Japan, Island country in East Asia
Description
Japan is an island nation in East Asia stretching across 6,852 islands from the Sea of Okhotsk to the East China Sea. The four main islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu form the territorial core, with mountain ranges crossing all major landmasses and coastal plains forming the primary settlement areas.
History
The Meiji Restoration of 1868 ended feudal rule and initiated a period of rapid industrialization. Military defeat in 1945 led to post-war reconstruction that transformed the manufacturing sector and produced economic growth through the 1980s.
Culture
The name comes from the Chinese term Rìběn, describing the location east of the mainland and meaning "origin of the sun". Local festivals throughout the year mark seasonal changes, with neighborhood shrines hosting ceremonies that draw residents in traditional dress.
Practical
Shinkansen trains connect major cities at speeds reaching 320 kilometers per hour (200 miles per hour) on primary routes. Spring and autumn offer moderate temperatures for travel, while most urban facilities provide multilingual signage and widespread public wireless internet access in metropolitan areas.
Did you know?
Over 100 active volcanoes form part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The Ryukyu Trench southwest of the main islands reaches depths exceeding 7,000 meters (23,000 feet) below sea level.
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide. Discover all places nearby (桐生市).
Japan has villages where craftspeople still make things the way their families have for hundreds of years. You can walk through workshops and watch artisans work with their hands, creating objects that are both useful and beautiful. These places have stayed much the same while the rest of the world...
Japan offers families many places to explore, from well-known theme parks to immersive art installations that change museum visits. In Tokyo, there are places like Disney Resort and DisneySea, as well as digital spaces like teamLab Borderless and teamLab Planets, where digital art turns sightseeing...
Aokigahara
133.9 km
Mount Fuji
142.5 km
Himeji Castle
454 km
Ise Grand Shrine
327.9 km
Kōraku-en
524.7 km
Tokyo Skytree
109.1 km
Nikkō Tōshō-gū
38.1 km
Hōryū-ji
385.1 km
Hashima Island
974.5 km
Tokyo Disneyland
119.7 km
Izumo-taisha
604.5 km
Kiyomizu-dera
358.1 km
Osaka Castle
396.2 km
Universal Studios Japan
404.7 km
Itsukushima Shrine
676.7 km
Kinkaku-ji
360.1 km
Tōdai-ji
372.4 km
Tokyo Tower
111.7 km
Shuri Castle
1587.3 km
Tokyo Station
110.2 km
Nagoya Castle
261.7 km
Nijō Castle
360 km
Fushimi Inari-taisha
360.6 km
Azuchi Castle
321.2 km
Tokyo Dome
107.2 km
Kyoto Prefecture
358.9 km
Kumamoto Castle
886.1 km
Enryaku-ji
349.4 km
Aichi Prefecture
Akita Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
Chiba Prefecture
Fukui Prefecture
Fukushima Prefecture
Gunma Prefecture
Hokkaido
Ibaraki Prefecture
Iwate Prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture
Saitama Prefecture
Tochigi Prefecture
Tokyo
Kanagawa Prefecture
Niigata Prefecture
Toyama Prefecture
Ishikawa Prefecture
Yamagata Prefecture
Yamanashi Prefecture
Nagano Prefecture
Gifu Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
Mie Prefecture
Shiga Prefecture
Kyoto Prefecture
Osaka Prefecture
Hyōgo Prefecture
Nara Prefecture
Wakayama Prefecture
Tottori Prefecture
Shimane Prefecture
Okayama Prefecture
Hiroshima Prefecture
Yamaguchi Prefecture
Tokushima Prefecture
Kagawa Prefecture
Ehime Prefecture
Kōchi Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture
Nagasaki Prefecture
Kumamoto Prefecture
Oita Prefecture
Miyazaki Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
Okinawa Prefecture
Saga Prefecture
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