|
Japan,is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name literally mean "sun-origin," thus Japan is sometimes identified as the "Land of the Rising Sun," derived from the country's eastward position relative to China. Its capital and largest city is Tokyo.
Over 3,000 islands, the largest of which are Honshû, Hokkaidô, Kyûshû, and Shikoku, make up the nation of Japan. Most of the islands are mountainous, and many are volcanic including the highest peak, Mount Fuji. Japan has the world's 10th largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, with over 30 million residents, is the largest metropolitan area in the world.
| 
