How to make regional geography lessons more exciting : Ideas by geographers for the next curricular revision in Japanese schools

Abstract

Realistic regional geography begins with landscape analysis of one’s local area. In landscape analysis, a landscape can be understood as a projection of the local environment onto the surface of the earth. In order to systematically interpret landscapes that reflect the daily lives of people in a region, students have to first discover the interesting phenomena in the landscape, and then identify the natural environment and socio-economic environment, historical and cultural environment, etc. that characterize such phenomena. Ultimately, they should identify the character of the region through the interrelationship between the phenomena and various environments.