Honshu is the largest of the many islands of the Japanese archipelago, unique in nature and location. In general, Japan, or as it is also called, the Land of the Rising Sun, attracts the attention of tourists from all over the world. The description of the most important island of Honshu, on which the capital of the state of Tokyo is located, will reveal many interesting facts.
A bit of geography
As already mentioned, Honshu Island is one of the four main islands of Japan and is the largest in the archipelago. Its area is about 228 thousand km 2, and its length is more than 1300 km. These indicators indicate that it is Honshu that occupies more than 60% of the entire territory of Japan. For comparison, imagine that the Japanese island of Honshu is not much less known to all of Great Britain.
The location of Honshu is unique in itself, as it is located on the border of tectonic plates. It is of volcanic origin and is washed from the west by the Sea of Japan, from the east by the Pacific Ocean, and from the south by the Inland Sea of Japan. This position of Honshu Island creates a diverse climate. In the north, it is temperate, and in the south - subtropical. The proximity of the ocean causes monsoon rains, most of which occur in June and July.
Honshu Island Volcanoes
Many volcanoes, active and extinct, are located on the territory of Honshu Island. In view of this, it is seismically and volcanically active. The most famous volcano in Japan is Mount Fuji at a height of 3, 776 meters, located on a plain almost at sea level. This awesome symbol of Japan is visible from a distance of 80 km in clear weather, and thanks to him, Honshu is one of the ten highest islands in the world.
The beauty of extinct, as well as 20 active volcanoes attracts many tourists. There is an opinion in the country that it is necessary to climb Mount Fuji at least once in a lifetime. Interestingly, this mountain is considered sacred by both Shintoists and Buddhists. A temple was even built on it in 806 AD. e. Now there are a seismic station and an ancient temple on the mountain.
Interestingly, Mount Fuji is not the only volcano that attracts the attention of curious visitors. The active volcano Osoreyama is considered sacred and is directly related to Japanese mythology. Literally, the name "Osoreyama" means "mountain of fear." The fact is that the mountain really looks awesome because of the yellow or red mass visible in the cracks and the fetid smell of sulfur. Also located on top of a lake with hot springs thrills tourists looking at the mountain.
Prefectures and regions of the island
Like all major states, Japan is divided into regions and prefectures. The name of the island of Honshu itself speaks for itself: in Japanese, "Hon" means the main one, and the particle "Xiu" means the province. So, it turns out that Honshu is the main province of the Land of the Rising Sun. And if so, then the main cities are located on this island. Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto and the infamous Hiroshima today appear as modern metropolises with their unusually ancient culture.
There are only five regions on the island. North - Tohoku, east - Kanto, central - Chubu, south - Kansai and west - Chugoku. All of them include 34 prefectures. These are the most economically developed regions of Japan. Each of them is distinguished by its special flavor, climate and nature.
Thus, Hiroshima Prefecture is famous for its potters, excellent nature reserves and authentic caves. It is located in the western region of Chugoku. And the magnificent Nagoya seems to be a modern engine of the economy and is located in the southern region. Here you can see small towns with ancient samurai traditions.
Road junction
Interestingly, the Japanese island of Honshu is connected to three other islands via bridges and underground tunnels. This unites the regions into a single space and facilitates the quick and comfortable movement of local residents.
The islands of Honshu and Hokkaido are connected through a transport tunnel, laid under the Sangar Strait and called Seikan. It is this tunnel that is the world record holder. Also, three bridges built across the Inland Sea of Japan connect Honshu and Shikoku, and communication with Kyushu Island passes through the bridge and two tunnels. Also in the largest metropolis, there is a separate metro interchange connecting different areas of the city, monorail and high-speed trains.
All these compounds show how developed the country's economic system is. This is also confirmed by the bulk islands located around the main natural. The peculiarity of economic growth is all the more striking when you realize that for a long time Japan was an isolated state that did not allow Europeans to enter.
A bit of island history
The first mention of a strong state led by the emperor appeared in the VIII century. The capital from 710 to 784 was Nara, a city in Japan on the island of Honshu. And to this day, ancient Buddhist temples, as well as the famous imperial palace of Heidze and Sesoin, have been preserved in it - the jewels of the imperial court are stored in it.
In 794, the capital was moved to the city of Hayanke, today it is called Kyoto. It was in it that the national culture was born, and its own special language appeared. Until that time, Chinese was prevalent.
The first Europeans on the island appeared in 1543, they were Dutch merchants and Jesuit missionaries. Further, until 1853, trade was conducted only with China and Holland. And only a little over 150 years ago, Japan began to negotiate with other countries of the world, such as the United States, Russia, France and the United Kingdom.
And this particular story is amazing, as today's achievements in the field of science and modern technologies have brought Japan to one of the first places in the world.
Modern cities
The largest metropolis on Honshu Island is its incomparable capital Tokyo. This is a giant ultramodern city with the largest population on the planet, which is more than 37 million inhabitants. Despite modern skyscrapers and a huge mass of people, the city beckons with its harmony with old Japan. Tokyo has many attractions, from majestic and soothing temples to more than 500 different museums.
The ancient capital of the Japanese state of Kyoto today is very lively and youthful. It is here that there are many magnificent parks, a chic botanical garden with many pavilions and the Imperial Palace of Gose, founded in 794. The city is famous for its unique stone gardens of Rean-ji and Sambo-in, and there are also many imperial tombs.
Hiroshima is a city on the island of Honshu, notorious for its nuclear strike in 1945. The rebuilt city is today a symbol of peace. It houses the Atomic Dome, the Eternal Flame and the Memorial Park. But despite these events, Hiroshima is a large industrial center, which produces the world famous Mazda cars.
Interesting Facts
Let's look at some interesting facts that will tell you more about the amazing island of Honshu.
- The world famous poisonous puffer fish lives in the Pacific waters near the island of Honshu. It is here that the largest individuals are caught.
- Hitachi, the most famous electronics company, got its name in honor of the city of the same name located on Honshu.
- In 1998, Honshu Island (Japan) was elected to host the 18th Winter Olympics. They were held in the city of Nagano.
- Japan is a country with left-hand traffic. All Japanese cars have a steering wheel on the right side, and not on the left, as Europeans are used to. When planning to rent a car in Japan, consider this fact so as not to create problems for yourself on the road.
- Mount Fuji is located in the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, where many volcanoes are concentrated in the forest zone and Lake Asia is located, which never freezes. On the shore of this lake are the ritual gates of the Hakone Temple, called the Tories. Such gates are found throughout the island of Honshu.
There are many more interesting facts about Honshu Island itself, as well as about Japan and its inhabitants in general. And now a little bit of impressions from what he saw.
