What Are Some Cool Japan Facts?

What are some facts about Japan?

• Answer:

  Japan is an island nation, also called Nihon and Nippon. It is located on the western edge of the North Pacific Ocean, east of Korea and China. Japan is made up of over 6800 islands, the primary ones the large islands of Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku. The smaller island of Okinawa is south of the main islands. Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature, as the Emperor is a now a ceremonial figurehead only. This follows the westernization of the country after its defeat in World War II. Most of Japan consists of mountains and forests, but the residential areas are extensive, now supporting a population estimated as 127 million (2010). Japan sits atop the boundary of several tectonic plates, part of the "Ring of Fire" on the shores of the Pacific. Japan has suffered many destructive earthquakes and tsunamis, and a large number of people live in areas destroyed or buried by historical volcanic eruptions. In terms of GDP, Japan is the second largest economy in the world, after the United States, at around US $4.5 trillion annually. Shinto and Buddhism are the main religions, but many modern Japanese are not strictly religious. Their culture and history does place an emphasis on personal and family honor.