Size: Total 377,835 square kilometers; land area 374,744 square kilometers.
Topography: Mountainous islands with numerous dormant and active volcanoes. Four main islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu) and numerous smaller islands to north and south, all prone to earthquakes. Highest point Mount Fuji (3,776 meters). Numerous, rapidly flowing rivers largely unnavigable but provide water for irrigation and hydroelectric-power generation.
Climate: Generally rainy; high humidity. Diverse climatic range: warm summers and long cold winters in north; hot humid summers and short winters in center; and long, hot, humid summers, and mild winters in southwest.
Data as of January 1994