The territory of Japan is represented by the mainland, large and small islands. There are almost seven thousand of them. They are located in the waters of the Sea of Japan, the Korean Strait, the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Some of them barely exceed one hundred square meters in diameter. Almost all of them are in an unstable seismic zone.
There are still land areas that are located in freshwater bodies of water. Plus artificial mounds of Odaiba, Tennosu, Ogishima, Yumenoshima. The names of the islands of Japan, which are well-known to everyone, are Honshu, Hokkaido and Kyushu. Together with Shikoku, they form an extensive archipelago, which makes up about 98% of the total area of the state.
Homeland of exquisite ceramics and snow peaks
The largest island of Japan is Honshu. He spread from Big Tokyo to the Osaka conglomerate. Its length exceeds 1,300 kilometers, its width is almost 230,000 km. And the size is slightly smaller than the British possessions. The names of the islands of Japan are easily translated into Russian. So, the word "honshu" means "chief."
The land is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan. The local relief is hilly. In the mountains - volcanoes that wake up every now and then. Honshu's calling card is the snow-capped peak of Fuji Peak.
From time immemorial, this place is famous for skilled artisans. To this day, household utensils and dishes made by them faithfully serve representatives of the privileged families of the nation.
It is here that the largest metropolis is located. In the vicinity of Tokyo are the cities of Hiroshima, Yokohama, Kyoto and Osaka.
Nordic samurai spirit
The ancient name of the island in Japan, Hokkaido, the second largest, is Ezo. Until 1960, this land area was called Matsumae. The region is located in the northern part of the archipelago. It is washed by the icy waves of the Sea of Okhotsk. Its surface is divided into two parts. A mountain range stretches in the very center.
Plains occupy the coast and valleys along the Ishikari and Tokati rivers. District administration is from Sapporo Prefecture. As we have said, many of the names of the islands of Japan are translated, so "Hokkaido" means "the path to the north." The island covers more than 83,000 square kilometers, home to five and a half million people.
In the forest tracts of these places brown bear, fox, sable, weasel, ermine live. In the south, mainly deciduous trees grow. Closer to the north, they are replaced by conifers.
The cradle of Japanese civilization
The name of the third largest island of Japan is Kyushu. Its territory exceeds 40,000 km². The total number of inhabitants is 12 million. According to historians, it was on its rocky terrain that Japanese statehood was born.
The island is separated from the capital's Honshu by several kilometers, which today can be overcome through one of the tunnels. An underground crossing is organized under the Simonsek Strait. The province's land accessibility is organized by the Cammon Suspension Bridge, which began driving on the road in the early seventies of the 20th century.
The local landscape is characterized by a sharp difference in elevation, which creates optimal conditions for the operation of hydroelectric power plants. As in other parts of the country, volcanoes operate here. The largest of them are Sakurajima, Aso and Kirishima.
The weather conditions in the region correspond to the subtropical climate. In summer, monsoon rains flood the coast . In winter typhoons come here.
Humble outback charm
Shikoku Island is strong in its traditions. Its atmosphere and pace are strikingly different from the rhythm in which the metropolitan archipelago lives. Locals consider it the most provincial and one of the most remote. It is part of a system of bridges that span from one piece of land to another. Large settlements of the region - Koshi, Tokushima, Matsuyama, Takamatsu. Each of them heads the prefecture of the same name.
The lion's share of Shikoku land is occupied by agricultural land. Due to the mountainous terrain, the road network in this part of Japan is poorly developed. The population is about 4 million. The vast majority of residents are concentrated in the cities of the northern coast. The island is considered the center of Buddhism. On its open spaces 88 pilgrim shrines rise.
The climate of the province combines the features of subtropical and Mediterranean. The closer to the Pacific, the hotter.
Artificial mounds
In Japanese submission is as many as seven artificial islands. Odaiba is the largest. The crossing of the Rainbow Bridge connects it with Tokyo. The main attraction is a huge amusement park. The sandy embankments of Tennosu were chosen by the elite metropolis public.
The possessions of Yumenoshima are completely given over to the municipal park, on the alleys of which there are a museum and a sports complex. The purpose of Odaiba is exclusively utilitarian. A metallurgical plant was built on it.
Thousands of travelers arriving from across the ocean meet the runways of Kansai International Airport, which has become the common name for the Japanese islands created by human hands. This is the first round-the-clock air gate of Japan. The reinforced concrete dam surrounding the land serves as a reliable shield against hurricane winds raging in the waters of the Osaka Gulf.