Page 8 - Japan Destination Guide - Alluring Asia

THE LAND A modern country with a rich heritage, Japan has long been popular with travelers. There are four main islands which make up Japan: From the north to the south: Hokkaido, Honshu the main island, Shikoku, and Kyushu. More than 4,000 smaller islands surround these four main islands. Japan is divided into 47 Prefectures. Japan is separated from the Asian mainland by 160km (100 miles) of sea. About 70 per cent of the country is covered by hills and mountains, a number of which are active or dormant volcanoes. A series of mountain ranges runs from northern Hokkaido to southern Kyushu. The Japanese Alps (the most prominent range) run in a north- south direction through central Honshu. The highest mountain is Mount Fuji at 3,776m (12,388ft). Lowlands and plains are small and scattered, mostly lying along the coast and composed of alluvial lowlands and diluvial uplands. The coastline is very long in relation to the land area, and has very varied features. The deeply indented bays with good natural harbors tend to be adjacent to mountainous terrain. PAGE 3-4 THE PEOPLE Population | Time | Visas Insurance | History Japan is an urban society with about only 5% of the labor force engaged in agriculture. Many farmers supplement their income with part-time jobs in nearby towns and cities. About 80 million of the urban population is heavily PAGE 5 concentrated on the Pacific shore of Honsh?. Metropolitan Tokyo-Yokohama, with 35,000,000 people, is the History | Religion world's most populous city. Japan faces the same problems that confront urban industrialized societies PAGE 6 throughout the world: over-crowded cities and congested highways. Health | Language PAGE 7 Climate PAGE 8 The Land | The People PAGE 9 Currency | Credit Cards Changing Money | Tipping PAGE 10 Etiquette | Taxis Safety & Crime PAGE 11-12 Communications | What to Pack Health & Vaccinations PAGE 13 Shopping | Customs PAGE 14-16 Food & Drinks PAGE 17 Culture & The Arts | Religion