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Japan Country Guide

Overview

Japan is comprised of four main islands called Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku. Apart from these there are 3000 smaller islands off the east coast of Asia that are also a part of Japan. These islands stretch to over 1,900 km into the Pacific Ocean. Located on the “ring of fire”, where the earth’s plates collide, make this country vulnerable to earthquakes and some erupting volcanoes. Most of the population inhabits Honshu which is also the largest island. People here enjoy very high standards of living. The Japan’s economy is a worldwide phenomenon now and the technology of this country has been a pioneer to numerous inventions.

Hokkaido is the second largest island in Japan and the main inhabitants are Ainu, who were the first settlers of Japan. However, now the population of Ainu is dwindling and presently it stands at 20,000 souls. Hokkaido is a forested area where you can find wild animals too. Tourism in Japan includes a vibrant visit to Hokkaido.

Japan is famous for its varied colors and cultures. The dyed goods manufactured over here contain organic dyes and are popular worldwide.

Mount Fuji also known as Fuji-san in Japan is the country’s highest peak. It is located near the Pacific coast of central Honshu. This perfectly symmetrical volcanic mountain can be seen from a great distance. In Japan it is regarded as a revered symbol and thousands of Japanese climb up to see the crater, each year. Japan has many theme parks that are famous world wide. The theme parks have attractions like the Disney movies and high speed rides. The Disneyland Park includes many dynamic attractions. You can find various hotels in Japan that cater to tourism around Disneyland.

The climate in Japan varies from north to south. While Hokkaido is covered in snow for 4 months of the year, the southern islands enjoy a tropical climate. The island of Honshu has humid summers and cold and snowy winters. The islands of Kyushu and Shikoku have long and hot summers and mild winters. The rainfall is high in entire Japan. Around 90% of the land area in Japan is forested while only 4% is under construction and 6% of the area is under farming. Lack of space in Japan has forced the building to be built very close together, especially in the big cities like Tokyo and Kobe.

The population here consists of 99% of ethnic Japanese. The Japanese are very hard working people and the government encourages them to relax. Throughout the year you can find some festivity going on, including the colorful religious street processions, the tea ceremony and the spring blossom picking. There are various Japan travel tours that include these festivals in their itinerary.

Japan is very well connected with the major international airports, and most of the flights operate to and fro. There are two large airports in Tokyo. Internal commutation is extremely perfect with trains sometimes getting delayed by seconds only! However, the crowded speeds, expensive road tolls and lack of parking spaces hinder the use of cars in the cities. Bicycles are a popular means of transport for small journeys. The famous bullet train that travel at a speed of 210 kms or more are referred to as Shinkansen in Japanese, are the world’s fastest trains.

Japan main regions (states / provinces) and major cities:

Hokkaido > Sapporo
Tohoku >Sendai
Kanto >Tokyo
Chubu > Kanazawa, Nagano
Kinki > Kyoto
Chugoku > Hiroshima
Shikoku > Takamatsu
Kyushu > Nagazaki, Fukuoka, Okinawa prefecture and Islands

Popular Japanese tourist attractions

Tokyo
Kyoto
Osaka
Imperial Palace
Mount Fuji
Kamakura
Nara
Japanese Alps
Hakone
Miyajima Island
Hiroshima
Nagasaki
Kanazawa
Hakodate

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