GEOGRAPHY
Japan, a country of islands, extends along the eastern or Pacific
coast of Asia. The main islands, running from north to south, are Hokkaido,
Honshu (or the mainland), Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa, which is about 380
miles southwest of Kyushu. About 3,000 smaller islands are included in the
archipelago. In total land area, Japan is slightly smaller than California.
About 73% of the country is mountainous, with a chain running through each
of the main islands. Japan's highest mountain is world famous Mt. Fuji (12,385
feet). Since so little flat area exists, many hills and mountainsides are cultivated
all the way to the summits. As Japan is situated in a volcanic zone along the
Pacific deeps, frequent low intensity earth tremors and occasional volcanic
activity are felt throughout the islands. Destructive earthquakes occur several
times a century. Hot springs are numerous and have been developed as resorts.
Temperature extremes are less pronounced than in the U.S. since
no part of the interior is more than 100 miles from the coast.
At the same time, because the islands run almost directly north-south,
the climate varies considerably. Sapporo, on the northern island,
has warm summers and long, cold winters with heavy snowfall.
Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe, in central and western
parts of the largest island of Honshu, experience relatively
mild winters with little or no snowfall and hot, humid summers.
Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu, has a climate similar to that
of Washington, D.C., with mild winters and short summers. Okinawa
is subtropical.
Area: 377,864 sq. km. (145,902 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than
California.
Cities: Capital--Tokyo. Other cities--Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya,
Sapporo, Kobe, Kyoto, Fukuoka.
Terrain: Rugged, mountainous islands.
Climate: Varies from subtropical to temperate.
