Japan is an island nation in East Asia, located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of mainland Asia. The country consists of four main islands (Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku) plus thousands of smaller ones, stretching in a long arc from north to south.

Japan has one of the world's most distinctive cultures, blending ancient traditions with cutting-edge technology. You might see a Buddhist temple that's 1,000 years old standing near a gleaming skyscraper, or watch a traditional tea ceremony before riding one of Japan's famous bullet trains. The Japanese writing system combines three different scripts, including kanji (characters borrowed from China centuries ago) and two phonetic scripts.

The country has given the world numerous cultural exports: martial arts like judo and karate, art forms like origami and manga, foods like sushi and ramen, and entertainment ranging from video games to animated films. Japan is also a technological powerhouse, producing cars, electronics, and robotics that people use worldwide.

Japan's geography shapes daily life there. Because the islands sit where several tectonic plates meet, earthquakes happen frequently, so buildings are designed to withstand shaking. Limited flat land means cities are densely packed, and about 125 million people live in an area smaller than California. The capital city, Tokyo, is one of the world's largest metropolitan areas.