The mountainous islands of the Japanese Archipelago form a crescent off the eastern coast of Asia. They are separated from the mainland by the Sea of Japan, which historically served as a protective barrier. Japan's insular nature, together with the compactness of its main territory and the cultural homogeneity of its people, enabled the nation to remain free from outside domination until the second world war.

The country consists of four principal islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu; more than 3,000 adjacent islands and islets, including Oshima in the Nampo chain; and more than 200 other smaller islands, including those of the Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima chains of the Ryukyu Islands.

The national territory also includes the small Bonin Islands (called Ogasawara by the Japanese), Iwo Jima, and the Volcano Islands (Kazan Retto), stretching some 1,100 kilometers from the main islands. The archipelago covers about 377,000 square kilometers.

The distance between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, the nearest point on the Asian continent, is about 200 kilometers at the Korea Strait. Japan has always been linked with the continent through trade routes, stretching in the north toward Siberia, in the west through the Tsushima Islands to the Korean Peninsula, and in the south to the ports on the south China coast.

Japan in largely a mountainous country (circa 75%) with large mountain chains running through each of the four main islands. Most of the mountains are covered with forests but it is not uncommon to see farming activities taking place along the slopes, and sometimes to the top of mountains.

As Japan lies in the temperate zone It has four seasons (similar to the USA and Europe) which vary from cool to cold temperatures in the north to subtropical conditions in the south. It is also affected by seasonal winds that influence weather conditions. Winter winds blow east from mainland Asia bringing heavy snowfall to the north western area of Japan, known as snow country. Conversely, winters on the eastern coast of Japan are much drier with little snowfall benefitting the more populated east of Japan.

The more populated east of Japan does have heavy rainfall, and this can be considered Japan’s 5th season. The rainy season generally last for one month and usually begins in June. The rainy season is followed by a hot summer.

Ocean currents are also contributing factors to the climate of Japan. Currents from South to North warm the southern area of Japan while cold currents from North to South bring colder waters to the northern area of Japan.

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