Japan lies off the east coast of mainland Asia. Its nearest neighbour, Korea, is less than 300 kilometres away. The country has many links with the mainland. Scholars believe that thousands of years ago the first Japanese people migrated from Korea or China to Japan. Many elements of Japanese culture- the writing system, even the way society is organized- originated in China. Today, too, Japan has close economic and political ties with the rest of the continent.

   There are about 4000 islands in Japan. Some are too small for people to live on. The mainland is made up of the four largest islands- Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. Japan is not a small country. It stretches nearly 3500 km from north to south. Most of the land is wooded mountains with narrow valleys. The Japanese Alps on Honshu form a barrier 3000m high between the Pacific coast and the Sea of Japan.

   Japan is in Asia, but it looks to the west. It is one of the countries bordering the Pacific Ocean that are known as the countries of the Pacific Rim. Its strongest ties are with the USA, on the far side of the Pacific.

   After Second World War, the Americans occupied Japan for seven years. While traditional Japanese culture was greatly influenced by China, modern Japanese culture is equally influenced by the USA. The streets of Japanese cities are not very different from those in American cities. Japanese children grow up eating fast food like fish fingers and McDonald’s hamburgers, and watching American films. There is even a Disneyland outside Tokyo.

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