About Japan
Japan, a state of islands, extends along the Pacific coast of Asia. The main island is Honshu, and the country has three other stout islands—hokkaido to the north and Shikoku and Kyushu to the south. More than 4,000 smaller islands surround the four largest. A modern transportation organization connects the prime islands, including the Seikan Tunnel linking Honshu to Hokkaido—the world’s longest railroad tunnel at 54 kilometers (33 miles). Japan’s high-speed trains (known as shinkansen, or bullet trains) affiliate main urban areas. about 73 percent of Japan is mountainous, and all its major cities, except the past capital of Kyoto, cling to narrow coastal plains. Only an estimated 18 percent of Japan’s territory is suitable for settlement—so Japan’s cities are large and densely populated.