Japan is an old country in the Far East, with a long tradition of warriors, the samurai, serving an emperor.
Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters which make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin country", which is why Japan is sometimes identified as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
Japan comprises over 3,000 islands making it an archipelago. The largest islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, together accounting for 97% of Japan's land area. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan's highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world's tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Archaeological research indicates that people were living on the islands of Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan begins with brief appearances in Chinese history texts from the first century A.D. Influence from the outside world followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. Since adopting its constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament, the Diet.
Notable Japanese
- See also: Category:Japanese
Locations in Japan
Appearances
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – "Tokyo, April 1910" (Cancelled)
- Indiana Jones and the White Witch (Mentioned only)
- Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods (On map)
- Indiana Jones and the Eye of the Fates
- Indiana Jones and the Mystery of Mount Sinai (Mentioned only)
- Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead (Mentioned only)
Sources
- The World of Indiana Jones
- Indiana Jones and the Rising Sun
- Indiana Jones and the Lands of Adventure
- Indiana Jones and the Sky Pirates and Other Tales
