Japan: Land of the Rising Sun
Japan: Land of the Rising Sun A country found in East Asia, Japan ( 日本 ) is a stratovolcanic archipelago composed of 6,852 islands. Also called Nippon or Nihon, Japan is a major economic power and is the world's third-largest economy. Japan Flag The sun has always had a special place in Japanese culture. The ancient Chinese, seeing the sunrise over the islands to the east called them ji-pon (which translates to the source of the sun ) Hence as time passed the name stuck and eventually became Japan. The country is categorized into four major islands; Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku . Japan Map Honshu (which translates to "Main Island" or "Main Province" ) is the largest and most populated island in Japan. Tokyo, the de facto capital of the country is located here. Hokkaido (which means "Northern Sea Circuit" ) is the second-largest and northernmost island of Japan. Kyushu (which means "Nine Provinces" ) is the thir...