The Japanese Archipelago

islands · geography · Asia

Massive Island Chain. The Japanese archipelago contains 14,125 islands that stretch over 3,000 kilometers from northeast to southwest. That's longer than the distance across the entire United States!

Three Curved Arcs. The islands form three main arcs that curve through the ocean like giant underwater mountain ranges. These are the Northeastern Japan Arc, the Southwestern Japan Arc, and the Ryukyu Island Arc.

Born from Mountains. Japan's islands were created by powerful volcanic and geological forces over millions of years. The islands sit along the Pacific coast where different sections of Earth's crust meet and push against each other.

Strategic Location. Japan's island chain spans from the cold Sea of Okhotsk in the north all the way to the warm East China and Philippine seas in the south. This gives Japan an incredibly diverse climate and environment.