Plan your trip to Kōchi, Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, 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. Japan consists of four main islands—Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku—and many smaller islands, notably Okinawa. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano.

Visitors to Japan come to experience the country’s natural beauty, awesome temples and monuments and unique culture that stretches back thousands of years. Besides Mount Fuji, the 88 Temple Pilgrimage around the island of Shikoku and the Narrow Road to the Deep North are popular destinations for the adventurous traveler. Others come to visit the modern and crowded Tokyo, the capital city; Sapporo, with its snow festival and eponymous breweries; Osaka, a large city in the Kansai region; or Kyoto, the cultural heart of the country, with many Buddhist temples and gardens. History buffs may want to visit Hiroshima or Nagasaki for a more sobering experience.