Japanese Geography
A quick look at the landscapes, climate, and demographics of Japan.
Geographical Statistics of Japan
Japan, or Nippon, is an island nation of the Japanese Archipelago in East Asia. It is separated from Russia and the Korean Peninsula by the Sea of Japan, which opens into the North Pacific. To its south are the East China and Philippine Seas. The archipelago consists of 6,852 islands, the four largest being Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. The nation’s total land area is about 140728 square miles or 364,485 square kilometers. Among its largest cities are Tokyo (approx. population 37.468 million), Osaka (19.281 million), Nagoya (9.507 million), and Kitakyushu-Fukuoka (5.551 million). As of 2017, Japan’s total population consisted of an estimated 126,451,398 people.
Landscapes and Climate of Japan
The climate of Japan ranges from the warm, wet seasons of Kyushu to the temperate and snowy landscapes of Hokkaido. Honshu, the largest and most populous island, sees generally subtropical weather with mild winters. The archipelago rests along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for its volcanic activity and earthquakes. Because of this, Japan is a highly mountainous nation. Its largest and most famous peak is Mount Fuji, along with Mount Tate and Haku. Coastal lowlands harbor most of the country’s population.
Japan, from the CIA World Factbook.
Japan’s ecosystems change with its climate. To the south, forests are likely to include oak, cedar, black pine, wild cherry, laurel, maple, and ginkgo. These transition to alpine coniferous forests moving north, made up of oak, pine, spruce, fir, and beech trees. Japan is also home to diverse wildlife like bears, foxes, cranes, sika deer, raccoon dogs, Japanese macaques, and wild boar.
References
Henshall, Kenneth. Springer. A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower. 2012.
Perez, Louis G. The History of Japan. Greenwood Publishing. 1998.
“Status of Kyushu Homeland Forestation Program.” Kyushu Electric Power Co. , Kyushu Electric Power Co., www.kyuden.co.jp/var/rev0/0030/1785/57.pdf.
“The Wildlife in Japan.” Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of the Environment, Mar. 2015, www.env.go.jp/nature/yasei/pamph/pamph01/WildlifePamphlet-EN_151126.pdf.
“The World Factbook: Japan.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 17 Oct. 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ja.html.
Walker, Brett L. A Concise History of Japan. Cambridge University Press. 2015.
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