Japan 2000: Sourcebook for the Medical Marketplace

Japan is an island nation that lies off the eastern coast of Asia in an area generally referred to as the Far East. The country is comprised of thousands of islands, both large and small, which form a curved chain stretching approximately 3,000 kilometers from north to south. The four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. The Ryukyu Islands, which lie off the southern end of Kyushu, also belong to Japan, and consist of three principal groups: the Amami Islands, the Sakishima Islands, and the Okinawa Islands; the largest and most populated of the Ryukyu Islands is the island of Okinawa. Other island groups that are part of Japan include the Bonin Islands and the Volcano Islands.

The Sea of Japan separates the Asian continent from the Japanese archipelago. Japan’s climate varies with its wide range in latitude—tropical in the southern islands, cool temperate in the middle islands, and wintry in the northernmost islands. Rainfall is abundant in the archipelago, typhoons are a common occurrence, and as Japan lies in a seismically active area of the world, earthquakes are frequent. Mountains, including more than 150 volcanoes, and forests cover more than half of Japan’s land area, of which only approximately 11% is arable.

 Japan is one of the world’s most populous nations, and is also one of the most crowded, with an average population density of 339 people per square kilometer (sq km). However, population density is uneven within the country, with few people living in the mountainous areas and many people living in the urban areas situated on Japan’s larger plains.