Japan is a country in Asia with a population of 126 million. It is home to Tokyo: the largest city in the world, with 38 million people living inside of it.

Country Profile

A large red dot in the middle surrounded by white.

Population: 126 million
Land mass (square miles): 145,936
Capital city: Tokyo
Official languages: Japanese
Religion: Folk Shinto / Buddhism
Currency: Japanese Yen (¥)
Leader: Yoshihide Suga

Physical geography

Most of Japan is made up of mountain forests, which can’t be used to build houses on top of. This means that areas that can be built on have large populations. Japan has 6,852 islands along it’s coast, covering 1,900 miles (3000 km) from the Sea of Okhotsk, Western Pacific Ocean to the Philippine Sea in the main Pacific Ocean.

Neighbouring countries include China, Korea (North and South) and Russia.

A map of Japan and neighbouring countries.

Plants and animals

Japan is famously known for being the home of Japanese macaques, who bathe in hot springs during the long, cold winters up in the mountains. It is also home to the brown bear as well as 90,000 other wildlife species.

Economy

Services

Services make up 75% of Japan’s economy. There are major banks, retail, transport and insurance companies based in Japan.

Manufacturing

Japan makes cars, electronics, ships and chemicals as well as processed foods. It is the 3rd biggest car manufacturer in the world.

Farming

Because only 12% of Japan’s land can be farmed, terraces are built so farming can happen whilst using as little land as possible.

Landmarks

Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is the largest volcano in Japan and the 2nd largest in Asia. It is 3,776m (12,389 ft) high and can be seen from Tokyo on a clear day. The last eruption was between 1707 and 1718.

Mount Fuji on a clear day | By 名古屋太郎 – 投稿者が撮影。PENTAX K10D + smc PENTAX-A 1:1.2 50mm + C.PL FILTER, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikipedia