Japan,officially Nippon, a country off the east coast of Asia. It consists of four large islands—Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku—and more than 3,300 smaller ones, including the Ryukyu chain. Japan is bounded on the north by the Sea of Okhotsk; on the east and south by the Pacific Ocean; on the southwest by the East China Sea; and on the west by the Sea of Japan. Neighboring countries on the Asian mainland are Russia, China, North Korea, and South Korea.

The area of Japan is 145,881 square miles (377,829 km 2). Maximum length of the four main islands (northeast-southwest) is roughly 1,250 miles (2,000 km); width, 250 miles (400 km). Honshu, called the mainland by the Japanese, accounts for slightly more than 60 per cent of the country's total area. Next in size are Hokkaido, the northernmost island; Kyushu, the southernmost large island; and Shikoku.

Japan lost some of its possessions as a result of World War II. These included the southern part of the island of Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, Manchuria, Korea, and Taiwan.

Japan in brief
General information
Capital: Tokyo.
Official language: Japanese.
Official name: Nippon or Nihon (Source of the Sun).
National anthem: "Kimigayo" ("The Reign of Our Emperor").
Flag and coat of arms: Japan's flag, adopted in 1854, is a red sun on a white background. The Japanese call the country Nippon or Nihon, meaning source of the sun. The imperial mon (badge) consists of a yellow chrysanthemum with 16 petals. This symbol of the imperial family dates back hundreds of years.
Largest cities: (2000 census) Tokyo (8,130,408); Yokohama (3,426,506); Osaka (2,598,589); Nagoya (2,171,378); Sapporo (1,822,300); Kobe (1,493,595); Kyoto (1,467,705); Fukuoka (1,341,489).
Land and climate
Land: Japan lies in the North Pacific Ocean off the east coast of mainland Asia. It lies across from Russia, Korea, and China. Japan has four main islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku—and thousands of smaller ones. Mountains and hills cover most of the country. Narrow plains lie along the coasts. Most of the Japanese people live on the coastal plains.
Area: 145,898 mi2. (377,873 km2). The four main islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku—stretch about 1,200 mi. (1,900 km) from northeast to southwest. Coastline—5,857 mi. (9,426 km).
Elevation: Highest—Mount Fuji, 12,388 ft. (3,776 m) above sea level. Lowest—sea level.
Climate: Central and southern Japan have hot summers, mild winters, and moderate precipitation in all seasons. Daytime high temperatures average about 86 °F (30 °C) in the hottest month, August, and about 46 °F (8 °C) in January, the coldest month. Hokkaido, northern Honshu, and high mountain areas are much colder than the rest of the country in winter and cooler in summer.
Government
Form of government: Parliamentary democracy with ceremonial emperor.
Ceremonial head of state: Emperor.
Head of government: Prime minister.
Legislature: Diet of two houses: 480-member House of Representatives and 242-member House of Councillors.
Executive: Prime minster (chosen by Diet), assisted by Cabinet (chosen by prime minister).
Political subdivisions: 47 prefectures.
People
Population: Current estimate—127,994,000. 2000 census--126,925,843.
Population density: 877 per mi2 (339 per km2).
Distribution: 66 percent urban, 34 percent rural.
Major ethnic/national groups: Almost entirely Japanese. Small minority of Koreans and some Chinese.
Major religions: Shinto, the native religion of Japan, and Buddhism. Not many Japanese strictly practice either religion, but almost everyone engages in some practices or rituals based on these two religious traditions. Small percentage of population is Christian.
Economy
Chief products: Agriculture—cabbage, Chinese cabbage, hogs, mandarin oranges, milk, potatoes, poultry and eggs, rice, strawberries, sugar beets, tea, white radishes. Fishing—carp, crabs, eels, mackerel, oysters, pollock, sardines, squid, trout, tuna. Manufacturing—automobiles, ceramics, clothing, computers, plastics, processed foods, steel, textiles, watches, wood products. Mining—coal, gold, silver.
Money: Basic unit--yen.
International trade: Major exported goods—chemicals, electronic equipment, iron and steel, motor vehicles, office machinery, scientific and optical equipment. Major imported goods—chemicals, fish and shellfish, machinery, petroleum, transportation equipment. Main trading partners—China, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, United States.