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Home Of The Rising Sun : Exploring Japanese Culture

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Home of the Rising Sun: Exploring Japanese Culture The country of Japan is made up of a collection of thousands of islands that sits off of the south-eastern coast of the Eurasian continent. There are four main islands that make up 98% of the land area, they are known as: Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku (Yale Geography). Japan is located in a volcanic zone known as the Ring of Fire, which is an area of the Pacific Ocean in which a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur (Ring of Fire Map). There are over one hundred volcanoes that lie within Japan, and while some lie dormant there are still active volcanoes that do pose a volcanic threat to those that live there. One of the main topological features of Japan is the many mountains that are positioned down the middle of the country, taking up 85% of the land (Yale Geography). A majority of these mountains have formed over time due to past volcanic activity. The fact that mountains do take up a large portion of the land has had a significant impact on the agriculture of the land, as there are not many areas left that are suitable for agriculture or even to reside in. This is why there are areas of condensed agricultural activity, as well as population, found throughout the land. While the islands of Japan are all for the most part temperate zones, the latitudinal stretch of the land and the bodies of water that surround them do impact the climate. The more northern areas of Japan that are closer to
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