A beginners guide to Japan. Part I

Part I. A brief overview.

Japan, or Nihon or Nippon, is an island nation located in the Pacific Ocean. The Kanji, 日本　mean "Sun-Origin" which is why Japan is referred to as "The Land of The Rising Sun."

Japan consists of 6,852 islands, with 97% of Japan`s land mass made up of the four largest islands, Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku. A 2010 census revealed that Japan had the World`s 10th largest population, with 128,056,026 people, and the Greater Tokyo area is home to 30 million people, the world`s largest metropolis.

Japan consists of 43 prefectures, one metropolis (Tokyo), one territory (Hokkaido) and two urban prefectures (Kyoto and Osaka). Each prefecture has a main city, and each prefecture produces different food, culture and the like.

Japanese society is culturally and linguistically homogenous, with 98.5% of inhabitants ethnic Japanese, or Nihonjin.  Japan is also home to small groups of foreign workers such as Brazilian, Filipinos and Peruvians.