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| easternmost point = [[Minami-Tori-shima]] | | easternmost point = [[Minami-Tori-shima]] | ||
| westernmost point = [[Cape Irizaki]]-->| geographic center = | | westernmost point = [[Cape Irizaki]]-->| geographic center = | ||
| highest point = [[Mount Fuji]] <br /> {{convert|3776|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="CIA World Factbook">{{cite web |title=Japan |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/japan/ |website=CIA World Factbook |access-date=11 November 2017 |archive-date=5 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105105736/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/japan/ |url-status= | | highest point = [[Mount Fuji]] <br /> {{convert|3776|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="CIA World Factbook">{{cite web |title=Japan |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/japan/ |website=CIA World Factbook |access-date=11 November 2017 |archive-date=5 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105105736/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/japan/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> | ||
| lowest point = [[Hachirōgata]] <br /> {{convert|-4|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="CIA World Factbook"/> | | lowest point = [[Hachirōgata]] <br /> {{convert|-4|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="CIA World Factbook"/> | ||
| longest river = [[Shinano River]] <br /> {{convert|367|km|mi|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Shinano River |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Shinano-River |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=11 November 2017 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114170713/https://www.britannica.com/place/Shinano-River |url-status=live }}</ref> | | longest river = [[Shinano River]] <br /> {{convert|367|km|mi|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Shinano River |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Shinano-River |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=11 November 2017 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114170713/https://www.britannica.com/place/Shinano-River |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
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}} | }} | ||
[[Japan]] is an [[Island country|archipelagic country]] comprising a [[stratovolcano|stratovolcanic]] [[Japanese archipelago|archipelago]] over {{convert|3000|km|mi|abbr=on}} along the Pacific coast of East Asia.<ref name="water-supply">{{cite web |title=Water Supply in Japan |format=website |url=https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health/water_supply/1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126130519/https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health/water_supply/1.html |archive-date = January 26, 2018 |publisher=Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare | access-date = 26 September 2018}}</ref> It consists of 14,125 islands.<ref name="recount"/><ref name="離島">{{cite web |url=http://www.mlit.go.jp/crd/chirit/ritoutoha.html |title=離島とは(島の基礎知識) |publisher=Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism |language=ja |format=website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113053915/http://www.mlit.go.jp/crd/chirit/ritoutoha.html|archive-date=November 13, 2007|access-date=3 October 2018}}</ref> The | [[Japan]] is an [[Island country|archipelagic country]] comprising a [[stratovolcano|stratovolcanic]] [[Japanese archipelago|archipelago]] over {{convert|3000|km|mi|abbr=on}} along the Pacific coast of East Asia.<ref name="water-supply">{{cite web |title=Water Supply in Japan |format=website |url=https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health/water_supply/1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126130519/https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health/water_supply/1.html |archive-date = January 26, 2018 |publisher=Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare | access-date = 26 September 2018}}</ref> It consists of 14,125 islands.<ref name="recount"/><ref name="離島">{{cite web |url=http://www.mlit.go.jp/crd/chirit/ritoutoha.html |title=離島とは(島の基礎知識) |publisher=Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism |language=ja |format=website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113053915/http://www.mlit.go.jp/crd/chirit/ritoutoha.html|archive-date=November 13, 2007|access-date=3 October 2018}}</ref> The five main islands are [[Hokkaido]], [[Honshu]], [[Kyushu]], [[Shikoku]], and [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]]. The other 14,120 islands are classified as "remote islands" by the Japanese government.<ref name="recount" /><ref name="main-islands-japan">{{cite web |title=離島とは(島の基礎知識) (what is a remote island?) |publisher=[[Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism]] |url=http://www.mlit.go.jp/crd/chirit/ritoutoha.html |website=MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) |date=22 August 2015 |access-date= 9 August 2019 |language=ja |format=website |quote=MILT classification 6,852 islands (main islands: 5 islands, remote islands: 6,847 islands) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113053915/http://www.mlit.go.jp/crd/chirit/ritoutoha.html |archive-date=2007-11-13}}</ref> The [[Ryukyu Islands]] and [[Nanpō Islands]] are south and east of the main islands. | ||
The territory covers {{convert|377,973.89|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Geospatial Information Authority of Japan 2022"/> It is the [[List of island countries|fourth-largest island country]] in the world and the largest island country in [[East Asia]].<ref name="world-atlas">{{cite web |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-are-the-island-countries-of-the-world.html |title=Island Countries Of The World |publisher=WorldAtlas.com |access-date=2019-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207094959/http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-are-the-island-countries-of-the-world.html | archive-date=2017-12-07}}</ref> The country has the [[List of countries by length of coastline|6th longest coastline]] at {{convert|29751 |km|mi|abbr=on}} and the 8th largest [[Exclusive economic zone of Japan|Exclusive Economic Zone]] of {{convert|4470000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} in the world.<ref name="kaiho">{{cite web |url=http://www1.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/JODC/ryokai/ryokai_setsuzoku.html |title=日本の領海等概念図 |publisher=海上保安庁海洋情報部| access-date=12 August 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812151410/http://www1.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/JODC/ryokai/ryokai_setsuzoku.html| archive-date=August 12, 2018}}</ref> | The territory covers {{convert|377,973.89|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Geospatial Information Authority of Japan 2022"/> It is the [[List of island countries|fourth-largest island country]] in the world and the largest island country in [[East Asia]].<ref name="world-atlas">{{cite web |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-are-the-island-countries-of-the-world.html |title=Island Countries Of The World |publisher=WorldAtlas.com |access-date=2019-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207094959/http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-are-the-island-countries-of-the-world.html | archive-date=2017-12-07}}</ref> The country has the [[List of countries by length of coastline|6th longest coastline]] at {{convert|29751 |km|mi|abbr=on}} and the 8th largest [[Exclusive economic zone of Japan|Exclusive Economic Zone]] of {{convert|4470000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} in the world.<ref name="kaiho">{{cite web |url=http://www1.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/JODC/ryokai/ryokai_setsuzoku.html |title=日本の領海等概念図 |publisher=海上保安庁海洋情報部| access-date=12 August 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812151410/http://www1.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/JODC/ryokai/ryokai_setsuzoku.html| archive-date=August 12, 2018}}</ref> | ||
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[[File:Japan-Archipelago-Outlined-Islands-Map.png|thumb|upright=1.25|Japanese archipelago with outlined islands]] | [[File:Japan-Archipelago-Outlined-Islands-Map.png|thumb|upright=1.25|Japanese archipelago with outlined islands]] | ||
The Japanese archipelago is over {{convert|3000|km|mi|abbr=on}} long in a north-to-southwardly direction from the Sea of Okhotsk to the [[Philippine Sea]] in the Pacific Ocean.<ref name="water-supply"/> It is narrow, and no point in Japan is more than {{convert|150|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the sea. In 2023, a government recount of the islands with digital maps increased the total from 6,852 to 14,125 islands.<ref name="recount">{{cite web |title=Recount with digital map leads to doubling of listed Japanese islands |website=Japan Times |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/02/15/national/japanese-islands-recount/ |date=Feb 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230215042328/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/02/15/national/japanese-islands-recount/ |archive-date=February 15, 2023}}</ref> The five main islands are (from north to south) Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Three of the four major islands (Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku) are separated by narrow straits of the [[Seto Inland Sea]] and form a natural entity. The | The Japanese archipelago is over {{convert|3000|km|mi|abbr=on}} long in a north-to-southwardly direction from the Sea of Okhotsk to the [[Philippine Sea]] in the Pacific Ocean.<ref name="water-supply"/> It is narrow, and no point in Japan is more than {{convert|150|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the sea. In 2023, a government recount of the islands with digital maps increased the total from 6,852 to 14,125 islands.<ref name="recount">{{cite web |title=Recount with digital map leads to doubling of listed Japanese islands |website=Japan Times |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/02/15/national/japanese-islands-recount/ |date=Feb 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230215042328/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/02/15/national/japanese-islands-recount/ |archive-date=February 15, 2023}}</ref> The five main islands are (from north to south) Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Three of the four major islands (Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku) are separated by narrow straits of the [[Seto Inland Sea]] and form a natural entity. The smaller remote islands include the [[Bonin Islands]], [[Daitō Islands]], [[Minami-Tori-shima]], [[Okinotorishima]], the Ryukyu Islands, the [[Volcano Islands]], [[Nansei Islands]], and the Nanpō Islands, as well as numerous [[islet]]s, of which 430 are inhabited. The [[Senkaku Islands]] are administered by Japan but disputed by China. This excludes the disputed [[Kuril Islands dispute|Northern Territories]] (Kuril Islands) and [[Liancourt Rocks]]. In total, as of 2021, Japan's territory is {{convert|377,973.89|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, of which {{convert|364546.41|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} is land and {{convert|13430|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} is water.<ref name="Geospatial Information Authority of Japan 2022"/> It is the largest island country in East Asia and the fourth largest island country in the world.<ref name="world-atlas"/> | ||
Because of Japan's many far-flung outlying islands and long coastline, the country has extensive [[marine life]] and [[mineral resources]] in the ocean. The Exclusive Economic Zone of Japan covers {{convert|4470000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and is the 8th largest in the world. It is more than 11 times the land area of the country.<ref name="kaiho"/> The Exclusive Economic Zone stretches from the baseline out to {{Convert|200|nmi|km|abbr=}} from its coast. Its territorial sea is {{convert|12|nmi|1|abbr=on}}, but between {{convert|3|and|12|nmi|1|abbr=on}} in the international straits—[[La Pérouse Strait|La Pérouse]] (or Sōya Strait), [[Tsugaru Strait]], Ōsumi, and [[Tsushima Strait]]. | Because of Japan's many far-flung outlying islands and long coastline, the country has extensive [[marine life]] and [[mineral resources]] in the ocean. The Exclusive Economic Zone of Japan covers {{convert|4470000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and is the 8th largest in the world. It is more than 11 times the land area of the country.<ref name="kaiho"/> The Exclusive Economic Zone stretches from the baseline out to {{Convert|200|nmi|km|abbr=}} from its coast. Its territorial sea is {{convert|12|nmi|1|abbr=on}}, but between {{convert|3|and|12|nmi|1|abbr=on}} in the international straits—[[La Pérouse Strait|La Pérouse]] (or Sōya Strait), [[Tsugaru Strait]], Ōsumi, and [[Tsushima Strait]]. | ||
Japan has a population of 126 million | Japan has a population of 126 million as of 2019.<ref name="SBJ-Population-June-2019"/> It is the [[List of countries and dependencies by population|11th most populous country]] in the world and the second most populous island country.<ref name="world-atlas"/> 81% of the population lives on Honshu, 10% on Kyushu, 4.2% on Hokkaido, 3% on Shikoku, 1.1% in Okinawa Prefecture, and 0.7% on other Japanese islands such as the Nanpō Islands. | ||
==Map of Japan== | ==Map of Japan== | ||
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The Pacific Plate and Philippine Sea Plate are [[subduction]] plates. They are deeper than the Eurasian plate. The Philippine Sea Plate moves beneath the continental Amurian Plate and the Okinawa Plate to the south. The Pacific Plate moves under the Okhotsk Plate to the north. These subduction plates pulled Japan eastward and opened the Sea of Japan by [[back-arc spreading]] around 15 million years ago.<ref name="Barnes">{{cite web |url=http://shinku.nichibun.ac.jp/jpub/pdf/jr/IJ1501.pdf |last=Barnes |first=Gina L. |title=Origins of the Japanese Islands: The New "Big Picture" |publisher=[[University of Durham]] |year=2003|access-date=August 11, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110428043510/http://shinku.nichibun.ac.jp/jpub/pdf/jr/IJ1501.pdf|archive-date=April 28, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Strait of Tartary]] and the [[Korea Strait]] opened much later. [[La Pérouse Strait]] formed about 60,000 to 11,000 years ago, closing the path used by mammoths, which had earlier moved to northern Hokkaido.<ref name="brit" /> The [[eastern margin of the Sea of Japan]] is an incipient subduction zone consisting of thrust faults that formed from the compression and reactivation of old faults involved in earlier rifting.<ref name="Tamaki85">{{cite journal |last1=Tamaki |first1=Kensaku |last2=Honza |first2=Eiichi |title=Incipient subduction and deduction along the eastern margin of the Japan Sea |journal=[[Tectonophysics (journal)|Tectonophysics]] |date=20 October 1985 |volume=119 |issue=1–4 |pages=381–406 |doi=10.1016/0040-1951(85)90047-2 |bibcode=1985Tectp.119..381T }}</ref> | The Pacific Plate and Philippine Sea Plate are [[subduction]] plates. They are deeper than the Eurasian plate. The Philippine Sea Plate moves beneath the continental Amurian Plate and the Okinawa Plate to the south. The Pacific Plate moves under the Okhotsk Plate to the north. These subduction plates pulled Japan eastward and opened the Sea of Japan by [[back-arc spreading]] around 15 million years ago.<ref name="Barnes">{{cite web |url=http://shinku.nichibun.ac.jp/jpub/pdf/jr/IJ1501.pdf |last=Barnes |first=Gina L. |title=Origins of the Japanese Islands: The New "Big Picture" |publisher=[[University of Durham]] |year=2003|access-date=August 11, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110428043510/http://shinku.nichibun.ac.jp/jpub/pdf/jr/IJ1501.pdf|archive-date=April 28, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Strait of Tartary]] and the [[Korea Strait]] opened much later. [[La Pérouse Strait]] formed about 60,000 to 11,000 years ago, closing the path used by mammoths, which had earlier moved to northern Hokkaido.<ref name="brit" /> The [[eastern margin of the Sea of Japan]] is an incipient subduction zone consisting of thrust faults that formed from the compression and reactivation of old faults involved in earlier rifting.<ref name="Tamaki85">{{cite journal |last1=Tamaki |first1=Kensaku |last2=Honza |first2=Eiichi |title=Incipient subduction and deduction along the eastern margin of the Japan Sea |journal=[[Tectonophysics (journal)|Tectonophysics]] |date=20 October 1985 |volume=119 |issue=1–4 |pages=381–406 |doi=10.1016/0040-1951(85)90047-2 |bibcode=1985Tectp.119..381T }}</ref> | ||
The subduction zone is where the [[oceanic crust]] slides beneath the [[continental crust]] or other oceanic plates. This is because the oceanic plate's lithosphere has a higher density. Subduction zones are sites that usually have a high rate of volcanism and earthquakes.<ref>{{Cite journal | | The subduction zone is where the [[oceanic crust]] slides beneath the [[continental crust]] or other oceanic plates. This is because the oceanic plate's lithosphere has a higher density. Subduction zones are sites that usually have a high rate of volcanism and earthquakes.<ref>{{Cite journal |author1=Martínez-López, M.R. |author2=Mendoza, C. |year=2016 |title=Acoplamiento sismogénico en la zona de subducción de Michoacán-Colima-Jalisco, México |journal=Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana |language=es |volume=68 |issue=2 |pages=199–214 |doi=10.18268/BSGM2016v68n2a3|doi-access=free|bibcode=2016BoSGM..68..199M }}</ref> Additionally, subduction zones develop [[orogen|belts]] of [[deformation (geology)|deformation]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://snl.no/orogenese |title=Orogenese |access-date=July 2, 2014 |date=February 14, 2009 |website=[[Store norske leksikon]] |language=no |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714212710/http://snl.no/orogenese |url-status=live }}</ref> The subduction zones on the east side of the Japanese archipelago cause frequent low-intensity earth tremors. Major earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis occur several times per century. It is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.<ref name="Barnes" /> Northeastern Japan, north of the [[Tanakura fault]], had high volcanic activity 14–17 million years before the present.<ref name="atlas">{{cite web |url=https://confit.atlas.jp/guide/event-img/jpgu2016/SGL36-P01/public/pdf?type=in |publisher=confit.atlas.jp |title=Yurie SAWAHATA, Makoto Okada, Jun Hosoi, Kazuo Amano, "Paleomagnetic study of Neogene sediments in strike-slip basins along the Tanakura Fault |access-date=July 16, 2017 |archive-date=October 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020122154/https://confit.atlas.jp/guide/event-img/jpgu2016/SGL36-P01/public/pdf?type=in |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
=== Median Tectonic Line === | === Median Tectonic Line === | ||
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[[File:Japan_Trench_Map.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The map depicts the [[Kuril–Kamchatka Trench]], [[Japan Trench]], [[Izu–Ogasawara Trench]], and [[Mariana Trench]].]] | [[File:Japan_Trench_Map.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The map depicts the [[Kuril–Kamchatka Trench]], [[Japan Trench]], [[Izu–Ogasawara Trench]], and [[Mariana Trench]].]] | ||
East of the Japanese archipelago are three oceanic trenches. | East of the Japanese archipelago are three oceanic trenches. | ||
* The [[Kuril–Kamchatka Trench]] is in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It lies off the southeast coast of [[Kamchatka Peninsula|Kamchatka]] and parallels the Kuril Island chain to meet the Japan Trench east of Hokkaido.<ref name=USGS>Rhea, S., et al., 2010, ''Seismicity of the Earth 1900–2007, Kuril–Kamchatka arc and vicinity'', U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010-1083-C, 1 map sheet, scale 1:5,000,000 | * The [[Kuril–Kamchatka Trench]] is in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It lies off the southeast coast of [[Kamchatka Peninsula|Kamchatka]] and parallels the Kuril Island chain to meet the Japan Trench east of Hokkaido.<ref name=USGS>Rhea, S., et al., 2010, ''Seismicity of the Earth 1900–2007, Kuril–Kamchatka arc and vicinity'', U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010-1083-C, 1 map sheet, scale 1:5,000,000 https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1083/c/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209203950/https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1083/c/ |date=2017-12-09 }}</ref> | ||
* The [[Japan Trench]] extends {{convert|8000.|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the Kuril Islands to the northern end of the Izu Islands. Its deepest part is {{convert|8046|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gmrt.org/about/index.php |title=GMRT Overview | | * The [[Japan Trench]] extends {{convert|8000.|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the Kuril Islands to the northern end of the Izu Islands. Its deepest part is {{convert|8046|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gmrt.org/about/index.php |title=GMRT Overview |author1=J. Morton |author2=V. Ferrini |author3=S. O'Hara |website=www.gmrt.org |access-date=2018-05-27 |archive-date=2023-03-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308011339/https://www.gmrt.org/about/index.php |url-status=live }}</ref> The Japan Trench is created as the oceanic Pacific Plate subducts beneath the continental Okhotsk Plate. The subduction process causes bending of the down-going plate, creating a deep trench. Continuous movement on the subduction zone associated with the Japan Trench is one of the main causes of tsunamis and earthquakes in northern Japan, including the [[Megathrust earthquake|megathrust]] 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The rate of subduction associated with the Japan Trench has been recorded at about {{cvt|7.9|–|9.2|cm}}/year.<ref name="revel"/> | ||
* The [[Izu–Ogasawara Trench]] is south of the Japan Trench in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of the Izu Trench (at the north) and the Bonin Trench (at the south, west of the Ogasawara Plateau).<ref>{{cite web |title=Locator map |url=http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/expeditions/mariana/images/regional_locator.jpg |website=Expedition to the Mariana forearc |publisher=School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii |access-date=2018-10-01 |archive-date=2016-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303201252/http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/expeditions/mariana/images/regional_locator.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref> It stretches to the northernmost section of the [[Mariana Trench]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2000/1999JC900324.shtml |title=Deep current structure above the Izu-Ogasawara Trench |access-date=2018-10-01 |archive-date=2012-03-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301205341/http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2000/1999JC900324.shtml |url-status=dead}}</ref> The Izu–Ogasawara Trench is an extension of the Japan Trench. There, the Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath the Philippine Sea Plate, creating the Izu Islands and Bonin Islands on the [[Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc]] system.<ref name="izu-ogasawara-arc">{{cite web |url=http://www.terrapub.co.jp/journals/EPS/pdf/2006e/5808e033.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029065154/http://www.terrapub.co.jp/journals/EPS/pdf/2006e/5808e033.pdf |archive-date=October 29, 2017 |title=Crustal structure of the ocean-island arc transition at the mid Izu–Ogasawara (Bonin) arc margin |publisher=Earth, Planets and Space |access-date=October 2, 2018}}</ref> | * The [[Izu–Ogasawara Trench]] is south of the Japan Trench in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of the Izu Trench (at the north) and the Bonin Trench (at the south, west of the Ogasawara Plateau).<ref>{{cite web |title=Locator map |url=http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/expeditions/mariana/images/regional_locator.jpg |website=Expedition to the Mariana forearc |publisher=School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii |access-date=2018-10-01 |archive-date=2016-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303201252/http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/expeditions/mariana/images/regional_locator.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref> It stretches to the northernmost section of the [[Mariana Trench]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2000/1999JC900324.shtml |title=Deep current structure above the Izu-Ogasawara Trench |access-date=2018-10-01 |archive-date=2012-03-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301205341/http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2000/1999JC900324.shtml |url-status=dead}}</ref> The Izu–Ogasawara Trench is an extension of the Japan Trench. There, the Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath the Philippine Sea Plate, creating the Izu Islands and Bonin Islands on the [[Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc]] system.<ref name="izu-ogasawara-arc">{{cite web |url=http://www.terrapub.co.jp/journals/EPS/pdf/2006e/5808e033.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029065154/http://www.terrapub.co.jp/journals/EPS/pdf/2006e/5808e033.pdf |archive-date=October 29, 2017 |title=Crustal structure of the ocean-island arc transition at the mid Izu–Ogasawara (Bonin) arc margin |publisher=Earth, Planets and Space |access-date=October 2, 2018}}</ref> | ||
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===Energy=== | ===Energy=== | ||
{{As of|2011}}, 46.1% of energy in Japan was produced from petroleum, 21.3% from coal, 21.4% from natural gas, 4.0% from [[Nuclear power in Japan|nuclear power]], and 3.3% from [[hydropower]]. Nuclear power is a major domestic source of energy and produced 9.2 percent of Japan's electricity {{As of|2011|lc=y}}, down from 24.9 percent the previous year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Energy |url=http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/c0117.htm#c07 |website=Statistical Handbook of Japan 2013 |publisher=Statistics Bureau |access-date=February 14, 2014 |archive-date=November 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113221530/http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/c0117.htm#c07 |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami]] disaster, the nuclear reactors were shut down. Thus, Japan's industrial sector became even more dependent than before on imported fossil fuels. By May 2012, all of the country's nuclear power plants were taken offline because of ongoing public opposition following the [[Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster]] in March 2011, though government officials continued to try to sway public opinion in favor of returning at least some of Japan's 50 nuclear reactors to service.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tsukimori |first=Osamu |title=Japan nuclear power-free as last reactor shuts |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nuclear-japan-idUSBRE84405820120505 |access-date=May 8, 2012 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=May 5, 2012 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924163821/http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/05/us-nuclear-japan-idUSBRE84405820120505 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Shinzo Abe]]'s government | {{As of|2011}}, 46.1% of energy in Japan was produced from petroleum, 21.3% from coal, 21.4% from natural gas, 4.0% from [[Nuclear power in Japan|nuclear power]], and 3.3% from [[hydropower]]. Nuclear power is a major domestic source of energy and produced 9.2 percent of Japan's electricity {{As of|2011|lc=y}}, down from 24.9 percent the previous year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Energy |url=http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/c0117.htm#c07 |website=Statistical Handbook of Japan 2013 |publisher=Statistics Bureau |access-date=February 14, 2014 |archive-date=November 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113221530/http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/c0117.htm#c07 |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami]] disaster, the nuclear reactors were shut down. Thus, Japan's industrial sector became even more dependent than before on imported fossil fuels. By May 2012, all of the country's nuclear power plants were taken offline because of ongoing public opposition following the [[Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster]] in March 2011, though government officials continued to try to sway public opinion in favor of returning at least some of Japan's 50 nuclear reactors to service.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tsukimori |first=Osamu |title=Japan nuclear power-free as last reactor shuts |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nuclear-japan-idUSBRE84405820120505 |access-date=May 8, 2012 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=May 5, 2012 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924163821/http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/05/us-nuclear-japan-idUSBRE84405820120505 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Shinzo Abe]]'s government sook to restart the nuclear power plants that meet strict new safety standards and is emphasizing nuclear energy's importance as a base-load electricity source.<ref name="CIA World Factbook"/> In 2015, Japan successfully restarted one nuclear reactor at the [[Sendai Nuclear Power Plant]] in [[Kagoshima prefecture]], and several other reactors around the country have since resumed operations. Opposition from local governments has delayed several restarts that remain pending. | ||
Reforms of the electricity and gas sectors, including the full liberalization of Japan's energy market in April 2016 and the gas market in April 2017, constitute an important part of Prime Minister Abe's economic program.<ref name="CIA World Factbook"/> | Reforms of the electricity and gas sectors, including the full liberalization of Japan's energy market in April 2016 and the gas market in April 2017, constitute an important part of Prime Minister Abe's economic program.<ref name="CIA World Factbook"/> | ||
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==Climate== | ==Climate== | ||
{{ | {{main|climate of Japan}} | ||
[[File:Koppen-Geiger_Map_v2_JPN_1991–2020.svg|thumb|upright=2|A [[Köppen climate classification]] map of Japan]] | [[File:Koppen-Geiger_Map_v2_JPN_1991–2020.svg|thumb|upright=2|A [[Köppen climate classification]] map of Japan]] | ||
Most regions of Japan, such as much of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, belong to the temperate zone with a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfa'') characterized by four distinct seasons. However, its climate varies from a cool, [[humid continental climate]] (Köppen climate classification ''Dfa''/''Dfb'') in the north, such as northern Hokkaido, to a warm [[tropical rainforest climate]] (Köppen climate classification ''Af'') in the south, such as the [[Yaeyama Islands]] and [[Minami-Tori-shima]]. | Most regions of Japan, such as much of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, belong to the temperate zone with a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfa'') characterized by four distinct seasons. However, its climate varies from a cool, [[humid continental climate]] (Köppen climate classification ''Dfa''/''Dfb'') in the north, such as northern Hokkaido, to a warm [[tropical rainforest climate]] (Köppen climate classification ''Af'') in the south, such as the [[Yaeyama Islands]] and [[Minami-Tori-shima]]. Japan's varied geographical features divide it into six principal climatic zones: Hokkaido, Sea of Japan, Central Highland, Seto Inland Sea, Pacific Ocean, and Ryukyu Islands.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=中学校社会科・地理的分野における「気候」の扱いに関する一考察 |url=https://nfu.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/2000080 |accessdate=2013-12-09 |publisher=日本福祉大学教育・心理学部 |language=ja |journal=日本福祉大学子ども発達学論集 |date=2024-02-14 |issue=16 }}</ref> The highest recorded temperature in Japan was 41.8 °C (107.2 °F) on 5 August 2025, and the lowest was −41.0 °C (−41.8 °F) in Asahikawa on 25 January 1902.<ref>{{cite web |author1=気象庁 |title=歴代全国ランキング |url=https://www.data.jma.go.jp/stats/etrn/view/rankall.php |website=www.data.jma.go.jp |accessdate=2025-12-29}}</ref> | ||
Japan's varied geographical features divide it into six principal climatic zones | |||
The highest recorded temperature in Japan was 41. | |||
==Population distribution== | ==Population distribution== | ||
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As many as 1,500 earthquakes are recorded yearly, and magnitudes of 4 to 6 are common.<ref name=loc/> Minor tremors occur almost daily in one part of the country or another, causing slight shaking of buildings.<ref name=loc/> [[Undersea earthquake]]s also expose the Japanese coastline to danger from {{nihongo|[[tsunami]]s|津波}}.<ref name=loc/> | As many as 1,500 earthquakes are recorded yearly, and magnitudes of 4 to 6 are common.<ref name=loc/> Minor tremors occur almost daily in one part of the country or another, causing slight shaking of buildings.<ref name=loc/> [[Undersea earthquake]]s also expose the Japanese coastline to danger from {{nihongo|[[tsunami]]s|津波}}.<ref name=loc/> | ||
Destructive earthquakes, often resulting in tsunamis, occur several times each century.<ref name="volcanoes-japan" /> The [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake|1923 Tokyo earthquake]] killed over 140,000 people.<ref>{{cite web |last=James |first=C.D. |title=The 1923 Tokyo Earthquake and Fire |url=http://nisee.berkeley.edu/kanto/tokyo1923.pdf |publisher=University of California Berkeley |access-date=January 16, 2011 |year=2002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070316050633/http://nisee.berkeley.edu/kanto/tokyo1923.pdf |archive-date=March 16, 2007}}</ref> More recent major quakes are the 1995 [[Great Hanshin earthquake]] and the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami|2011 Tōhoku earthquake]], a 9.1-magnitude<ref name="USGS9.1">{{cite web |url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/official20110311054624120_30#executive |title=M 9.1 – near the east coast of Honshu, Japan |publisher=Earthquake.usgs.gov |date=July 11, 2016 |access-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-date=April 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110407005101/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2011/usc0001xgp/#executive |url-status=live }}</ref> quake that hit Japan on March 11, 2011. It triggered a large tsunami and the [[Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster]], one of the worst disasters in the history of nuclear power.<ref name="nytimes-tsunami">{{cite news | | Destructive earthquakes, often resulting in tsunamis, occur several times each century.<ref name="volcanoes-japan" /> The [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake|1923 Tokyo earthquake]] killed over 140,000 people.<ref>{{cite web |last=James |first=C.D. |title=The 1923 Tokyo Earthquake and Fire |url=http://nisee.berkeley.edu/kanto/tokyo1923.pdf |publisher=University of California Berkeley |access-date=January 16, 2011 |year=2002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070316050633/http://nisee.berkeley.edu/kanto/tokyo1923.pdf |archive-date=March 16, 2007}}</ref> More recent major quakes are the 1995 [[Great Hanshin earthquake]] and the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami|2011 Tōhoku earthquake]], a 9.1-magnitude<ref name="USGS9.1">{{cite web |url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/official20110311054624120_30#executive |title=M 9.1 – near the east coast of Honshu, Japan |publisher=Earthquake.usgs.gov |date=July 11, 2016 |access-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-date=April 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110407005101/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2011/usc0001xgp/#executive |url-status=live }}</ref> quake that hit Japan on March 11, 2011. It triggered a large tsunami and the [[Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster]], one of the worst disasters in the history of nuclear power.<ref name="nytimes-tsunami">{{cite news |last1=Fackler |first1=Martin |last2=Drew |first2=Kevin |title=Devastation as Tsunami Crashes Into Japan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12japan.html?ref=world |access-date=March 11, 2011 |work=The New York Times |date=March 11, 2011 |archive-date=July 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728101451/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12japan.html?ref=world |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake was the largest ever recorded in Japan and is the world's fourth largest earthquake to strike since 1900, according to the U.S. Geological Service. It struck offshore about {{convert|371|km|mi}} northeast of Tokyo and {{convert|130|km|mi}} east of the city of [[Sendai]] and created a massive tsunami that devastated Japan's northeastern coastal areas. At least 100 aftershocks registering a magnitude of 6.0 or higher have followed the main shock. At least 15,000 people died as a result. | The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake was the largest ever recorded in Japan and is the world's fourth largest earthquake to strike since 1900, according to the U.S. Geological Service. It struck offshore about {{convert|371|km|mi}} northeast of Tokyo and {{convert|130|km|mi}} east of the city of [[Sendai]] and created a massive tsunami that devastated Japan's northeastern coastal areas. At least 100 aftershocks registering a magnitude of 6.0 or higher have followed the main shock. At least 15,000 people died as a result. | ||
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[[File:Sakurajima_20091003.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Sakurajima]] eruption on October 3, 2009]] | [[File:Sakurajima_20091003.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Sakurajima]] eruption on October 3, 2009]] | ||
{{see also|List of volcanoes in Japan}} | {{see also|List of volcanoes in Japan}} | ||
Japan has 111 active volcanoes. That is 10% of all active volcanoes in the world. Japan has stratovolcanoes near the subduction zones of the tectonic plates. During the 20th century, several new volcanoes emerged, including [[Shōwa-shinzan]] on Hokkaido and [[Myōjin-shō]] off the [[Bayonnaise Rocks]] in the Pacific.<ref name="volcanoes-japan">{{cite web |url=http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_asia/japan_tec.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204064754/http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_asia/japan_tec.html |archive-date=February 4, 2007 |title=Tectonics and Volcanoes of Japan |publisher=Oregon State University |access-date=March 27, 2007}}</ref> In 1991, Japan's [[Unzen Volcano]] on Kyushu, about {{convert|40|km|abbr=on}} east of Nagasaki, awakened from its 200-year slumber to produce a new [[lava dome]] at its summit. Beginning in June, repeated collapse of this erupting dome generated [[Volcanic ash|ash]] flows that swept down the mountain's slopes at speeds as high as {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}}. [[Unzen Volcano|Unzen]] erupted in 1792 and killed more than 15,000 people. It is the worst volcanic disaster in the country's recorded history.<ref name="dynearth">{{USGS|title=Plate tectonics and people|last1=Kious|first1=W. Jacquelyne|last2=Tilling|first2=Robert I.|url= | Japan has 111 active volcanoes. That is 10% of all active volcanoes in the world. Japan has stratovolcanoes near the subduction zones of the tectonic plates. During the 20th century, several new volcanoes emerged, including [[Shōwa-shinzan]] on Hokkaido and [[Myōjin-shō]] off the [[Bayonnaise Rocks]] in the Pacific.<ref name="volcanoes-japan">{{cite web |url=http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_asia/japan_tec.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204064754/http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_asia/japan_tec.html |archive-date=February 4, 2007 |title=Tectonics and Volcanoes of Japan |publisher=Oregon State University |access-date=March 27, 2007}}</ref> In 1991, Japan's [[Unzen Volcano]] on Kyushu, about {{convert|40|km|abbr=on}} east of Nagasaki, awakened from its 200-year slumber to produce a new [[lava dome]] at its summit. Beginning in June, repeated collapse of this erupting dome generated [[Volcanic ash|ash]] flows that swept down the mountain's slopes at speeds as high as {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}}. [[Unzen Volcano|Unzen]] erupted in 1792 and killed more than 15,000 people. It is the worst volcanic disaster in the country's recorded history.<ref name="dynearth">{{USGS|title=Plate tectonics and people|last1=Kious|first1=W. Jacquelyne|last2=Tilling|first2=Robert I.|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/tectonics.html}}</ref> | ||
Mount Fuji is a [[Dormant volcano|dormant]] stratovolcano that last erupted on 16 December 1707 till about 1 January 1708.<ref name=GSJ_active>{{cite web |title=Active Volcanoes of Japan |url=https://gbank.gsj.jp/volcano/Quat_Vol/act_map_e.html |publisher=Geological Survey of Japan |work=AIST |access-date=March 7, 2016 |archive-date=March 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308105251/https://gbank.gsj.jp/volcano/Quat_Vol/act_map_e.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Britannica>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/221527/Mount-Fuji |title=Mount Fuji |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. |date=11 September 2019 |access-date=21 June 2022 |archive-date=29 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091029041347/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/221527/Mount-Fuji |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Hōei eruption of Mount Fuji]] did not have a lava flow, but it did release some {{convert|800|e6m3}} of [[volcanic ash]]. It spread over vast areas around the volcano and reached [[Edo (Tokyo)|Edo]] almost {{convert|100|km|-1}} away. Cinders and ash fell like rain in [[Izu Province|Izu]], [[Kai Province|Kai]], [[Sagami Province|Sagami]], and [[Musashi Province|Musashi]] provinces.<ref>{{cite book |language=fr |last1=Titsingh |first1=Isaac |last2=von Klaproth |first2=Julius |author3=Siyun-zai Rin-siyo |date=1834 |url=https://archive.org/details/niponodaitsiran01ringoog |oclc=63259938 |title=Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon |page=416 |publisher=Paris, Printed for the Oriental Translation Fund; [etc., etc.]}}</ref> In Edo, the volcanic ash was several centimeters thick.<ref>{{cite web |title=18. 噴火災害 |language=ja |website=dil.bosai.go.jp |url=http://dil.bosai.go.jp/library/bousai/funkasaigai/explosion.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110325062432/http://dil.bosai.go.jp/library/bousai/funkasaigai/explosion.htm |archive-date=March 25, 2011}}</ref> The eruption is rated a 5 on the [[Volcanic Explosivity Index]].<ref name="Fuji — Eruption History">{{cite web |url=http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=283030 |title=Fuji — Eruption History |website=Global Volcanism Program |publisher=Smithsonian Institution |access-date=10 August 2013 |archive-date=11 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311110333/https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=283030 |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:Aso-4_tephra_90-85ka.svg|thumb|[[Mount Aso]] 4 pyroclastic flow and the spread of Aso 4 tephra (90,000 to 85,000 years ago). The pyroclastic flow reached almost the whole area of Kyushu, and volcanic ash was deposited of 15 cm in a wide area from Kyushu to southern Hokkaido.]] | Mount Fuji is a [[Dormant volcano|dormant]] stratovolcano that last erupted on 16 December 1707 till about 1 January 1708.<ref name=GSJ_active>{{cite web |title=Active Volcanoes of Japan |url=https://gbank.gsj.jp/volcano/Quat_Vol/act_map_e.html |publisher=Geological Survey of Japan |work=AIST |access-date=March 7, 2016 |archive-date=March 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308105251/https://gbank.gsj.jp/volcano/Quat_Vol/act_map_e.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Britannica>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/221527/Mount-Fuji |title=Mount Fuji |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. |date=11 September 2019 |access-date=21 June 2022 |archive-date=29 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091029041347/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/221527/Mount-Fuji |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Hōei eruption of Mount Fuji]] did not have a lava flow, but it did release some {{convert|800|e6m3}} of [[volcanic ash]]. It spread over vast areas around the volcano and reached [[Edo (Tokyo)|Edo]] almost {{convert|100|km|-1}} away. Cinders and ash fell like rain in [[Izu Province|Izu]], [[Kai Province|Kai]], [[Sagami Province|Sagami]], and [[Musashi Province|Musashi]] provinces.<ref>{{cite book |language=fr |last1=Titsingh |first1=Isaac |last2=von Klaproth |first2=Julius |author3=Siyun-zai Rin-siyo |date=1834 |url=https://archive.org/details/niponodaitsiran01ringoog |oclc=63259938 |title=Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon |page=416 |publisher=Paris, Printed for the Oriental Translation Fund; [etc., etc.]}}</ref> In Edo, the volcanic ash was several centimeters thick.<ref>{{cite web |title=18. 噴火災害 |language=ja |website=dil.bosai.go.jp |url=http://dil.bosai.go.jp/library/bousai/funkasaigai/explosion.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110325062432/http://dil.bosai.go.jp/library/bousai/funkasaigai/explosion.htm |archive-date=March 25, 2011}}</ref> The eruption is rated a 5 on the [[Volcanic Explosivity Index]].<ref name="Fuji — Eruption History">{{cite web |url=http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=283030 |title=Fuji — Eruption History |website=Global Volcanism Program |publisher=Smithsonian Institution |access-date=10 August 2013 |archive-date=11 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311110333/https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=283030 |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:Aso-4_tephra_90-85ka.svg|thumb|[[Mount Aso]] 4 pyroclastic flow and the spread of Aso 4 tephra (90,000 to 85,000 years ago). The pyroclastic flow reached almost the whole area of Kyushu, and volcanic ash was deposited of 15 cm in a wide area from Kyushu to southern Hokkaido.]] | ||
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Surveys by KOBEC (Kobe Ocean-Bottom Exploration Center) confirm that a giant lava dome of 23 cubic kilometers formed after the Kikai Caldera erupted in 4,300 BC. There is a 1% chance of a giant caldera eruption in the Japanese archipelago within the next 100 years. Approximately 40 cubic kilometers of magma would be released in one burst and cause enormous damage.<ref name = "Japan's Kikai Caldera">{{cite web |title=Giant lava dome confirmed in Japan's Kikai Caldera |format=website |url=http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/research_at_kobe_en/NEWS/news/2018_02_09_01.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727045127/http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/research_at_kobe_en/NEWS/news/2018_02_09_01.html |archive-date = July 27, 2018 |publisher=Kobe Ocean Bottom Exploration Center (KOBEC) | access-date = 31 March 2019}}</ref> | Surveys by KOBEC (Kobe Ocean-Bottom Exploration Center) confirm that a giant lava dome of 23 cubic kilometers formed after the Kikai Caldera erupted in 4,300 BC. There is a 1% chance of a giant caldera eruption in the Japanese archipelago within the next 100 years. Approximately 40 cubic kilometers of magma would be released in one burst and cause enormous damage.<ref name = "Japan's Kikai Caldera">{{cite web |title=Giant lava dome confirmed in Japan's Kikai Caldera |format=website |url=http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/research_at_kobe_en/NEWS/news/2018_02_09_01.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727045127/http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/research_at_kobe_en/NEWS/news/2018_02_09_01.html |archive-date = July 27, 2018 |publisher=Kobe Ocean Bottom Exploration Center (KOBEC) | access-date = 31 March 2019}}</ref> | ||
According to a 2014 study by KOBEC of [[Kobe University]], in a worst-case scenario, if there is a VEI-7 eruption of the Aso Caldera and if the volcanic ash is carried by westerly winds, then pyroclastic flows would cover the 7 million population near the Aso Caldera within two hours. The pyroclastic flows could reach much of Kyushu. Beyond the pyroclastic area is volcanic ash that falls from the sky. If the volcanic ash continuously flows northward, then the [[Volcanic ash|ash fall]] would make it impossible to live normally in large parts of the main islands of Japan due to the paralysis of traffic and lifelines for a limited period (a few days to 2 weeks) until the eruption subsides. In this scenario, the exception would be eastern and northern Hokkaido (the Ryukyu Islands and southern Nanpo Islands would also be excluded). Professor Yoshiyuki Tatsumi, head of KOBEC, told the ''[[Mainichi Shimbun]]'' that "the probability of a gigantic caldera eruption hitting the Japanese archipelago is 1 percent in the next 100 years" with a death toll of many tens of millions of people and wildlife.<ref name = "KOBEC Caldera Eruption">{{cite web |title=巨大カルデラ噴火のメカニズムとリスクを発表 (Announce the mechanism and risk of a huge caldera eruption) |format=website |url=http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/NEWS/info/2014_10_22_01.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330103442/http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/NEWS/info/2014_10_22_01.html |archive-date = March 30, 2019 |publisher=Kobe University | access-date = 31 March 2019}}</ref> The potential exists for tens of millions of humans and other living beings to die during a VEI-7 volcanic eruption with significant short-term effects on the global climate. Most casualties would occur in Kyushu from the pyroclastic flows. The potential damage from the volcanic ash depends on the [[wind direction]]. If, in another scenario, the wind blows in a western or southern direction, then the volcanic ash could affect the East Asian continent or South-East Asia. If the ash flows eastward, then it will spread over the Pacific Ocean. Since the Kikai Caldera is submerged, it is unclear how much damage the [[volcanic ash|hot ash]] clouds would cause if large quantities of volcanic ash stayed beneath the ocean surface. The underwater ash would be swept away by [[ocean currents]]. | According to a 2014 study by KOBEC of [[Kobe University]], in a worst-case scenario, if there is a VEI-7 eruption of the Aso Caldera and if the volcanic ash is carried by westerly winds, then pyroclastic flows would cover the 7 million population near the Aso Caldera within two hours. The pyroclastic flows could reach much of Kyushu. Beyond the pyroclastic area is volcanic ash that falls from the sky. If the volcanic ash continuously flows northward, then the [[Volcanic ash|ash fall]] would make it impossible to live normally in large parts of the main islands of Japan due to the paralysis of traffic and lifelines for a limited period (a few days to 2 weeks) until the eruption subsides. In this scenario, the exception would be eastern and northern Hokkaido (the Ryukyu Islands and southern Nanpo Islands would also be excluded). Professor Yoshiyuki Tatsumi, head of KOBEC, told the ''[[Mainichi Shimbun]]'' that "the probability of a gigantic caldera eruption hitting the Japanese archipelago is 1 percent in the next 100 years" with a death toll of many tens of millions of people and wildlife.<ref name = "KOBEC Caldera Eruption">{{cite web |title=巨大カルデラ噴火のメカニズムとリスクを発表 (Announce the mechanism and risk of a huge caldera eruption) |work=国立大学法人 神戸大学 (Kobe University) |format=website |url=http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/NEWS/info/2014_10_22_01.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330103442/http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/NEWS/info/2014_10_22_01.html |archive-date = March 30, 2019 |publisher=Kobe University | access-date = 31 March 2019}}</ref> The potential exists for tens of millions of humans and other living beings to die during a VEI-7 volcanic eruption with significant short-term effects on the global climate. Most casualties would occur in Kyushu from the pyroclastic flows. The potential damage from the volcanic ash depends on the [[wind direction]]. If, in another scenario, the wind blows in a western or southern direction, then the volcanic ash could affect the East Asian continent or South-East Asia. If the ash flows eastward, then it will spread over the Pacific Ocean. Since the Kikai Caldera is submerged, it is unclear how much damage the [[volcanic ash|hot ash]] clouds would cause if large quantities of volcanic ash stayed beneath the ocean surface. The underwater ash would be swept away by [[ocean currents]]. | ||
[[Paektu Mountain]] on the [[China–North Korea border|Chinese–North Korean border]] had a [[946 eruption of Paektu Mountain|VEI-7 eruption in 946]]. Paektu Mountain is mainly a threat to the surrounding area in [[North Korea]] and [[Manchuria]]. The west coast of Hokkaido is about {{convert|971.62|km|abbr=on}} away. However, a temple in Japan reported "white ash falling like snow" on 3 November 946 AD.<ref name="paektu-sd">{{Cite press release |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170129111657.htm# |title=Fossilized tree and ice cores help date huge volcanic eruption 1,000 years ago to within three months |website=Science Daily.com |access-date=8 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112013611/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170129111657.htm |archive-date=November 12, 2020}}</ref> So strong winds carried the volcanic ash eastward across the Sea of Japan. An average of {{convert|5|cm|abbr=on}} of ashfall covered about {{convert|1500000|km2|abbr=on}} of the Sea of Japan and northern Japan ([[Hokkaido]] and [[Aomori Prefecture]]).<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |title=Volatile emission during the eruption of Baitoushan Volcano (China/North Korea) ca. 969 AD |last=Horn |first=S |date=2000 |journal=Bull Volcanol |doi=10.1007/s004450050004 |volume=61 |issue=8 |pages=537–555 |bibcode=2000BVol...61..537H |s2cid=129624918}}</ref> It took the ash clouds a day or so to reach Hokkaido.<ref name="paektu-sd"/> The total eruption duration was 4 and a half to 14 days (111–333 hours).<ref name="changbaishan">{{Cite book |title=Modern eruption of Changbaishan Tianchi volcano |last=L'iu |first=RX |publisher=China Science Publishing |year=1998}}</ref> | [[Paektu Mountain]] on the [[China–North Korea border|Chinese–North Korean border]] had a [[946 eruption of Paektu Mountain|VEI-7 eruption in 946]]. Paektu Mountain is mainly a threat to the surrounding area in [[North Korea]] and [[Manchuria]]. The west coast of Hokkaido is about {{convert|971.62|km|abbr=on}} away. However, a temple in Japan reported "white ash falling like snow" on 3 November 946 AD.<ref name="paektu-sd">{{Cite press release |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170129111657.htm# |title=Fossilized tree and ice cores help date huge volcanic eruption 1,000 years ago to within three months |website=Science Daily.com |access-date=8 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112013611/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170129111657.htm |archive-date=November 12, 2020}}</ref> So strong winds carried the volcanic ash eastward across the Sea of Japan. An average of {{convert|5|cm|abbr=on}} of ashfall covered about {{convert|1500000|km2|abbr=on}} of the Sea of Japan and northern Japan ([[Hokkaido]] and [[Aomori Prefecture]]).<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |title=Volatile emission during the eruption of Baitoushan Volcano (China/North Korea) ca. 969 AD |last=Horn |first=S |date=2000 |journal=Bull Volcanol |doi=10.1007/s004450050004 |volume=61 |issue=8 |pages=537–555 |bibcode=2000BVol...61..537H |s2cid=129624918}}</ref> It took the ash clouds a day or so to reach Hokkaido.<ref name="paektu-sd"/> The total eruption duration was 4 and a half to 14 days (111–333 hours).<ref name="changbaishan">{{Cite book |title=Modern eruption of Changbaishan Tianchi volcano |last=L'iu |first=RX |publisher=China Science Publishing |year=1998}}</ref> | ||
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==See also== | ==See also== | ||
{{Portal|Japan|Geography}} | |||
* [[List of peninsulas of Japan]] | * [[List of peninsulas of Japan]] | ||
* [[Japanese addressing system]] | * [[Japanese addressing system]] | ||