Regions of Japan

Japan has 47 prefectures. On the basis of geographical and historical background, these prefectures can be divided into nine regions: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Each region has its own dialect, customs, and unique traditional culture. For example, the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo, and the Kansai region, which includes Osaka, offer striking contrasts in everything from the taste of food to the style of traditional performing arts, and people have fun comparing them.
Japan has total population of 127 million. This is the ninth highest population in the world. Since the population is high compared with the country's land area, the population density is high at 342 persons per square kilometer. This figure is much higher than the United States (29) and France (107) but about the same as Belgium (333).
Mountainous areas account for more than 70% of Japan's land, so major cities are concentrated in the plains that account for less than 30% of the land. Cities with a population exceeding one million are Sapporo in Hokkaido; Sendai in the Tohoku region; Saitama, Tokyo, and Yokohama in the Kanto region; Nagoya in the Chubu region; Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe in the Kinki region; Hiroshima in the Chugoku region; and Fukuoka in Kyushu.
The capital city Tokyo, needless to say, is the hub of Japan. Other major cities fulfill roles as the political, economic, and cultural hubs of their respective regions.
NAGOYA: Nagoya is the biggest city in the Chubu region. The area around Nagoya is highly developed center of car making and other industries. Nagoya Castle, the city's symbol, was built in 1612 by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo government that ruled Japan for 270 years. It is famous for the two golden statues of shachihoko (imaginary sea creatures) on the roof.
Apart from some turrets and the gateway, the castle was destroyed in 1945. It was rebuilt, complete with new golden shachihoko, in 1959.
FUKUOKA: The biggest city in Kyushu, Fukuoka is geographically close to mainland Asia and is a hub of exchange between Japan and the rest of Asia. It hosts the spectacular Hakata Dontaku and Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festivals. Home to many famous foods, including mizutaki (chicken hotpot) and ramen noodles, one of the city's attractions is the food stalls that line the river bank.
NAHA: Naha is the biggest city in Okinawa, Japan's southernmost and westernmost prefecture. Okinawa lies to the south-west of Kyushu and is made up of 160 large and small islands. It is in the earth's Tropical Zone and boasts great natural beauty and a warm climate.
The azure ocean that surrounds Okinawa makes these islands one of the best places in the world for scuba diving and other marine pursuits.
TOKYO: The political center of Japan since 1603, Tokyo is the nation's capital and economic and information hub. At the city's heart is the Imperial Palace, which used to be Edo Castle.
Around the palace are the National Diet Building, government ministries, and business districts. Some 30 million people, about a quarter of Japan's total population, live in Greater Tokyo.
HIROSHIMA: In 1945 Hiroshima became the first city in the world to have an atomic bomb dropped on it, but it has recovered to become one of Japan's major cities. Miyajima, an island near Hiroshima, is home to Itsukushima Shrine, whose famous torii (shrine gateway) sticks out of the sea at high tide. The shrine is a World Heritage site.
SAPPORO: Sapporo is the biggest city in Hokkaido. Unlike the major cities of Honshu, which were built gradually over many years, Sapporo was developed by design at the end of the nineteenth century, and its streets are laid out in an orderly pattern. Sapporo is a base for holidaymakers to enjoy Hokkaido's natural beauty in the summer and for skiing and snow-boarding in the winter.
OSAKA: Since it was founded in the seventh century, Osaka has been a base for trade with foreign countries. Greater Osaka is the second biggest metropolis in Japan behind Greater Tokyo. The city is known for good food and comedy and in 1970 hosted the first ever World Exposition to be held in Asia.
In 1994 Kansai International Airport opened on an artificial island in Osaka Bay and is now a major gateway for overseas visitors to Japan.
KYOTO: Once the capital of Japan, a status it gained in the late eighth century, Kyoto has a history of over 1,200 years and is known for its many beautiful old temples and gardens. UNESCO designated 17 temples, shrines, and castles in the cities of Kyoto, Uji, and Otsu as a World Heritage site in 1994.