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Japan
is a country of great cultural diversity, colorful
and inspiring natural wonders beautifully interwoven
by four distinctive seasonal changes, and the boundless
hospitality of its people. Japan is thus gaining
tremendously in popularity as a truly unique tourist
destination that is easily accessible from any part
of the world. It is a destination anyone can enjoy
on a reasonable budget and with a sense of complete
security. Tokyo is the capital city of Japan and
also its economic, cultural and political heart.
GEOGRAPHY
Japan is situated in northeastern Asia between the
North Pacific and the Sea of Japan. The area of
Japan is 377,873 sq km, nearly equivalent to Germany
and Switzerland combined. Japan consists of four
major islands, surrounded by more than 4,000 smaller
islands.
CLIMATE
Climatic variations are strong in Japan. Tokyo and
other major cities get temperate to sub tropic climate
and consists of four seasons. The winter is mild
and the summer is hot and humid. There is a rainy
season in early summer, and typhoons hit parts of
the country every year during late summer. The climate
of the northern island of Hokkaido is colder, and
snow storms occur frequently during winter.
LANGUAGE
Japanese is the only official language spoken in
Japan. However, many Japanese are able to understand
English to a certain extent since English is the
foreign language that everyone must learn as part
of compulsory education. Even if you don't understand
Japanese, you can still certainly enjoy Japan.
POPULATION
Japan's population is over 126 million. Most Japanese
reside in densely populated urban areas. More than
half of the non Japanese population is Korean.
RELIGION
Buddhism and Shinto are the two major religions
practiced in Japan. The two religions co-existed
for several centuries and even complemented each
other to a certain degree.
CURRENCY
The unit of Japanese currency is yen. Coins are
available in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100
and 500 yen and bank notes in denominations of 1,000,
2,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen.
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