Japan 日本概况英文版.docVIP

Japan I. Brief Introduction Japan is situated in northeastern Asia between the North Pacific and the Sea of Japan. The area of Japan is 377,873 square kilometers, nearly equivalent to Germany and Switzerland combined or slightly smaller than California. Japan consists of four major islands, surrounded by more than 4,000 smaller islands. The four major islands are Hokkaido(northern island), Honshu (main island), Shikoku (smallest island) and Kyushu (southern island). From north to south Japans islands span 3,500 kilometres. At their closest points, Hokkaido is less than 45 kilometres from Sakhalin (Russia) and Kyushu is 200 kilometres from Korea. The largest island is Honshu, which accounts for about 60 per cent of the total area and contains Japans major cities (Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe). About 70% of the land area is mountainous and mostly forested. Only 16% of Japans surface is cultivated.The terrain is characterised by complex geographical features, with numerous hot springs and volcanoes. Mountain ranges separate the country into four zones. Since Japan is located in a region where several continental plates meet, the country experiences an average of 1,500 earthquakes each year - representing a tenth of the earths seismic energy. Mt Fuji, Japans most famous mountain and a dormant volcano, is also the highest, with an altitude of 3,776 metres. Japan’s natural scenery is truly diverse. The country is blessed with both mountains and seashores, and the climate varies richly from place to place and with each passing season. Spring is one of the best times of year to be in Japan. The temperatures are warm but not hot, theres not too much rain, and March-April brings the justly famous cherry blossoms (sakura) and is a time of revelry and festivals. Summer starts with a dreary rainy season (known as tsuyu or baiu) in June and turns into a steambath in July-August, with extreme humidity and the temperature heading as high as 40°C. Many Japanese e