Mount Fuji is an important symbol of Japan. The seas surrounding Japan allowed for easier ship travel and helped develop Japan's independent society with its own religion, art, literature, and government. The ocean also kept Japanese people isolated from other cultures. Japan consists of a chain of islands stretching north to south in the Pacific Ocean, including Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Shrines were holy places and Kamakura was a small seaside settlement. Daimyo ruled areas and were headed by powerful military lords.