Geography

Japan’s geography influences the development of its society and culture in many ways. Its location and size affects the demography, the development of social structures, and its position in the international community.

Japan is a shimaguni, also known as an island country. It consists of four main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu as well as thousands of smaller ones including Okinawa. The Sea of Japan separates the Japanese archipelago (island chains) from the Asian continent.

The country’s size is comparable to the single, yet large state of California. At the same time, it is small compared to Asia and the United States.

It becomes even smaller when you learn that only 15% of the total land area is available for agriculture and housing.

Japanese islands are very mountainous and heavily forested. The mountains of Japan contain some of the most active volcanoes in the world. Mt. Fuji is Japan’s most famous mountain, a dormant and beautiful volcano.

Since Japan is surrounded by the sea, there are both warm and cold currents that flow through and around it. This creates an environment that supports a plentiful and variety amount of fish species.

This country unfortunately experiences natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, and volcanic eruptions. Although this may be true, Japan has been working hard for years to minimize their damage. The Japanese uses innovative technologies to create quake-resistant structures and to trace storms with more precision.

The population of Japan is nearly 127 million as of 2014. It ranks number 10 in the world’s most populous countries.

Japan’s geography influences the development of its society and culture in many ways. Its location and size affects the demography, the development of social structures, and its position in the international community.

Japan is a shimaguni, also known as an island country. It consists of four main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu as well as thousands of smaller ones including Okinawa. The Sea of Japan separates the Japanese archipelago (island chains) from the Asian continent.

The country’s size is comparable to the single, yet large state of California. At the same time, it is small compared to Asia and the United States. It becomes even smaller when you learn that only 15% of the total land area is available for agriculture and housing.

Japanese islands are very mountainous and heavily forested. The mountains of Japan contain some of the most active volcanoes in the world. Mt. Fuji is Japan’s most famous mountain, a dormant and beautiful volcano.

Since Japan is surrounded by the sea, there are both warm and cold currents that flow through and around it. This creates an environment that supports a plentiful and variety amount of fish species.

This country unfortunately experiences natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, and volcanic eruptions. Although this may be true, Japan has been working hard for years to minimize their damage. The Japanese uses innovative technologies to create quake-resistant structures and to trace storms with more precision.

The population of Japan is nearly 127 million as of 2014. It ranks number 10 in the world’s most populous countries.