There are a variety reasons for teaching about Japan. Many students in the United States are of Japanese heritage; Japan is the second largest trading partner of the United States; and some healing still needs to occur between the United States and Japan because of the damage and pain of World War II. Further, the Unites States and Japan share the Pacific Ocean, its waters and fisheries. Mutual cultural understanding and effective communication skills are necessary for the best use of these shared resources. Many primary teachers excel at teaching about Japan through activities about food, language, holidays, and artifacts. Learning about Japan through the visual arts also should be a part of this list of activities. Visual thinking provides the opportunity to focus carefully on an image in order to recall and reproduce it at a later time; to delve into an image in order to understand its deeper implications; and to take time to look at an image in order to provide a place of serenity and quiet in the midst of a fast, harried world. Two- and three-dimensional representations are powerful ways by which to integrate Japanese studies into curricular areas and into the development of critical thinking skills. The ideas in this ERIC Digest are offered to stimulate thinking about Japanese art, visual thinking, and practical ways for studying about Japan using art. Lessons can be integrated into other curriculum areas including mathematics and social studies. (Contains 11 references.) (LB)