Japan is a country of over three thousand islands extending along the Pacific coast of Asia. The main islands, running from north to south, are Hokkaid?, Honsh? (the main island), Shikoku and Ky?sh?. The Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, are a chain of islands south of Kyush?. Together they are often known as the Japanese Archipelago.
Capital city of Japan is Tokyo
Government : Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
Currency : yen (JPY, ¥)
Area total : 377,835 km2
water : 3,091 km2
land : 374,744 km2
Population : 127,463,611 (July 2006 est.)
Language : Japanese
Religion : Shinto and Buddhism (often both), Christian (0.7%)
Electricity : 100V/50 or 60Hz (American plug)
Calling Code : +81
Internet TLD : .jp
Time Zone : UTC+9
MAP OF JAPAN – DETAILS – TRAVEL TO JAPAN FACTS – CITIES & REGIONS
About 70% to 80% of the country is forested, mountainous, and unsuitable for agricultural, industrial, or residential use. This is because of the generally steep elevations, climate and risk of landslides caused by earthquakes, soft ground and heavy rain. This has resulted in an extremely high population density in the habitable zones that are mainly located in coastal areas. Japan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, at the juncture of three tectonic plates, gives Japan frequent low-intensity tremors and occasional volcanic activity. Destructive earthquakes, often resulting in tsunamis, occur several times each century. The most recent major quakes are the 2004 Ch?etsu earthquake and the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. Hot springs are numerous and have been developed as resorts.
The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate, but varies greatly from north to south. Japan’s geographical features divide it into six principal climatic zones:
Hokkaid?: The northernmost zone has a temperate climate with long, cold winters and cool summers. Precipitation is not heavy, but the islands usually develop deep snow banks in the winter.
Sea of Japan: On Honsh?’s west coast, the northwest wind in the wintertime brings heavy snowfall. In the summer, the region is cooler than the Pacific area, though it sometimes experiences extremely hot temperatures, because of the foehn wind phenomenon.
Central Highland: A typical inland climate, with large temperature differences between summer and winter, and between day and night. Precipitation is light.
Seto Inland Sea: The mountains of the Ch?goku and Shikoku regions shelter the region from the seasonal winds, bringing mild weather throughout the year.
Pacific Ocean: The east coast experiences cold winters with little snowfall and hot, humid summers because of the southeast seasonal wind.
Ryukyu Islands: The Ryukyu Islands have a subtropical climate, with warm winters and hot summers. Precipitation is very heavy, especially during the rainy season. Typhoons are common.
The hottest temperature ever measured in Japan — 40.9 degrees Celsius — was recorded on August 16, 2007.
The main rainy season begins in early May in Okinawa, and the stationary rain front responsible for this gradually works its way north until it dissipates in northern Japan before reaching Hokkaid? in late July. In most of Honsh?, the rainy season begins before the middle of June and lasts about six weeks. In late summer and early autumn, typhoons often bring heavy rain.
Japan is home to nine forest ecoregions which reflect the climate and geography of the islands. They range from subtropical moist broadleaf forests in the Ry?ky? and Bonin islands, to temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in the mild climate regions of the main islands, to temperate coniferous forests in the cold, winter portions of the northern islands.
JAPANESE REGION MAP
Japan is conventionally divided into nine regions, listed here from north to south:
Hokkaido – northernmost island and snowy frontier. Famous for its wide open spaces and cold winters.
Tohoku – largely rural north-east part of the main island Honshu, best known for for seafood, skiing and hot springs
Kanto – coastal plain of Honshu, includes the cities of Tokyo and Yokohama
Chubu – mountainous middle region of Honshu, dominated by the Japan Alps and Japan’s fourth-largest city Nagoya
Kansai – western region of Honshu, ancient capital of culture and commerce, including the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Kobe
Chugoku – south-westernmost Honshu, a rural region best known for the cities of Hiroshima and Shimonoseki
Shikoku – smallest of the four main islands, a destination for Buddhist pilgrims, and Japan’s best white-water rafting
Kyushu – southernmost of the four main islands, birthplace of Japanese civilization; largest cities Fukuoka and Kitakyushu
Okinawa – semi-tropical southern island chain reaching out toward Taiwan; formerly the independent Ryukyu Kingdom until it was annexed by Japan in 1879, its traditional customs and architecture are significantly different from the rest of Japan.
CITIES OF JAPAN
Japan has thousands of cities; these are nine of the most important to the traveller.
Tokyo – the capital and main financial centre, modern and densely populated.
Hiroshima – large port city, the first city to be destroyed by an atomic bomb
Kanazawa – historic city on the west coast
Kyoto – ancient capital of Japan, considered the cultural heart of the country, with many ancient Buddhist temples and gardens
Nagasaki – ancient port city in Kyushu, the second city to be destroyed by an atom bomb
Nara – first capital of a united Japan, with many Buddhist shrines, and historical buildings
Osaka – large and dynamic city located in the Kansai region
Sapporo – largest city in Hokkaido, famous for its snow festival
Sendai – largest city in the Tohoku region, known as the city of forests due to its tree lined avenues and wooded hills
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See Japan’s Top 3 for some sights and places held in the high esteem by the Japanese themselves, and Off the beaten track in Japan for a selection of fascinating but less well known destinations throughout the country.
Mount Fuji – iconic snow-topped volcano, and highest peak in Japan (3776 m)
88 Temple Pilgrimage – an arduous 1,647 km trail around the island of Shikoku
Narrow Road to the Deep North – a route around northern Japan immortalized by Japan’s most famous haiku poet
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The Japanese are proud of their four seasons, but the tourist with a flexible travel schedule should aim for spring or autumn.
Spring is one of the best times of year to be in Japan. The temperatures are warm but not hot, there’s not too much rain, and March-April brings the justly famous cherry blossoms (sakura) and is a time of revelry and festivals. In early March, the Japan Meteorological Agency announces predictions about when the blooming will begin
Summer starts with a dreary rainy season (known as tsuyu or baiu) in June and turns into a steambath in July-August, with extreme humidity and the temperature heading as high as 40°C. Avoid, or head to northern Hokkaido or the mountains of Chubu and Tohoku to escape. The upside, though, is a slew of fireworks shows (???? hanabi taikai) and festivals big and small.
Autumn, starting in September, is also an excellent time to be in Japan. Temperatures and humidity become more tolerable, fair days are common and fall colors can be just as impressive as cherry blossoms. However, in early autumn typhoons often hit the southern parts of Japan and bring everything to a standstill.
Winter is a good time to go skiing or hot-spring hopping, but as some buildings lack central heating, it’s often miserably cold indoors. Heading south to Okinawa provides some relief. There is usually heavy snow in Hokkaido and northeast Japan due to the cold wind blasts from Siberia. Note that the Pacific coast of Honshu (where most major cities are located) has milder winters than the Sea of Japan coast: it may be snowing in Kyoto while it is cloudy or sprinkling rain in Osaka, an hour away.
