Japan is an island country located in the Pacific Ocean, East Asia. It lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. Its capital is Tokyo, one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Japan is the world's second largest economy, sixth largest exporter and importer.
Japanese history has been marked by alternating periods of long isolation and radical influence from the outside world. Its culture today is a mixture of outside influences and traditional culture.
At over 377,873 square kilometers, Japan is the 62nd largest country by area. It encompasses over 3,000 islands, the largest of which are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. Most of Japan's islands are mountainous, and many are volcanic, including the highest peak, Mount Fuji. It ranks 10th in the world by population, with nearly 128 million people. Greater Tokyo, with over 30 million residents, is the largest metropolitan area in the world.
