ABSTRACT
Avast crescent of islands extends along the northern and western rim of the pacific ocean. It stretches all the way from the Aleutian Islands to Australia. The archipelago of Japan, a complex of more than 3,000 islands, lies roughly in the central section of that crescent. Most of the islands of Japan are quite small; the four largest ones make up almost all of what we normally think of as Japan. By far the largest of the four main islands is Honshu. Tokyo, the modern capital of Japan, and Kyoto, the historic capital, are located on Honshu. South of Honshu lie the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku. Together with Honshu, they partially enclose an area of ocean known as the Inland Sea. Throughout much of Japan’s history, the Inland Sea area has been a center of economic and cultural life.
