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Geography and climate
Japan from space, May 2003.
Mount Fuji, the highest point in Japan, with sakura and the Bullet Train in the
foreground.
Beach in Okinawa Prefecture.
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 Hokkaidō,
Honshū (the main island), Shikoku, and Kyūshū. The Ryukyu Islands, including
Okinawa, are a chain of islands south of Kyushū. Together they are often known
as the Japanese Archipelago.
About 70% to 80% of the country is forested, mountainous, and unsuitable for
agricultural, industrial, or residential use. This is due to 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 the thirtieth
most densely populated country 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 Chūetsu 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:
Hokkaidō: 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 Honshū'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, due to the
F?hn 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 Chūgoku 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 due to the southeast seasonal wind.
South-west 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 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 Hokkaidō in late July. In most of Honshū, 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
Ryūkyū 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.
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