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Japan
Japan is situated in northeastern Asia between the North Pacific and the Sea of Japan. The area of Japan is 377,873 square kilometers, nearly equivalent to Germany and Switzerland combined or slightly smaller than California. Japan consists of four major islands, surrounded by more than 4,000 smaller islands.
| Hokkaido (northern island) | 83,000 square kilometers |
| Honshu (main island) | 231,000 square kilometers |
| Shikoku (smallest island) | 19,000 square kilometers |
| Kyushu (southern island) | 42,000 square kilometers |
Japan's topographical features include coastlines with varied scenery, towering mountains, which are very often volcanic and twisted valleys that invite visitors into the mysterious world of nature.
- Capital: Tokyo
- Climate: Varies from tropical to temperate
- Currency: yen (¥)
- Emperor and Empress: Akihito and Michiko
- Prime Minister: Shinzo Abe
- Education: Compulsory through junior high school
- Government: Constitutional Democracy
- National Anthem: Kimigayo (His Majesty's Reign)
- National Flag: Hinomaru (Sun Disc)
- Official Language: Japanese
- Population: 127,554,000 (as of August, 2012)
- Weights and Measure: Metric system
- Total Area: 377,915 sq km (slightly smaller than California)
- Average Internet Speed: 10.9 Mbps - #2 in the world
- Writing Systems: Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana (see our FAQ page for a few examples of Japanese writing)
- National Sport: Sumo, though baseball is extremely popular