The Land of the Rising Sun
Ninkon Koku or Nippon Koku literally means "Source of the Sun Country" or "Land of the Rising Sun". The short form for the name of this beautiful country is Japan. Most Americans think of Japan as a single island, but it is actually four large islands and thousands of smaller ones. The largest islands are named Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. All the islands are extremely mountainous, with numerous dormant and active volcanoes. The volcanic and mountainous terrains boast lush forests and heavy rainfall, much of it from monsoons. The four main islands and numerous smaller islands to the north and south are heavily prone to earthquakes. The climate in Japan is generally rainy with very high humidity. The north and south have very different climatic ranges. The north has warm summers and long cold winters while the south has very humid summers and short winters. The highest point is mount Fuji, which is 3,776 meters above sea level. There are several rapidly flowing rivers, most of them uncharted, but they provide most of the water for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. The entire land area of Japan is 373,744 square kilometers.
The culture of Japan is deeply rooted. Their government is very structured and revolves around the history and traditions of the Japanese. Their cities, while crowded, are structural works of art that keep a feeling of peace. I was lucky enough to visit Japan once in my life, and I hope that I will be able to make the trip again.