Characteristics and names of the islands of Japan. From Honshu to Yumenesima

The territory of Japan is represented by the mainland, large and small islands. They are almost seven thousand. They are located in the waters of the Sea of Japan, the Korean Strait, the East China Sea and the Pacific. Some of them hardly exceed one hundred square meters in diameter. Almost all of them are in an unstable seismic zone.

Still there are land areas that are located in freshwater reservoirs. Plus artificial mounds Odaiba, Tennozu, Ogisima, Yumanesima. The names of the islands of Japan, which are widely heard, are Honshu, Hokkaido and Kyushu. Together with Shikoku they form an extensive archipelago, which is about 98% of the total area of the state.

Homeland of exquisite ceramics and snow peaks

The largest island of Japan is Honshu. He prostrated himself from the Big Tokyo to the Osaka conglomerate. Its length exceeds 1,300 kilometers, its width is almost 230,000 kilometers. And the size is slightly less than British possessions. The names of the islands of Japan are easily translated into Russian. So, the word "honshu" means "main".

The land is surrounded by the waters of the Pacific and the Sea of Japan. The local relief is hilly. In the mountains - volcanoes, which now and then wake up. The business card of Honshu is the snow-capped peak of the Fuji peak.

From time immemorial this place is famous for its skillful artisans. Home utensils and dishes made by them, to this day faithfully serve the representatives of the privileged families of the nation.

It is here that the largest metropolis is located. In the neighborhood with Tokyo are the cities of Hiroshima, Yokohama, Kyoto and Osaka.

Nordic Samurai Spirit

The ancient name of the island in Japan is Hokkaido, the second largest, - Edzo. Until 1960, this land was called Matsumae. The region is located in the northern part of the archipelago. It is washed by the waves of the Sea of Okhotsk. Its surface is divided into two parts. The mountain range stretches in the center.

Plains occupy the coast and valleys along the Ishikari and Tokati rivers. The administrative management of the district is carried out from Sapporo Prefecture. As we have already said, many names of the islands of Japan are translated, so "Hokkaido" means "the way to the north." The island has an area of more than 83,000 square kilometers, home to five and a half million people.

In the forest tracts of these places live brown bear, fox, sable, weasel, ermine. In the south, mainly deciduous trees grow. Closer to the north, they are replaced by conifers.

The Cradle of Japanese Civilization

The name of the third largest island of Japan is Kyushu. Its territory exceeds 40,000 km². The total number of residents is 12 million. According to historians, it was on its rocky terrain that the Japanese statehood arose.

From the capital of Honshu, the island is separated by several kilometers, which today can be crossed through one of the tunnels. The underground crossing is organized under the Simonska Strait. Ground transportation accessibility of the province is organized at the expense of the suspension bridge Kammon, the automobile traffic on which was started in the early seventies of the XX century.

Local landscape is characterized by a sharp difference in altitude, which creates optimal conditions for the operation of hydroelectric power stations. Like in other parts of the country, there are volcanoes. The largest of them are Sakurajima, Aso and Kirishima.

The weather conditions of the region correspond to the subtropical climate. In summer the coast is flooded with monsoon rains. In the winter, typhoons come here.

Modest charm of remote places

The island of Shikoku is strong with its traditions. His atmosphere and pace are strikingly different from the rhythm in which the capital's archipelago lives. The locals consider it to be the most provincial and one of the most remote. It is part of a system of bridges that are spanned from one land to another. Large settlements of the region - Kochi, Tokushima, Matsuyama, Takamatsu. Each of them heads the homonymous prefecture.

The lion's share of the land of Shikoku is occupied by agricultural land. Because of the mountainous terrain, the network of highways in this part of Japan is poorly developed. The population is about 4 million. The prevailing part of the population is concentrated in the cities of the northern coast. The island is considered the center of Buddhism. On its expanses there are 88 pilgrim shrines.

The climate of the province combines features of subtropical and Mediterranean. The closer to the Pacific Ocean, the hotter it is.

Artificial embankments

In the Japanese subordination there are as many as seven artificial islands. Odaiba is the largest. Crossing the Rainbow Bridge connects it with Tokyo. The main attraction is a huge amusement park. Sandy quays Tennozu chose the elite public of the metropolis.

The ownership of Yumanesima is entirely given to the municipal park, on the alleys of which work a museum and a sports complex. Appointment Odaiba exclusively utilitarian. It was built metallurgical plant.

Thousands of travelers coming from overseas meet the runways of Kansai International Airport, which has become the household name of Japanese islands created by human hands. These are the first twenty-four-hour air gates of Japan. The reinforced concrete dam encircling the land serves as a reliable shield against the hurricane winds raging in the water of the Osaka Bay.