Physical+Geography

= Physical Geography of Japan = Japan is an island nation located off the east coast of the Asian continent. There is about 7,000 islands runs almost 3,000km northeast to southwest. The total land area is just less than 388,000 square kilometers. Only about 16% of the land is fertile, the rest being mostly forest-covered mountains. Japan is located on the western rim of the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire" and as a result suffers from frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

Map of Japan



4 Main Islands

4 main islands Hokkaido- While the whole country is mountainous, Hokkaido also has areas of rolling hills and farmland. The island produces most of Japan's dairy foods as well as large quantities of rice and vegetables. Honshu- The largest island of Japan. Mountainous and volcanic, Honshu has frequent earthquakes. The highest peak is the active volcano Mount Fuji. There are many rivers, including the Shinano River, Japan's longest. Kyushu- It is considered the birthplace of Japanese civilization. For centuries, it was Japan's gateway to Asia and the rest of the world. The port city of Nagasaki was the only place where contact with Dutch and Portuguese traders was allowed for some 200 years. Shikoku- The smallest of Japan's four main islands with only a population of 4,141,955 and perhaps its least visited. But it does have a lot of things to offer, such as the Awa Odori festival, Matsuyama Castle, a beautiful coastline and it has the best noodles in Japan.

Fuji(ふじ) Mountain

=Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan. An active volcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji is just west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently in lots of art and photographs, as well as visited by sightseers and climbers.=

The 4 seasons in Japan

Disaster Video=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RApmSN6TQLU&feature=player_detailpage