Japan is an archipelago of over 1,000 islands located in the Pacific Ocean. The four main islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Japan has a rugged coastline vulnerable to seasonal winds and storms, and many mountains and active volcanoes like Mount Fuji. The narrow coastal plains are densely populated and heavily farmed, but most of Japan's land is mountainous with limited space for housing, agriculture, and infrastructure. This geography contributes to issues of limited resources, high population density, and a reliance on public transportation.

1. Geography of
Japan

2. Japan Basics
• The Japanese call their country “Nippon”
– Source of the sun
• “Japan” is actually a Chinese word
– Origin of the sun
• Japan is home to 127 million people
– Tokyo is the largest city with almost 13 million people
• One of the most crowded cities in the world

3. Physical Geography
• Japan is an “archipelago” of more than 1,000
islands in the Pacific Ocean
– Chain of islands
• 4 main islands
– Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku
• Honshu is the largest and most important island
• Japan’s physical environment is defined by three
things
– Rugged coastline
– Mountains and volcanoes
– Narrow Plains

4. Rugged Coastline
• Japan has 17,000 miles of sea/ ocean coast
– Everyone in Japan lives less than 70 miles from the
sea or ocean
• Japan’s coast is vulnerable to the ocean
– Monsoons
• Seasonal winds that bring mild temperatures and large
amounts of rain and snow
– Typhoons
• Severe tropical storms similar to hurricanes
– Devastate coastal areas of Japan as many as 12 times in one year

5. Mountains and Volcanoes
• Japan is located on the “Ring of Fire”
– Earthquakes and active volcanoes are common
• There are 190 Volcanoes in Japan
– Only 40 are still active
– Mount Fuji
• Famous for its perfect shape, but is no longer active
– Hasn’t erupted since 1707
• Climbing is considered sacred to followers of Shinto
– Believe spirits reside in mountain that determine one’s destiny
– “He who never climbs Mount Fuji is a fool, and he who climbs twice
is twice the fool”

6. Narrow Plains
• Majority of Japan’s land is covered by mountains
– Flat land is very valuable and considered precious
• Only small and narrow coastal plains exist
• Kanto Plain
– Largest and most productive plain in Japan
• Best farmland in the archipelago
• Birthplace of Japanese civilization
• Fought over by the “feudal lords”
– Early kings/ emperors of Japan
– Rice is most important, but also tobacco, tea,
potatoes, sugar, beets, and barley

7. Geography Issues in Japan
• Japan has an issue with limited space
– Food/ water
• Sushi and importing of food and water
– Housing
• Small apartments and capsule hotels
– Transportation
• Mass transportation is the key
– Trains, subway, buses
– All of this makes Japan very, very expensive and very,
very crowded

8. Food