Geography of Japan 15575 222632701 2008-06-30T10:36:29Z Darwinek 107928 updating link using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{Country geography| name=Japan| map=Satellite View of Japan 1999.jpg| continent=[[Asia]]| region=[[East Asia]]| coordinates={{coord|36|00|N|138|00|E|type:country}}| area ranking=62nd| km area=377923.14 |(2006)| percent land=99.18| percent water=0.82 | km coastline=29751| borders=0 km| highest point=[[Mount Fuji]] 3,776 m| lowest point=[[Hachiro-gata|Hachirō-gata]] -4 m| longest river=[[Shinano River]] 367 km| largest lake=[[Lake Biwa]] 670 km² }} [[Japan]] is an [[island nation]] in [[East Asia]] comprising a large [[Stratovolcano|stratovolcanic]] [[archipelago]] extending along the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]] coast of [[Asia]]. Measured from the [[geographic coordinate]] system, Japan is 36° north of the [[equator]] and 138° east of the [[Prime Meridian]]. The country is north-northeast of [[China]] and [[Taiwan]] (separated by the [[East China Sea]]) and slightly east of [[Korea]] (separated by the [[Sea of Japan]]). The country is south of [[Siberia]] in [[Russia]]. The main [[island]]s, sometimes called the "Home Islands", are (from north to south) [[Hokkaidō]], [[Honshū]] (the "[[mainland]]"), [[Shikoku]] and [[Kyūshū]]. There are also about 3,000 smaller islands, including [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]], and [[islet]]s, some inhabited and others uninhabited. In total, as of 2006, Japan's territory is 377,923.1&nbsp;km², of which 374,834&nbsp;km² is land and 3,091&nbsp;km² water. This makes Japan's total area slightly smaller than the [[U.S. state]] of [[Montana]]. Japan is bigger than [[Germany]], [[Malaysia]], [[New Zealand]] and the [[United Kingdom|U.K.]], and is 1.7 times the size of [[Korea]] and 10 times the size of [[Taiwan]]. ==Statistics== '''Location''': Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the [[Sea of Japan]], east of the [[Korean Peninsula]]. '''Geographic coordinates''': {{coor dm |35|41|N|139|46|E}} '''Map references''': [[Asia]] '''Area''':<br> *''total'': 377,835 km² *''land'': 374,744 km² *''water'': 3,091 km² *''notes'': Includes the [[Bonin Islands]], [[Daito-shoto|Daitō-shotō]], [[Marcus Island]], [[Okino-tori-shima]], the [[Ryukyu Islands]], and the [[Volcano Islands]]. Ownership of the [[Liancourt Rocks]] (Japanese:''Takeshima'', Korean:''Dokdo'') is in dispute. '''Area comparative''': slightly smaller than [[California]], [[United States|USA]] '''Land boundaries''': 0 km '''Coastline''': 29,751 km (18,486 mi) '''Maritime claims''': <br> *''exclusive economic zone'': 200 [[nautical mile]]s (370 km) (230 mi) *''territorial sea'': 12 nautical miles (22 km)(14 mi); between 3 and 12 nautical miles (6 and 22 km)(4 and 14 mi) in the international straits—[[La Perouse Strait|La Perouse]] or [[Soya Strait|Sōya Strait]], [[Tsugaru Strait]], Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or [[Tsushima Strait]]. '''Climate''': varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north '''Terrain''': mostly rugged and mountainous '''Natural resources''': negligible coal, oil, iron resources, fish, and mineral resources '''Land use''': <br> *''arable land'': 11% *''permanent crops'': 1% *''permanent pastures'': 2% *''forests and woodland'': 67% *''other'': 19% (1993 est.) '''Irrigated land''': 27,820 km² (1993 est.) 73% of Japan is mountains. ==Composition, topography, and drainage== [[Image:Japan topo en.jpg|thumb|250px|Topographic map]] [[Image:Ja-map.svg|right|thumb|250px|Map of Japan]] About 73% of Japan is [[mountain]]ous, with a [[mountain range]] running through each of the main islands. Japan's highest mountain is [[Mt. Fuji]], with an [[elevation]] of 3776 m (12,388 ft). Since so very little flat area exists, many hills and mountainsides are cultivated all the way to the top. As Japan is situated in a volcanic zone along the [[Pacific ocean|Pacific]] deeps, frequent low-intensity earth tremors and occasional volcanic activity are felt throughout the islands. Destructive [[earthquake]]s occur several times a century. [[Hot spring]]s are numerous and have been exploited as an [[economic capital]] by the leisure industry. The mountainous islands of the [[Japanese Archipelago]] form a crescent off the eastern coast of Asia. They are separated from the mainland by the [[Sea of Japan]], which historically served as a protective barrier. The country consists of four principal islands: [[Hokkaidō]], [[Honshū]], [[Shikoku]], and [[Kyūshū]]; more than 3,000 adjacent islands and islets, including [[Oshima]] in the [[Nampo Chain]]; and more than 200 other smaller islands, including those of the [[Amami Islands|Amami]], [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]], and [[Sakishima Islands|Sakishima]] chains of the [[Ryukyu Islands]]. The national territory also includes the small Bonin or [[Ogasawara Islands]], which include [[Iwo Jima]] and the [[Volcano Islands]] (Kazan Retto), stretching some 1,100 kilometers from the main islands. A territorial dispute with [[Russia]], dating from the end of World War II, over the two southernmost of the [[Kuril Islands]], Etorofu ([[Iturup]]) and [[Kunashir Island|Kunashiri]], and the smaller [[Shikotan]] and [[Habomai]] Islands northeast of [[Hokkaidō]] remains a sensitive spot in [[Japanese-Russian relations]] as of 2005. Excluding disputed territory, the archipelago covers about 377,000 square kilometers. No point in Japan is more than 150 kilometers from the sea. The four major islands are separated by narrow straits and form a natural entity. The Ryukyu Islands curve 970 kilometers southward from Kyūshū. The distance between Japan and the [[Korean Peninsula]], the nearest point on the Asian continent, is about 200 kilometers at the [[Korea Strait]]. Japan has always been linked with the continent through trade routes, stretching in the north toward [[Siberia]], in the west through the [[Tsushima Island]]s to the Korean Peninsula, and in the south to the ports on the south China coast. The Japanese islands are the summits of mountain ridges uplifted near the outer edge of the [[continental shelf]]. About 73 percent of Japan's area is mountainous, and scattered plains and intermontane basins (in which the population is concentrated) cover only about 25 percent. A long chain of mountains runs down the middle of the archipelago, dividing it into two halves, the "face," fronting on the Pacific Ocean, and the "back," toward the Sea of Japan. On the Pacific side are steep mountains 1,500 to 3,000 meters high, with deep valleys and gorges. Central Japan is marked by the convergence of the three mountain chains—the [[Hida Mountains|Hida]], [[Kiso Mountains|Kiso]], and [[Akaishi Mountains|Akaishi]] mountains—that form the [[Japanese Alps]] (Nihon Arupusu), several of whose peaks are higher than 3,000 meters. The highest point in the Japanese Alps is [[Mount Kita]] at 3,193 meters. The highest point in the country is [[Mount Fuji]] (Fujisan, also erroneously called Fujiyama), a volcano dormant since 1707 that rises to 3,776 meters above sea level in [[Shizuoka Prefecture]]. On the Sea of Japan side are plateaus and low mountain districts, with altitudes of 500 to 1,500 meters. None of the populated plains or mountain basins are extensive in area. The largest, the [[Kanto Plain]], where [[Tokyo]] is situated, covers only 13,000 square kilometers. Other important plains are the [[Nōbi Plain]] surrounding [[Nagoya]], the [[Kinki Plain]] in the [[Osaka]]-[[Kyoto]] area, the [[Sendai Plain]] around the city of [[Sendai, Miyagi|Sendai]] in northeastern Honshū, and the [[Ishikari Plain]] on Hokkaidō. Many of these plains are along the coast, and their areas have been increased by reclamation throughout recorded history. The small amount of habitable land has prompted significant human modification of the terrain over many centuries. Land was reclaimed from the sea and from river deltas by building [[dike (construction)|dikes]] and drainage, and rice paddies were built on terraces carved into mountainsides. The process continued in the modern period with extension of shorelines and building of artificial islands for industrial and port development, such as Port Island in Kobe and the new [[Kansai International Airport]] in Osaka Bay. Hills and even mountains have been razed to provide flat areas for housing. Rivers are generally steep and swift, and few are suitable for navigation except in their lower reaches. Most rivers are fewer than 300 kilometers in length, but their rapid flow from the mountains provides a valuable, renewable resource: [[Hydroelectricity|hydroelectric power]] generation. Japan's hydroelectric power potential has been exploited almost to capacity. Seasonal variations in flow have led to extensive development of flood control measures. Most of the rivers are very short. The longest, the [[Shinano River]], which winds through [[Nagano Prefecture]] to [[Niigata Prefecture]] and flows into the Sea of Japan, is only 367 kilometers long. The largest freshwater lake is [[Lake Biwa]], northeast of Kyoto. Extensive coastal shipping, especially around the [[Inland Sea]] (Seto Naikai), compensates for the lack of navigable rivers. The Pacific coastline south of Tokyo is characterized by long, narrow, gradually shallowing inlets produced by sedimentation, which has created many natural harbors. The Pacific coastline north of Tokyo, the coast of Hokkaidō, and the Sea of Japan coast are generally unindented, with few natural harbors. ==Climate== [[Image:Satellite image of Hokkaido, Japan in January 2003.jpg|thumb|right|Satellite image of [[Hokkaidō]] in January]] [[Image:Mountfujijapan.jpg|thumb|right|[[Mount Fuji]] with a [[Shinkansen]] and [[Sakura]] blossoms in [[Shizuoka prefecture]], in May]] [[Image:Mt.Yarigatake from Enzansou.jpg|thumb|right|[[Mount Yari]], [[Nagano Prefecture]] in August]] [[Image:Minnajima beach, Okinawa.jpg|thumb|right|Beach in Minnnajima, [[Okinawa]] in September]] Japan belongs to the temperate zone with four distinct seasons, but its climate varies from cool temperate in the north to subtropical in the south. The climate is also affected by the seasonal winds that blow from the continent to the ocean in winters and vice versa in summers. Japan is generally a rainy country with high humidity. Because of its wide range of latitude, Japan has a variety of climates, with a range often compared to that of the east coast of [[North America]], from [[Nova Scotia]] to [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. [[Tokyo]] is at about 35 north latitude, comparable to that of [[Tehran]], [[Athens]], or [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]]. The generally humid, temperate climate exhibits marked seasonal variation celebrated in [[Japanese art|art]] and [[Japanese literature|literature]], as well as regional variations ranging from cool in Hokkaidō to subtropical in Kyūshū. Climate also varies with altitude and with location on the Pacific Ocean or on the Sea of Japan. Northern Japan has warm summers but long, cold winters with heavy snow. Central Japan has hot, humid summers and short winters, and southwestern Japan has long, hot, humid summers and mild winters. Two primary factors influence Japan's climate: a location near the [[Asia]]n continent and the existence of major [[Ocean current|oceanic currents]]. The climate from June to September is marked by hot, wet weather brought by tropical airflows from the Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia. These airflows are full of moisture and deposit substantial amounts of rain when they reach land. There is a marked rainy season, beginning in early June and continuing for about a month. It is followed by hot, sticky weather. Five or six [[Tropical cyclone|typhoon]]s pass over or near Japan every year from early August to early September, sometimes resulting in significant damage. Annual [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]], which averages between 100 and 200 centimeters (39–78 inches), is concentrated in the period between June and September. In fact, 70 to 80 percent of the annual precipitation falls during this period. In winter, a high-pressure area develops over Siberia, and a low-pressure area develops over the northern Pacific Ocean. The result is a flow of cold air eastward across Japan that brings freezing temperatures and heavy snowfalls to the central mountain ranges facing the Sea of Japan, but clear skies to areas fronting on the Pacific. Two major ocean currents affect this climatic pattern: the warm [[Kuroshio Current]] (Black Current; also known as the Japan Current); and the cold [[Oyashio Current]] (Parent Current; also known as the Okhotsk Current). The Kuroshio Current flows northward on the Pacific side of Japan and warms areas as far north as Tokyo; a small branch, the [[Tsushima Current]], flows up the Sea of Japan side. The Oyashio Current, which abounds in [[plankton]] beneficial to coldwater fish, flows southward along the northern Pacific, cooling adjacent coastal areas. The meeting point of these currents at 36 north latitude is a bountiful fishing ground. Late June and early July are a [[East Asian rainy season|rainy season]]—except in Hokkaidō—as a seasonal rain front or {{nihongo|''baiu zensen''|梅雨前線|}} stays above Japan. In summer and early autumn, typhoons, grown from tropical depressions generated near the equator, attack Japan with furious rainstorms. Its varied geographical features divide Japan into six principal climatic zones. * {{nihongo|[[Hokkaidō]]|北海道|Hokkaidō}}: Belonging to the cool temperate zone, Hokkaidō has long, cold winters and cool summers. Precipitation is not great. * {{nihongo|[[Sea of Japan]]|日本海|Nihonkai}}: The northwest seasonal wind in winter gives heavy snowfalls. In summer it is less hot than in the Pacific area but sometimes experiences extreme high temperatures due to the [[foehn wind]] phenomenon. * {{nihongo|[[Central Highland (Japan)|Central Highland]]|中央高地|Chūō-kōchi}}: A typical inland climate gives large temperature differences between summers and winters and between days and nights. Precipitation is not large throughout the year. * {{nihongo|[[Inland Sea|Seto Inland Sea]]|瀬戸内海|Setonaikai}}: The mountains in the Chūgoku and Shikoku regions block the seasonal winds and bring mild climate and many fine days throughout the year. * {{nihongo|Pacific Ocean|太平洋|Taiheiyō}}: Winters are cold, with little snowfall, and summers are hot and humid due to the southeast seasonal wind. * {{nihongo|[[Ryukyu Islands|Southwest Islands]]|南西諸島|Nansei-shotō}}: This zone has a subtropical climate with warm winters and hot summers. Precipitation is very high, and is especially affected by the rainy season and typhoons. The warmest winter temperatures are found in the Nampo and Bonin Islands, which enjoy a tropical climate due to the combination of latitude, distance from the Asian mainland, and warming effect of winds from the Kuroshio, as well as the Volcano Islands (at the latitude of the southernmost Ryūkyūs, 24° N.). As an island nation, Japan has a long coastline. A few prefectures are landlocked: [[Gunma Prefecture|Gunma]], [[Tochigi Prefecture|Tochigi]], [[Saitama Prefecture|Saitama]], [[Nagano Prefecture|Nagano]], [[Yamanashi Prefecture|Yamanashi]], [[Gifu Prefecture|Gifu]], [[Shiga Prefecture|Shiga]], and [[Nara Prefecture|Nara]]. As [[Mt. Fuji]] provides rain shadow effects in Yamanashi it has the least rainfall in Japan, which still excesses 1000 mm annually. The others all have coasts on the Pacific Ocean, Sea of Japan, Seto Inland Sea or have a body of salt water connected to them. Two prefectures—[[Hokkaidō Prefecture|Hokkaidō]] and [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]]—are composed entirely of islands. The hottest temperature ever measured in Japan—40.9 degrees Celsius—occurred in [[Tajimi, Gifu]] on [[August 16]], [[2007]].<ref>[http://www.japannewsreview.com/society/national/20070816page_id=1553 Gifu Prefecture sees highest temperature ever recorded in Japan - 40.9] - [http://www.japannewsreview.com Japan News Review]</ref> ==Environmental protection== {{main|Environmental issues in Japan}} '''Environment - current issues''': In the 2006 environment annual report,<ref>[http://www.env.go.jp/en/wpaper/2006/02.pdf Annual Report on the Environment in Japan 2006], Ministry of the Environment</ref> the Ministry of Environment reported that current major issues are [[global warming]] and preservation of the [[ozone layer]], conservation of the atmospheric environment, water and soil, [[waste management]] and [[recycling]], measures for chemical substances, conservation of the natural environment and the participation in the international cooperation. '''Environment - international agreements''': <br> ''party to'': [[Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty|Antarctic-Environmental Protocol]], [[Antarctic Treaty System|Antarctic Treaty]], [[Convention on Biological Diversity|Biodiversity]], [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|Climate Change]], [[United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification|Desertification]], [[Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna|Endangered Species]], [[Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques|Environmental Modification]], Hazardous Wastes ([[Basel Convention]]), [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea|Law of the Sea]], [[Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter|Marine Dumping]], [[Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty|Nuclear Test Ban]], Ozone Layer Protection ([[Montreal Protocol]]), Ship Pollution ([[MARPOL 73/78]]), [[International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983|Tropical Timber 83]], [[International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994|Tropical Timber 94]], Wetlands ([[Ramsar Convention]]), [[International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling|Whaling]] <br> ''signed and ratified'': Climate Change-[[Kyoto Protocol]] ==Natural hazards== Ten percent of the world's active [[volcano]]es—forty in the early 1990s (another 148 were dormant)—are found in Japan, which lies in a zone of extreme [[crustal instability]]. As many as 1,500 [[earthquake]]s are recorded yearly, and magnitudes of four to six on the [[Richter magnitude scale|Richter scale]] are not uncommon. Minor tremors occur almost daily in one part of the country or another, causing slight shaking of buildings. Major earthquakes occur infrequently; the most famous in the twentieth century was the [[great Kantō earthquake]] of 1923, in which 130,000 people died. [[Undersea earthquake]]s also expose the Japanese coastline to danger from {{nihongo|[[tsunami]]|津波}}, tidal wave. Japan has become a world leader in research on causes and prediction of earthquakes. The development of advanced technology has permitted the construction of [[skyscraper]]s even in earthquake-prone areas. Extensive civil defense efforts focus on training in protection against earthquakes, in particular against accompanying fire, which represents the greatest danger. Another common hazard are {{nihongo|[[typhoons]]|台風|taifū}} that reach Japan from the Pacific. == Regions == {{main|Regions of Japan}} <!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Regions of Japan.png|right|Map of Japan]] --> Japan is informally divided into eight regions. Each contains several [[Prefectures of Japan|prefectures]], except the Hokkaidō region, which covers only Hokkaidō [[Prefecture]]. The region is not an official administrative unit, but has been traditionally used as the regional division of Japan in a number of contexts: for example, maps and geography textbooks divide Japan into the eight regions, weather reports usually give the weather by region, and many businesses and institutions use their home region as part of their name ([[Kinki Nippon Railway]], Chūgoku Bank, [[Tohoku University]], etc.). While Japan has eight High Courts, their jurisdictions do not correspond to the eight regions. == Extreme points == {{Main|Extreme points of Japan}} This is a list of the '''extreme points of [[Japan]]''', the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location. ===Japan=== *Northernmost point **[[Cape Soya]], [[Wakkanai, Hokkaidō|Wakkanai]], [[Hokkaidō]] &ndash; ''45°31'N'', 141°56'E **Including land currently [[Kuril Islands dispute|disputed with Russia]]: {{nihongo|[[Cape Kamuiwakka]]|カムイワッカ岬|Kamuiwakka-misaki}}), [[Iturup]] &ndash; ''45°33'N'', 148°45'E *Southernmost point: [[Okino Torishima]] &ndash; ''20°25'N'', 136°04'E *Westernmost point: [[Yonaguni]] &ndash; 24°27′N, ''122°59′E'' *Easternmost point: [[Minami Torishima]] &ndash; 24°18′N, ''153°58′E'' ===Japan (main islands)=== *Northernmost point: [[Cape Soya]], [[Wakkanai, Hokkaidō|Wakkanai]], [[Hokkaidō]] &ndash; ''45°31'N'', 141°56'E *Southernmost point: [[Cape Sata]] on [[Osumi Peninsula]], [[Minamiosumi, Kagoshima|Minamiosumi]], [[Kagoshima Prefecture|Kagoshima]] &ndash; ''30°59'N'', 130°39'E *Westernmost point: {{nihongo|[[Kōsakibana]]|神崎鼻}}, [[Sasebo, Nagasaki|Sasebo]] (formerly [[Kosaza, Nagasaki|Kosaza]]), [[Nagasaki Prefecture|Nagasaki]] &ndash; 33°13'N, ''129°33'E'' *Easternmost point: {{nihongo|[[Cape Nosappu]]|納沙布岬|Nosappu-misaki}}), [[Nemuro, Hokkaidō|Nemuro]], [[Hokkaidō]] &ndash; 43°22'N, ''145°49′E'' ===Elevation extremes=== *Lowest point: [[Hachirō-gata]] &ndash; -4 m *Highest point: [[Mount Fuji]] &ndash; 3,776 m == See also == * [[Japanese addressing system]] * [[List of islands of Japan]] * [[List of lakes in Japan]] * [[List of national parks of Japan]] * [[List of peninsulas of Japan]] * [[List of rivers of Japan]] * [[Ōu Mountains]] ==References== {{reflist}} {{loc}} — [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ Japan]. All Geography of Japan information taken from:<br /> [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ja.html The World Fact Book] ==External links== Weather in Japan [http://micos-service.jwa.or.jp/fcst/index.html Japan Weather Association] {{Geography of Asia}} {{coor title d|36|N|138|E|region:JP_type:country}} [[Category:Geography of Japan| ]] [[Category:Lists of country subdivisions|Japan, Regions of]] [[bn:জাপানের ভূগোল]] [[de:Geographie Japans]] [[es:Geografía de Japón]] [[eu:Japoniako geografia]] [[fr:Géographie du Japon]] [[it:Geografia del Giappone]] [[he:גאוגרפיה של יפן]] [[lt:Japonijos geografija]] [[nl:Geografie van Japan]] [[ja:日本の地理]] [[pt:Geografia do Japão]] [[ro:Geografia Japoniei]] [[ru:География Японии]] [[fi:Japanin maantiede]] [[vi:Địa lý Nhật Bản]] [[uk:Географія Японії]] [[zh-yue:日本地理]] [[zh:日本地理]]