Geography of Japan

Japan to Indonesia, Madagascar and Papua New Guinea is the fourth largest island nation in the world. It is located in the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Russia and Korea.

Japan is an island chain that stretches along the east coast of Asia. The main islands are Hokkaido in the north, the central and largest island of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, as well as in the south. There are also over 6,800 smaller islands which are mainly concentrated in the Seto Inland Sea and the Ryukyu Islands.

The Japanese islands are a northwestern section of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Japan is actually a mountain range, which rises from the sea. Accordingly, about three-quarters of the country are so highly inclined that they are neither agricultural nor used as a settlement area. The settlement area is limited to a few large plains, the coast and the mountain valleys.

• 4.1 Honshu
• 4.2 Hokkaidō
• 4.3 Kyūshū
• 4.4 Shikoku

• 8.1 Mammals
• 8.2 birds
• 8.3 fish
• 8.4 Flora
• 8.5 crops

Geology and Geography

The Japanese archipelago

The Japanese archipelago as we know it today, includes not only the four main islands, Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku, and Okinawa, and more than 6800 other islands. The Japanese archipelago was created about 16 million years ago to two per cent, from the Miocene to Pliocene for which precedes the geological phase of the Pleistocene.

Before around 30 million years existed neither the Japanese nor the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The Japanese archipelago was still part of the continent, which increased from north-northwest to south -southeast by sediments of the accretionary prism of two teketonischer plates. Before about 19 million years ago, the Indian subcontinent collided with Tibet, whereby in the land mass, a crack opened, which expanded and filled with water. So the Sea of ​​Japan was established initially as a lake. The changes in the following four million years then caused an increase of the water body and a rotation Southwest Japan by about 45 degrees clockwise, the pivot point was approximately at today's Tsushima Island.

At the same time, the northeastern part of the Japanese island arc arising turned in the opposite direction to the south by about 40 degrees counterclockwise. In the period 16-11 million years v.H. were large parts of Southwest Japan already dry land, while Northeast Japan was still largely covered by sea-level rise from the sea. Instead of a contiguous land mass collected in the north- east, a large number of islands from the sea. A new subduction of the Pacific plate under the continental lifted the northeast part and formed the Ō- mountain range and Dewa mountains ( orogeny ).

Also on the Pacific side of southwest Japan broadened the ocean floor, by breaking off of the eastern part of the then contiguous Palau- Kyushu Ridge (九州·パラオ 海嶺, Kyushu Palau kairei ) and the forming Izu - Ogasawara arc drifted eastward. The land between is the Shikoku - sea basin, which forms the Philippine plate with the Philippine seabed. In the shallow sea between Southwest and Northeast Japan, sediments were deposited, which were compacted by compression and formed the Japanese Alps in the sequence. The Fossa Magna and was separated geologically since Northeast of Southwest Japan ( see Figure: Geology and tectonics ). In the east (Fig. left blue line) is the Fossa Magna of the Itoigawa - Shizuoka Tektoniklinie (糸 鱼 川 静冈 构造 线, in short: ISTL ) [note 1] in the west (right Fig. blue line) of the Shibata - Koide Tektoniklinie (新 発 田 小 出 构造 线, in short: SKTL ) and from the Kashiwazaki - Chiba Tektoniklinie (柏 崎 千叶 构造 线) limited.

Hokkaidō was formed of three land masses: from the northwest Hokkaido, the continuation of the original West Japan, from central Hokkaido, the northern continuation of the southern land mass of Sakhalin, and from northeast Hokkaido, which belonged to the Kuril arc. East Hokkaido was drifted through the expansion of the Japan Sea to the east, while Northeast Hokkaido was pulled from the Pacific Plate to the west on the opposite side. These two land masses collided with central Hokkaido and caused by the uplift of the Hidaka Mountains. About six million years in the Ryukyu island arc broke off from the continental land mass and evolved into islands with coral reefs. The emergence of an environment similar to today's, will take place six to five mya around the beginning of the Pliocene.

Expansion

• The northernmost point of Japan is controversial. If the claimed Kurilenkonflikt in areas not considered, it is Cape Soya (45 ° 31 ' 22 " N, 141 ° 56 ' 11 " O45.522708333333141.93628611111 ), which belongs to the City Wakkanai on Hokkaido.
• The southernmost point is Okinotorishima (20 ° 25 ' 18 "N, 136 ° 5' 17 " O20.421666666667136.08805555556 ).
• The westernmost point is the western tip of the island of Yonaguni ( Okinawa Prefecture ) (24 ° 27 ' N, 122 ° 59' O24.453888888889122.99055555556 ).
• The easternmost point is Minami Torishima - (24 ° 17 ' 18 "N, 153 ° 58' 52" O24.288333333333153.98111111111 ), part of the Ogasawara archipelago.

Over the entire archipelago runs a mountain range that makes up about 73 % of the land mass of Japan. The highest point is Mount Fuji in Japan on the main island Honshu 3,776 m above sea level. Only in the regions of Kanto (Greater Tōkyō ) and Kansai ( Kyoto - Osaka - Kobe ) found greater levels. Both are densely populated and the site equal to several million cities. Due to the lack of flat land slopes are cultivated by terrace cultivation.

Regional classification

Japan is divided into eight regions: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyūshū. This classification is historically founded and now plays only a minor role. Politically, Japan is divided into prefectures (see # Political Structure ).

Main islands

Honshu

Honshu is the largest island of Japan and is also called Japanese " heartland ". On Honshu is the capital Tokyo. Honshu is about 1,300 km long and has a width of 50-240 km. The area is about 230,500 km ², representing approximately 60 % of the total area of Japan. The coastline is 5450 km long. The highest point of the island is Mount Fuji 3,776 m altitude. The area is very fertile, especially in the Kanto Plain and many rivers flow there. The climatic conditions range from the cool northern tip of the island to subtropical zones in the south.

Hokkaidō

Hokkaido is the second largest island of Japan. Along with several neighboring islets, it forms the northernmost prefecture of the country. The highest elevation is the Asahi with 2291 meters above sea level. In the south of Hokkaidō borders the Tsugaru Strait, which separates the island of Honshu. The largest city is Sapporo.

Kyūshū

Kyushu, with an area of 35,640 km ² and a population of 13.44 million (1995 ) is the second - most populous and third largest island of Japan. Its name comes from the original division of the island into nine provinces. The island of Kyushu, the southernmost of the four main islands. Kyushu is very mountainous. On it is the Aso ( 1,592 m), the most active volcano in Japan. Other active volcanoes are the Sakurajima ( at Kagoshima ) and ounces ( to Nagasaki ). The largest and most important city on Kyushu Fukuoka is with port, industry and numerous administrations. Kyushu has a subtropical climate. The main agricultural products are rice, tea, tobacco, ware potatoes and soybeans. Furthermore, silk is produced.

Shikoku

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands. It is approximately 18,000 km ² and has a population of about 4.5 million inhabitants. It is divided into four prefectures: Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi and Tokushima. The name four countries, the island due to the fact that it has existed since the time of the provinces of four provinces, namely Awa, Sanuki, Iyo and Tosa. The boundaries of these old provinces are similar to those of today's prefectures.

Seas

Northwest of the main islands of the Sea of ​​Japan is to the east is the Pacific Ocean. The Ryukyu islands bordering the East China Sea from the west by the Philippine Sea to the east, which also borders from the south on the main islands. In the north of Japan lies the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Just a few miles off the Japanese coast is the Japan Trench, the deepest point is the Ramapotief with 10,554 meters.

Off the east coast of Japan, in about the 36th latitude, there are two major ocean currents, the cold Oyashio from the north, and the warm Kuroshio from the South meet. A branch of the Kuroshio, the Tsushima Current, which flows up the west coast into the Sea of ​​Japan.

Climate

Because of the north-south length of the country, the climate in Japan are very different, the chain of islands extending from the cold - temperate zone in Hokkaido, with cold and snowy winters, to the subtropics in Okinawa. In addition, the influence of winds - in winter from the Asian continent to the sea, and in the summer from the sea to the continent. In late June and early July falls in the south, most of the annual precipitation as monsoon rains Front (梅雨 前线, Baiu censuses ), also this time is typhoon season each year with up to twenty hurricanes.

The winds also contribute to the fact that Japan is increasingly affected by transnational pollution.

Japan can be divided into six major climate regions because of its broad geographical conditions:

• Hokkaido: not very heavy rainfall, but during the long cold winter more snow drifts
• Sea of ​​Japan: Northwesterly winds in winter bring heavy snowfall. In the summer, the region is cooler than the Pacific region, but there are hair dryer often.
• Central Highlands ( Chuo Kochi): large temperature differences between summer and winter, and day and night, low rainfall
• Seto Inland Sea: The mountains of the Chūgoku and Shikoku region hold on the wind, leading to a year-round mild climate.
• Pacific region: cold winters with little snowfall and hot, dry summers
• Nansei - shoto ( Ryukyu Islands): Subtropical climate, with warm winters and hot summers. Heavy rain, especially during the rainy season, regularly occurring typhoons.

• Climate diagrams

Tokyo ( Honshu )

Kagoshima ( Kyushu )

Natural phenomena

Japan lies on the geological fracture zone of four tectonic plates ( the Eurasian plate to the west and north, the North American in the north, the Philippine plate in the south and the Pacific Plate to the east). Of its approximately 240 volcanoes that are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, 40 are active. Throughout the region there are almost daily earthquakes lighter, less frequent and heavy (eg Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, Kobe earthquake of 1995 Tōhoku earthquake, 2011). Every year on the anniversary of the Kanto earthquake in September an exercise for disaster instead. Especially Tokyo is exposed to a high risk of earthquakes (see Earthquakes in Tokyo ).

In late summer, the typhoon season starts in mainly the south and southwest of Japan's emerging over the Pacific Ocean hurricanes ravaged (eg from Typhoon Tokage in October 2004).

In the last thousand years, died in Japan over 160,000 people by tsunamis ( tidal waves caused by undersea earthquakes ). The country has nowadays by measuring buoys in the Pacific on an effective tsunami early warning system. For the population training programs are held regularly, many Japanese coastal towns protect themselves by building huge dams. These walls of reinforced concrete are partly 10 meters high, 25 meters wide and equipped with sturdy metal gates.

The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai

Japanese flora and fauna

The Japanese archipelago stretches in a long arc from the north ( 45th parallel, Hokkaidō ) to the south ( 20th latitude, Okinotorishima ). In Germany there are a number of mountain ranges that cross the tree line, is also one of Japan a larger zone in the eastern Pacific. Compared with the narrowness of the habitat can be found in Japan a variety of ways. Due to its position as the offshore island group has a while with " Continental Asia " related but independent developed flora and fauna. A special mention here are the Ogasawara Islands (also: Bonin Islands ), 1000 km south-east of Tōkyō, which are often compared because of their endemic species to the Galapagos Islands.

Japan lies at the intersection of three ecoregions. The main islands and the nearby neighboring islands are part of the Palaearctic region Flore. The Ryukyu Islands are part of the Indomalaiischen region while the Ogasawara Islands are expected to Oceania.

Mammals

At large mammals, there are including the brown bear on Hokkaido, Honshu on the Asian black bear, sika deer, and the Japanese serow ( a goat antelope ). Among the native species, there is also the Japanese Macaque, which on the Shimokita Peninsula ( Aomori Pref ) is native and thus forms the northernmost monkey population in the world. The strong urbanization on the coasts and on the Japanese planes has led to some mammal species such as the Honshu Wolf (Canis lupus hodophylax ), the Japanese sea lion (Zalophus californianus japonicus ), the sea otter and the otter are extinct. Dogs and cats are available in Japan in a wide variety of breeds. The Shiba Inu When the Japanese breed of dog is considered. There are 8 endemic surviving horse breeds in Japan: Miyako, Hokkaido, Kiso, Noma, Taishu, Misaki, Tokara and Yonaguni- Pony.

Japanmakak

Sika Deer

Asiatic Black Bear

Kiso- Pony

In Japan, more than 500 different bird species have been sighted. Since the archipelago is surrounded in every direction of the sea, a variety of it is water birds. From north to south, Japan is an important stopover for migratory birds. In Siberia, breeding birds find their winter quarters, while the breed in Japan birds migrate in the winter in the direction of Southeast Asia. In this way, a variety of bird species finds its way to Japan. In the cities crows find (especially the carrion crow ), sparrows, pigeons and barn swallows. National bird is the pheasant stained. The Japanese Haubenibis or Nipponibis ( toki ,トキ) is threatened with extinction. The living on Okinawa Okinawa Rail ( Gallirallus okinawae ) has lost as many living on islands Coot their ability to fly. With the spread of small mongooses on the island, it is already extinct in a part of their original habitat.

Nipponibis ( Nipponia nippon)

Japanese subspecies of Barn Swallow ( Hirundo rustica gutturalis )

Pisces

The Japanese coastal waters are crossed by cold and warm ocean currents, whose contact lines provide good growing conditions for plankton. The land is located on a load edge of the continental plates, through their shifts, a rugged coastline has formed. This provides a good habitat for a variety of fish species (about 1337), and the coast of Sanrikuoki ( in Iwate Prefecture ) to as high as the Kuril Islands is one of the three richest fishing grounds in the world. Also in the rivers, there are a wide number of fish species, also favored by the rainy climate. In the brackish water of estuaries, there are a variety of shells. The problem is the water pollution and the concreting of river beds, which has led to the extinction of numerous species. In the seventies there was a strong environmental movement, the first success was able to record it. The variety of Japanese fish world can also be as a tourist experience, because diving is in Japan a popular recreational sports and in many cities there are large aquariums.

Flora

Japan is covered around 75 % with the remote mountain forests, a fact that is frequently forgotten when reporting on the concrete seas of the modern metropolis. Due to the volcanic origin of the islands, a variety of native species specializes in just these environments.

Hinoki cypress

Japanese red pine

Bamboo

Crops

Most important crop in Japan is imported from Korea rice, strictly speaking, Oryza sativa japonica, however (short grain rice), historical poor man's food is millet, since the rice had to be paid as tax. Also cultivated bean varieties, including the adzuki bean, and a range of vegetables, including ginger, radish and spinach. Native are also various citrus fruits like Natsumikan, in addition, a number of fruits and vegetables was introduced. For traditional cuisine also include seaweed ( Nori, among others ) and ( marine) algae ( wakame ). Traditional Japanese houses are built from the wood of Japanese cedar.

Adzukibohne

The ten largest cities

The ten largest cities according to the census of 1 October 2010 are:

See also: Cities in Japan

Infrastructure

Traffic routes

Main article: Transport in Japan

The well-developed railway lines in Japan have a total length of 23,577 km. This corresponds to number 14 (as of 2004) in the world rankings (compared to Germany, with 46,142 km on place 9 ) The north -south connection of the Shinkansen is the lifeline of the country. During the Olympic Games in 1964, the first section of Tōkyō was opened to Osaka, so can be regarded as the inventor of the modern high-speed train the Japanese. Through small stretches of seven successor companies of the privatized national railway JR, by private railways, buses and ferries almost every village and small island in Japan is connected to the network. In the cities there are excellent transport links, subways as in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and many others, such as trams in Hiroshima and Matsuyama and of course buses. Also unusual solutions can be found in Japan, such as the monorail Kitakyushu. Railway and mass transit transport fees vary greatly by region and operating company, but because of lack of state subsidies generally high.

Chuo Highway and Mount Fuji

Kansai International Airport

Hydrofoil - ferry to Tanegashima

As cities are built very dense, Japanese must demonstrate in the metropolitan regions that they have a parking lot, before they can buy a car. A total of around 45 million cars are registered in Japan. In residential areas the streets are very narrow and do not have sidewalks. There are on the streets also hardly trucks, because only small pickup trucks come in the narrow alleys through anywhere to supply small shops or existing at each corner vending machines. The Japanese toll motorway network comprises around 7,000 kilometers further 2,000 are planned. The network is in state hands, the operating companies, however, were converted in 2005 into private companies in public ownership and will be sold eventually. On the highways there is a speed limit of 100 km / h, with many sections, however, are occupied with a speed limit of 80 km / hr.

A well-developed road and rail network is even more astonishing when you consider that in the mountainous interior and between the islands many tunnels and bridges are necessary and that the infrastructure is constantly threatened by earthquakes, typhoons and volcanic eruptions. Electricity and telephone lines are basically out above ground in Japan, so that they can quickly repaired in case of disaster again. One problem, however, are the underground gas lines, most Japanese cooking with natural gas. In earthquake makes it quick break from the fire. For Japanese infrastructure therefore also includes a dense network of disaster warning systems.

The largest airports are Tokyo Narita, Kansai International Airport and the EXPO Aichi opened in 2005, Central Japan International Airport. Since level land in Japan is always in short supply, the last two were the three built on artificial islands. In Kitakyushu is another airport island in construction.

Telephone network

Also well established is the telephone network, and almost the whole population has a mobile phone. Internet access is via broadband connections by means of FTTH.

Political Structure

See: Prefectures of Japan

Japan is a centralized State, which are only clearly defined tasks to the 47 prefectures for implementation. Within these tasks, the prefectures are relatively autonomous, but always bound by instructions of the central government, and also relies on funding from the central government.

The 47 prefectures are divided into big cities, small towns and villages, the municipal level. The only exception is the Tokyo prefecture, which is divided into 23 districts for a central city and surrounding towns and villages to the other. The prefectures are very different in size and population density. Most relate to the main island of Honshū, for example, while the second largest island of Hokkaido has only one prefecture. Within the prefectural and municipal level, there is - in contrast to the national parliamentary system - a presidential system in which on the one hand the government and heads of administration and on the other hand, the municipal assemblies and parliaments are elected autonomous prefecture.