Practical Info - About Japan

• GEOGRAPHY

  Japan is situated in north-eastern Asia between the North Pacific and the Sea of Japan. The area of Japan is 377,873 square kilometres, nearly equivalent to Germany and Switzerland combined or slightly smaller than California. Japan consists of four major islands, surrounded by more than 4,000 smaller islands.
  
  Shown below are the four major islands, their locations and sizes.
  

  Hokkaido (northern island)	83,000 Square Kilometres
  Honshu (main island)	231,000 Square Kilometres
  Shikoku (smallest island)	19,000 Square Kilometres
  Kyushu (southern island)	42,000 Square Kilometres

  
  Japan's topographical features include coastlines with varied scenery, towering mountains, which are very often volcanic and twisted valleys that invite visitors into the mysterious world of nature.

• LANGUAGE

  There is only one official language spoken in Japan, which is of course Japanese. However, many Japanese are able to understand English to a certain extent since English is the foreign language that everyone must learn as part of compulsory education.
  
  Even if you don't understand Japanese, you can still certainly enjoy Japan. But if you know a few everyday Japanese phrases then it will make your trip even more memorable. A few words make a big difference.
  

  Useful Japanese Phrases Japanese > English
  Ohayou gozaimasu	Good morning
  Kon'nichiwa	Good afternoon
  Kon'banwa	Good evening
  Oyasumi nasai	Good night
  Sayounara	Good bye
  Sumimasen	Excuse me
  Wakarimasen	I don't understand
  Arigatou	Thank you
  Hai	Yes
  Iie	No

• POPULATION

  Japan's population is over 127 million. Most Japanese reside in densely populated urban areas. Japan's capital city is Tokyo. The population of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area including the city, some of its suburbs and the surrounding area is approximately 13 million.
  

• TIME DIFFERENCE

  All of Japan is in the same time zone, 9 hours ahead of G.M.T. No Daylight Saving Time is practiced in Japan. Shown below is a list of time differences between Japan and other major international cities.
  

  America
  Sao Paulo	- 12 hrs
  Toronto	- 14 hrs
  New York	- 14 hrs
  Chicago	- 15 hrs
  Mexico City	- 15 hrs
  Los Angeles	- 17 hrs

  
  

  Asia & Oceania
  Sydney	+ 1 hr
  Seoul	0
  Hong Kong	- 1 hr
  Beijing	- 1 hr
  Singapore	-1 hr
  Bangkok	- 2 hrs
  Jakarta	- 2 hrs

  
  

  Europe
  Moscow	- 6 hrs
  Frankfurt	- 8 hrs
  Geneva	- 8 hrs
  Paris	- 8 hrs
  London	- 9 hrs