfather as the model for Tomozou, but that his personality is the opposite of Tomozou's.

Kotake Sakura (さくらこたけ, Sakura Kotake?)
Voiced by: Yūko Sasaki
Maruko's grandmother. She's wise and knows what's good for the human body. She was born on April 4, 1904. Her name of Kotake was never known in the series until it appeared in a 4-panel manga (Yonkoma) on July 1, 2007.

Maruko's friends

Tamae Honami (穂波たまえ, Honami Tamae?)
Voiced by: Naoko Watanabe

Maruko's best friend. She is intelligent and she does not include herself in other activities with maruko. Nicknamed Tama-chan.

Kazuhiko Hanawa (花輪和彦, Hanawa Kazuhiko?)
Voiced by: Masami Kikuchi

A really rich boy in Maruko's class who lives in a mansion his caretaker is Mr. Hediji . His mom is always away travelling and so he doesn't see her that often. He also has a butler who drives a limo and picks him up every day from school. His was born on August 7, 1965.

Sueo Maruo (丸尾末男, Maruo Sueo?)
Voiced by: Nobuo Tobita

Maruo is one of Maruko’s classmates and serves as the male class president and always wants to be admired by others. He has very thick glasses because he is a very serious student and studies very hard every day; black lines appear on his face nearly all of the time, especially when he seems euphoric. He is paranoid that his classmates are seeking to replace him as male class president and will target classmates that stand out and do well to discourage them from running against him. His birthday is December 31, thus giving rise to his name.

Noritaka Hamazaki (浜崎憲孝(はまじ), Hamazaki Noritaka (Hamaji)?)
Voiced by: Ai Orikasa→Tsutomu Kashiwakura

Hamaji is the most mischievous student in Maruko’s class. Despite this he is the class representative.

Tarō "Butaro" Tomita (富田太郎(ブー太郎), Tomita Tarō (Butaro)?)
Voiced by: Kazuyo Aoki (movie) Mami Matsui→Naomi Nagasawa

A boy in Maruko's class with a piglike face and ends his sentences with "buu" he is close friend of Hamaji as he always shown with him , a Japanese onomatopoeia for a pig snorting.

Hanako Migiwa (みぎわ花子, Migiwa Hanako?)
Voiced by: Miki Narahashi

She is crazy about Hanawa and does not like other girls being around with him and because Hanawa has a crush on Maruko, she is hard on Maruko. She is studying in standard 3 for the last five years because she is not good in her studies and fails every year. She is the female class president and like Maruo is pretty intent on maintaining her position, even promising along with Maruo to come in the morning to do cleaning and other work so their classmates don't have to.

Shinji Sekiguchi (関口しんじ, Sekiguchi Shinji?)

He seems kind of mean but actually he isn't. He even helped Maruko when she is learning how to bike.

Voiced by: Kyōsei Tsukui

Kimio Nagasawa (永沢君男, Nagasawa Kimio?)

His house was burned down during an accident and made his family poor in the episodes they always show a connection with fire of Nagasama. Therefore he always felt that nobody cares about him, and that everybody is out to laugh about him. He is thus became very aloof and does not talk much to other people except Fujiki, his best friend.

Voiced by: Chafūrin

Shigeru Fujiki (藤木茂, Fujiki Shigeru?)

He is very soft-spoken and is the best friend of Nagasawa he live alone in his home cause his parents go their offices early in the morning and comes late night.

Voiced by: Tomoko Naka

Shouta Yamada (山田笑太, Yamada Shouta?)

He laughs about anything good or bad, non-stop. He is also known as the "classroom idiot boy" (クラスのバカ男子)

Voiced by: Keiko Yamamoto

Kenichi Ono (大野けんいち, Ono Kenichi?)
Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi→Yūsuke Numata

He is Sugiyama Satoshi's best friend. Both of them love soccer.

Satoshi Sugiyama (杉山さとし, Sugiyama Satoshi?)
Voiced by: Ako Mayama

Kenichi's best friend. They are quite rude but very serious when they work. They form a good team and help each other.

Toshiko Tsuchihashi (土橋とし子, Tsuchihashi Toshiko?)

Toshiko is a very obedient and well-mannered girl. She always cares about others and also one of Maruko's and Tama's good friends.

Voiced by: Taeko Kawata

Misuzu Fuyuta (冬田美鈴, Fuyuta Misuzu?)

She has a crush on Ono Kenichi. She is a bit odd and likes to give cards to people depicting strange faces.

Voiced by: Sumie Baba

Yumiko Itō (伊藤由美子, Itō Yumiko?)
Voiced by: Masako Miura

This character only appeared in the first series and was in a trio with Maruko and Tamae.

Masaru Orihara (折原まさる, Orihara Masaru?)

A transfer student from Aichi. He appears Indian, initially resulting in rejection from his classmates.

Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi→Atsushi Kisaichi

Ebisu (えびす, Ebisu?)
Voiced by: Tsutomu Kashiwakura→Ai Orikasa

A likeable boy who was nominated by Sekiguchi to be male class president, but conceded the race when Maruo promised to come in and clean every morning so the class didn't have to.

Tsuyoshi Yamane (山根強, Yamane Tsuyoshi?)

He is a fan a Michiru Jo and has digestive problems.

Voiced by: Akio Suyama

Hutoshi Kosugi (小杉太, Kosugi Hutoshi?)
Voiced by: Teiyū Ichiryūsai

He's a fatty who eats a lot.

Osamu Nagayama (長山治, Nagayama Osamu?)
Voiced by: Yūko Sasaki

Hiromi Maeda (前田ひろみ, Maeda Hiromi?)

She is in charge of cleaning the classroom.

Voiced by: Megumi Urawa

Emiko Noguchi (野口笑子, Noguchi Emiko?)
Voiced by: Megumi Tano

She is very creepy and she always jokes. She also likes to make fun of others, especially Maruko. She will often spy on people.

Himeko Jyogasaki (城ヶ崎姫子, Jyogasaki Himeko?)

Sasayama's friend. She has alleged rivalry with Nagasawa.

Voiced by: Megumi Tano→Emi Motoi

Kazuko Sasayama (笹山かず子, Sasayama Kazuko?)


Fujiki's girlfriend and Himeko's friend.

Voiced by: Masako Miura

Watanabe (渡辺, Watanabe?)
Voiced by: Masami Kikuchi

Other characters

Hideyuki Togawa (戸川秀之, Togawa Hideyuki?)
Voiced by: Hirohiko Kakegawa

Maruko's homeroom teacher.

Mrs. Togawa (先生の妻?)
Voiced by: Mika Kanai

Oishi (大石, Oishi?)
Voiced by: Keiko Yamamoto

Principal (校長, Kōtyō?)
Voiced by: Ryōichi Tanaka

Hideji Saijō (西城秀治, Saijō Hideji?)
Voiced by: Chafūrin

Hanawa's butler. He is named after singer Hideki Saijo.

Shintarō Honami (穂波真太郎, Honami Shintarō?)
Voiced by: Kei Tomiyama→Nobuo Tobita

Shintarō is Tamae's father. He likes photography a lot and whenever he spots Tamae, takes a photo of her.

Mrs. Honami (たまえの母, Tamae no haha?)
Voiced by: Tomoko Naka

Tamae's mother.

Shigeo Sasaki (佐々木茂男, Sasaki Shigeo?)
Voiced by: Hirohiko Kakegawa

Sasaki is fond of trees and grows them. He is fondly called by Maruko- Sasaki Ojichan.

Mamoru Kawata (川田守, Kawata Mamoru?)

Voiced by: Kyōsei Tsukui

Midori Yoshikawa (吉川みどり, Yoshikawa Midori?)
Voiced by: Megumi Urawa

Tatsugorō Hamazaki (浜崎辰五郎, Hamazaki Tatsugorō?)
Voiced by: Nobuo Tobita

Noritaka's grandfather

Noritaka's Mother (憲孝の母, Noritaka no haha?)
Voiced by: Keiko Yamamoto

Mr. Tomita (太朗·とみ子の父?)
Voiced by: Hirohiko Kakegawa

Mrs. Tomita (太朗·とみ子の母?)
Voiced by: Ako Mayama

Tomiko Tomita (富田とみ子, Tomita Tomiko?)
Voiced by: Megumi Urawa

Tomiko is Tarō's younger sister

Kazuo Nagasawa (永沢一雄, Nagasawa Kazuo?)
Voiced by: Chafūrin

Kazuo is Kimio's father.

Mrs. Nagasawa (永沢の母?)
Voiced by: Yūko Mizutani

Tarō Nagasawa (永沢太郎, Nagasawa Tarō?)
Voiced by: Makiko Ōmoto

Tarō is Kimio's younger brother

Shosuke Noguchi (野口笑助, Noguchi Shosuke?)
Voiced by: Keiichi Sonobe

Fujio Noguchi (野口富士男, Noguchi Fujio?)
Voiced by: Kazunari Tanaka

Narration (ナレーション, Narration?)
Voiced by: Keaton Yamada

Media
Manga

The original Chibi Maruko-chan manga was serialized in the shōjo-oriented Ribon Magazine. 14 volumes were published from July 1987 to December 1996, with a 15th volume published in February 2003. On July 2007, a 4-frame version of Chibi Maruko-chan was published in every morning edition of several Japanese newspapers such as the Tokyo Shimbun and the Chunichi Shimbun.

The 16th volume of the manga was published on April 15, 2009.
TV series
First

Chibi Maruko-chan originally aired on Fuji Television. 142 episodes were broadcast, from January 1990 to September 1992. Maruko was voiced by Tarako; other voice actors included Kappei Yamaguchi and Hideki Saijo. Original manga author Momoko Sakura wrote the teleplay for most episodes. The first season was directed by Yumiko Suda and animated by Masaaki Yuasa (who later directed Mind Game in 2004). The series attained a TV viewer rating of 39.9%, the highest rating ever attained by an animated TV series in Japan at the time . The theme song Odoru Ponpokorin became a hit and was interpreted by several artists including the KinKi Kids and Captain Jack. The series was exported throughout Asia and was especially popular in Taiwan. In addition, 65 episodes were dubbed into Arabic (called maruko-alsaghera, which means Little Maruko), where it garnered attention from people of all ages. It also aired in Germany with the same title as the original. It airs weekdays on Nick India in India.

Opening theme:

1. "Yume Ippai" by Yumiko Seki (eps. 1-142)

Ending themes:

1. "Odoru Pompokolin" by B.B.Queens (eps. 1-66)
2. "Hashire Shoujiki-mono" by Hideki Saijou (eps. 67-142)

Second

A second series debuted in January 1995, in the 6pm time slot before Sazae-san on Sunday evenings. This series was also dubbed into German and broadcast by RTL II, Super RTL and Jetix in Germany.

Opening themes:

1. "Ureshii Yokan (Feeling Happy)" by Marina Watanabe (eps. 1-???)
2. "Humming ga Kikoeru (Hear the Humming)" by Kahimi Karie (eps. ???-179)
3. "Odoru Ponpokorin" by ManaKana & Shigeru Izumiya (eps. 180-253)
4. "KinKi no Yaru Ki Man Man Song" by KinKi Kids (eps. 254-294)
5. "Odoru Ponpokorin" by B.B.Queens (eps. 295-746)
6. "Odoru Ponpokorin (New Version)" by Kaela Kimura (eps. 747-)

* Ending themes:

1. "Hari-kiri Jiisan no Rock 'n' Roll" by Hitoshi Ueki (eps. 1-???)
2. "Akke ni torareta toki no uta" by Tama (eps. ???-179)
3. Jaga Buttercorn-san" by ManaKana (eps. 180-230)
4. "Chibi Maruko Ondo" by ManaKana (eps. 231-340)
5. "Kyuujitsu no Uta (Viva La Viva)" by Delighted Mint (eps. 341-416)
6. "Uchuu Dai Shuffle (Shuffle in Outer Space)" by Love Jets (eps. 417-481)
7. "Arara no Jumon" by Chibi Maruko-chan with Bakuchu Mondai (eps. 482-current)

Live action

A live action series is currently airing on Fuji Television in the 7pm slot; it had its first broadcast on April 18, 2006. The series is being created to commemorate Chibi Maruko-chan's 15th anniversary and will have a total of 3 episodes. The episodes will air weekly, for 2 hours each. All costumes and hairstyles are extremely faithful to the original manga settings.

Both the second television series and the live action series are now broadcast in 1080i HDTV. Due to its popularity the live action series is now regularly aired after Quiz$Millionaire. Its title is Maru Maru Chibi Maruko-chan.
Movies

* Chibi Maruko-chan (Toho, 1990)
* Chibi Maruko-chan: My Favorite Song (1992)

Games

(The first sixteen games have been released in Japan only)

* Chibi Maruko-chan: Uki Uki Shopping (Famicom, 1990)
* Chibi Maruko-chan: Okozukai Daisakusen (Game Boy, 1990)
* Chibi Maruko-Chan 2: Deluxe Maruko World (Game Boy, 1991)
* Chibi Maruko-chan: Harikiri 365-Nichi no Maki (Super Famicom, 1991)
* Chibi Maruko-Chan 3: Mezase! Game Taishou no Maki (Game Boy, 1992)
* Chibi Maruko-chan 4: Korega Nihon Dayo Ouji Sama (Game Boy, 1992)
* Chibi Maruko-Chan (TurboGrafx 16, 1992)
* Chibi Maruko-chan: Waku Waku Shopping (Mega Drive, 1992)
* Chibi Maruko-chan: Maruko Deluxe Quiz (Game Boy/Neo-Geo, 1995)
* Chibi Maruko-chan: Mezase! Minami no Island (Super Famicom, 1995)
* Chibi Maruko-chan no Taisen Puzzle Dama (Sega Saturn, 1995)
* Chibi Maruko-Chan: Maruko Enikki World (Sony Playstation, 1995)
* Chibi Maruko-Chan: Go Chounai Minna de Game Dayo! (Game Boy Color, 2001)
* Chibi Maruko-chan DS Maru-chan no Machi (Nintendo DS, 2009)

Mount Fuji at sunrise Lake Kawaguchi
Elevation 3,776 m (12,388 ft) 
Prominence 3,776 m (12,388 ft) Ranked 35th
Listing Country high point
Ultra
Location Japan



Mount Fuji (富士山, Fuji-san?, IPA: [ɸɯꜜdʑisaɴ] ( listen)) is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 m (12,388 ft). Along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku, it is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" (三霊山 Sanreizan). An active volcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji is just west of Tokyo, and can be seen on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as visited by sightseers and climbers.
Contents


Mount Fuji is not only called Mount Fuji it is also called Fujiyama and Fuji-san.

Etymology

The current kanji for Mount Fuji, 富 and 士, mean wealth or abundant and a man with a certain status of respectively. However, these characters are probably ateji, meaning that the characters were likely selected because their pronunciations match the syllables of the name but do not carry a particular meaning.

The origin of the name Fuji is unclear. A text of the 10th century Tale of the Bamboo Cutter says that the name came from "immortal" (不死, fushi, fuji?) and also from the image of abundant (富, fu?) soldiers (士, shi, ji?) ascending the slopes of the mountain. An early folk etymology claims that Fuji came from 不二 (not + two), meaning without equal or nonpareil. Another claims that it came from 不尽 (not + exhaust), meaning neverending. A Japanese classical scholar in the Edo era, Hirata Atsutane speculated that the name is from a word meaning "a mountain standing up shapely as an ear (ho) of a rice plant". A British missionary John Batchelor (1854–1944) argued that the name is from the Ainu word for 'fire' (fuchi) of the fire deity (Kamui Fuchi), which was denied by a Japanese linguist Kyōsuke Kindaichi (1882–1971) on the grounds of phonetic development (sound change). It is also pointed out that huchi means an 'old woman' and ape is the word for 'fire', ape huchi kamuy being the fire deity. Research on the distribution of place names that include fuji as a part also suggest the origin of the word fuji is in the Yamato language rather than Ainu. A Japanese toponymist Kanji Kagami argued that the name has the same root as 'wisteria' (fuji) and 'rainbow' (niji, but with an alternative word fuji), and came from its "long well-shaped slope".

Variations

Fuji-san is often referred to in Western texts as Fujiyama or even, redundantly, as Mount Fujiyama, but this reading is not correct in standard Japanese.[citation needed]

In Nihon-shiki and Kunrei-shiki romanization, the name is transliterated as Huzi. Other Japanese names for Mount Fuji, which have become obsolete or poetic, include Fuji-no-Yama (ふじの山, the Mountain of Fuji), Fuji-no-Takane (ふじの高嶺, the High Peak of Fuji), Fuyō-hō (芙蓉峰, the Lotus Peak), and Fugaku (富岳 or 富嶽, the first character of 富士, Fuji, and 岳, mountain).


History

Mount Fuji wreathed in clouds

Mount Fuji is an attractive volcanic cone and a frequent subject of Japanese art. Among the most renowned works are Hokusai's 36 Views of Mount Fuji and his One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji. The mountain is mentioned in Japanese literature throughout the ages and is the subject of many poems.

It is thought that the first ascent was in 663 by an anonymous monk. The summit has been thought of as sacred since ancient times and was forbidden to women until the Meiji Era. Ancient samurai used the base of the mountain as a remote training area, near the present day town of Gotemba. The shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo held yabusame in the area in the early Kamakura period.

The first ascent by a foreigner was by Sir Rutherford Alcock in September 1860, from the foot of the mountain to the top in eight hours and three hours for the descent.:427 Alcock's brief narrative in The Capital of the Tycoon was the first widely disseminated description of the mountain in the West.:421-7 Lady Fanny Parkes, the wife of British ambassador Sir Harry Parkes, was the first non-Japanese woman to ascend Mount Fuji in 1867. Photographer Felix Beato climbed Mount Fuji in that same year.

Today, Mount Fuji is an international destination for tourism and mountain-climbing. In the early 20th century, populist educator Frederick Starr's Chautauqua lectures about his several ascents of Mount Fuji—1913, 1919, and 1923—were widely known in America. A well-known Japanese saying suggests that anybody would be a fool not to climb Mount Fuji once—but a fool to do so twice. It remains a popular meme in Japanese culture, including making numerous movie appearances, inspiring the Infiniti logo, and even appearing in medicine with the Mount Fuji sign.

In September 2004, the manned weather station at the summit was closed after 72 years in operation. Observers monitored radar sweeps that detected typhoons and heavy rains. The station, which was the highest in Japan at 3,780 metres (12,400 ft), was replaced by a fully-automated meteorological system. As of 2006, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the United States Marine Corps continue to operate military bases near Mount Fuji.

Geography
Mount Fuji as viewed across the Tokyo skyscape

Mount Fuji is a distinctive feature of the geography of Japan. It stands 3,776 m (12,388 ft) high and is located near the Pacific coast of central Honshū, just west of Tokyo. It straddles the boundary of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures. Three small cities surround it: Gotemba to the south, Fujiyoshida to the north, and Fujinomiya to the southwest. It is also surrounded by five lakes: Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Yamanaka, Lake Sai, Lake Motosu and Lake Shoji. They, and nearby Lake Ashi, provide excellent views of the mountain. The mountain is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. It can be seen more distantly from Yokohama, Tokyo, and sometimes as far as Chiba, Saitama, and Lake Hamana when the sky is clear.

The climate is very cold due to the altitude, and the cone is covered by snow for several months of the year. The lowest recorded temperature is −38.0 °C while on June 2008 the highest temperature was recorded at 17.8 °C.
A ukiyo-e print of Mount Fuji from Ogata Gekkō's Views of Mount Fuji.

Aokigahara
The forest at the base of the mountain is named Aokigahara. Folk tales and legends tell of demons, ghosts, and goblins haunting the forest, and in the 19th century, Aokigahara was one of many places poor families abandoned the very young and the very old. Aokigahara is the world’s second most popular suicide location after San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Since the 1950s, more than 500 people have lost their lives in the forest, mostly suicides. Approximately 30 suicides have been counted yearly, with a high of nearly 80 bodies in 2002. The recent increase in suicides prompted local officials to erect signs that attempt to convince potential suicides to re-think their desperate plans, and sometimes these messages have proven effective. The numbers of suicides in the past creates an allure that has persisted across the span of decades.

Due to the dense forest and rugged inaccessibility, the forest has also attracted thrill seekers. Many of these hikers marked their travelled routes by leaving coloured plastic tapes behind, causing concerns from prefectural officials with regard to the forest's ecosystem.


Transportation

The closest airport with scheduled international service is Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport. It opened in June 2009. It is about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Mount Fuji.[31] The major international airports serving Tokyo, Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) in Tokyo and Narita International Airport in Chiba, are some hours from Mount Fuji.

On 5 March 1966, BOAC Flight 911, a Boeing 707, broke up in flight and crashed near Mount Fuji Gotemba New fifth station, shortly after departure from Tokyo International Airport. All 113 passengers and 11 crew members were killed in the disaster, which was attributed to extreme clear air turbulence caused by lee waves downwind of the mountain. There is now a memorial for the crash a little way down from the Gotemba New fifth station.

Climbing routes
Sunrise on Mount Fuji

An estimated 200,000 people climb Mount Fuji every year, 30 percent of whom are foreigners. The most popular period for people to hike up Mount Fuji is from 1 July to 27 August, while huts and other facilities are operating. Buses to the fifth station start running on 1 July. Climbing from October to May is very strongly discouraged, after a number of high-profile deaths. Some climb the mountain at night in order to be in a position at or near the summit when the sun rises.

There are four major routes from the fifth station to the summit with an additional four routes from the foot of the mountain. The major routes from the fifth station are (clockwise) the Lake Kawaguchi, Subashiri, Gotemba, and Fujinomiya routes. The routes from the foot of the mountain are the Shojiko, Yoshida, Suyama, and Murayama routes. The stations on different routes are at different elevations. The highest fifth station is located at Fujinomiya, followed by Kawaguchi, Subashiri, and Gotemba.

Even though it is only the second highest fifth stations, the Kawaguchiko route is the most popular route because of its large parking area and many large mountain huts where a climber can rest or stay. During the summer season, most Mount Fuji climbing tour buses arrive there. The next popular is the Fujinomiya route which has the highest fifth station, followed by Subashiri and Gotemba.
Switchbacks and retaining walls along the trail reduce erosion from the large number of climbers.

Even though most climbers do not climb the Subashiri and Gotemba routes, many descend these because of their ash-covered paths. From the seventh station to near the fifth station, one could run down these ash-covered paths in approximately 30 minutes. Besides these routes, there are tractor routes along the climbing routes. These tractor routes are used to bring food and other materials to huts on the mountain. Because the tractors usually take up most of the width of these paths and they tend to push large rocks from the side of the path, the tractor paths are off-limits to the climbers on sections that are not merged with the climbing or descending paths. Nevertheless, one can sometimes see people riding mountain bikes along the tractor routes down from the summit. This is particularly risky, as it becomes difficult to control speed and may send some rocks rolling along the side of the path, which may hit other people.

The four routes from the foot of the mountain offer historical sites. The Murayama is the oldest Mount Fuji route and the Yoshida route still has many old shrines, teahouses, and huts along its path. These routes are gaining popularity recently and are being restored, but climbing from the foot of the mountain is still relatively uncommon. Also, bears have been sighted along the Yoshida route.

The ascent from the new fifth station can take anywhere between three and eight hours while the descent can take from two to five hours. The hike from the foot of the mountain is divided into 10 stations, and there are paved roads up to the fifth station, which is about 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) above sea level.
Paraglider at South side, view from Gotenba

Huts at and above the fifth stations are usually manned during the climbing season, but huts below fifth stations are not usually manned for climbers. The number of open huts on routes are proportional to the number of climbers—Kawaguchiko has the most while Gotemba has the least. The huts along the Gotemba route also tend to start later and close earlier than those along the Kawaguchiko route. Also, because Mount Fuji is designated as a national park, it is illegal to tent above the fifth station.

There are eight peaks around the crater at the summit. The highest point in Japan is where the Mount Fuji Radar System used to be. Climbers are able to visit each of these peaks.


Paragliding


Paragliders take off in the vicinity of the fifth station Gotemba parking lot, between Subashiri and Hōei-zan peak on the south side from the Mountain, in addition to several other locations depending on wind direction. Several paragliding schools use the wide sandy/grassy slope between Gotenba and Subashiri parking lots as a training hill.


Geology
Aerial view of the peak of Mount Fuji
Further information: Historic eruptions of Mount Fuji and List of volcanoes in Japan

Mount Fuji is located at the triple junction where the Amurian Plate, the Okhotsk Plate, and the Philippine Sea Plate meet. Those plates form the western part of Japan, the eastern part of Japan, and the Izu Peninsula respectively.

Scientists have identified four distinct phases of volcanic activity in the formation of Mount Fuji. The first phase, called Sen-komitake, is composed of an andesite core recently discovered deep within the mountain. Sen-komitake was followed by the "Komitake Fuji," a basalt layer believed to be formed several hundred thousand years ago. Approximately 100,000 years ago, "Old Fuji" was formed over the top of Komitake Fuji. The modern, "New Fuji" is believed to have formed over the top of Old Fuji around 10,000 years ago.[35]

The volcano is currently classified as active with a low risk of eruption. The last recorded eruption was the Hōei eruption which started on December 16, 1707 (Hōei 4, 23rd day of the 11th month) and ended about January 1, 1708 (Hōei 4, 9th day of the 12th month) during the Edo period.The eruption formed a new crater and a second peak (named Hōei-zan after the Hoei era) halfway down its side. Fuji spewed cinders and ash which fell like rain in Izu, Kai, Sagami, and Musashi. Since then, there have been no signs of an eruption.