Page 109 - A History of the World in 25 Cities

According to Japanese tradition, babies are named at a ceremony when they are seven days old. Popular Japanese names are Hana for a girl and Haruto for a
boy, but names are complicated because they can be spelled differently and have different meanings in kanji (Japanese
writing). On their first birthday, babies hold a special rice cake with their name written on it as a symbol that they’ll always be healthy, happy and have plenty of food in the future.
Hayao Miyazaki is a writer, animator and manga artist who is most famous for his anime feature films. He was born and still lives in Tokyo, where his animation studio, Studio Ghibli, is based.
Japan lies on the edge of one of the huge plates in the Earth’s crust, which means that there’s a risk of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In fact, the islands of Japan are made from erupting volcanoes – the latest island appeared in 2013! Mount Fuji is an active volcano but hasn’t erupted for hundreds of years.
Earthquakes are always a threat. New buildings are built to withstand quakes, and everyone knows what to do if the ground starts to shake – children have earthquake drills at school. During these practice sessions, they wear protective fabric helmets and hide under their desks. The last big earthquake was in 2011, just off the coast of north-east Japan, which was the fifth-strongest recorded earthquake in history.
Population 92 of central Tokyo:
Population of the Greater Tokyo Area:
105
Haruto