Deeper Dive: Japanese Geography & Landmarks
Advanced
Deeper Dive: Japanese Geography & Landmarks
Japan is an island nation with a rich variety of geographical features and famous landmarks. In this lesson, you'll learn key vocabulary and facts about Japanese geography and some of its most iconic places. We will explore not only the names but also some interesting facts about these locations.
Major Islands of Japan
Japan consists of four main islands, plus many smaller ones. Here are the four major islands with their names in Japanese, romaji, and English:
| Japanese | Romaji | English | Interesting Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 本州 | Honshū | Honshu | The largest island, home to Tokyo and many other major cities. The Japanese Alps run down its spine. |
| 北海道 | Hokkaidō | Hokkaido | Known for its vast wilderness, ski resorts, and Sapporo Snow Festival. It was historically inhabited by the Ainu people. |
| 九州 | Kyūshū | Kyushu | Famous for its active volcanoes, hot springs (onsen), and delicious food like Hakata ramen. |
| 四国 | Shikoku | Shikoku | The smallest of the four main islands, known for its 88-temple pilgrimage route. |
Quiz: Which island is known for its hot springs and volcanoes?
Kyushu (九州)Famous Landmarks
Let's look at some of Japan's most famous landmarks. We'll go beyond just their names and explore some of their history and significance.
| Japanese | Romaji | English | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 富士山 | Fuji-san | Mount Fuji | Japan's highest peak and a symbol of the country. It's an active volcano, though it hasn't erupted since 1707. Climbing Mount Fuji is a popular activity in the summer. (富士山は日本の象徴です。Fuji-san wa Nihon no shōchō desu. - Mount Fuji is a symbol of Japan.) |
| 東京タワー | Tōkyō Tawā | Tokyo Tower | A communications and observation tower in Tokyo, modeled after the Eiffel Tower. It was once the tallest structure in Japan. It's now surpassed by Tokyo Skytree. (東京タワーはかつて日本で一番高い建物でした。Tōkyō Tawā wa katsute Nihon de ichiban takai tatemono deshita. - Tokyo Tower used to be the tallest building in Japan.) |
| 金閣寺 | Kinkaku-ji | Golden Pavilion | A Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, covered in gold leaf. It was originally built as a retirement villa for a shogun. (金閣寺は美しい金で覆われています。Kinkaku-ji wa utsukushii kin de ōwarete imasu. - Kinkaku-ji is covered in beautiful gold.) |
| 清水寺 | Kiyomizu-dera | Kiyomizu Temple | A Buddhist temple in Kyoto, famous for its wooden stage that juts out from the hillside. It offers stunning views of the city. (清水寺の舞台からの眺めは素晴らしいです。Kiyomizu-dera no butai kara no nagame wa subarashii desu. - The view from Kiyomizu-dera's stage is wonderful.) |
| 姫路城 | Himeji-jō | Himeji Castle | A stunning white castle in Hyogo Prefecture, often called "White Heron Castle" because of its elegant appearance. It's one of Japan's best-preserved castles. (姫路城は「白鷺城」と呼ばれています。Himeji-jō wa "shirasagi-jō" to yobarete imasu. - Himeji Castle is called "White Heron Castle".) |
| 厳島神社 | Itsukushima Jinja | Itsukushima Shrine | A Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima in Hiroshima Prefecture. Its iconic torii gate appears to float on the water at high tide. (厳島神社の鳥居は海に浮かんでいるように見えます。Itsukushima Jinja no torii wa umi ni ukande iru yō ni miemasu. - Itsukushima Shrine's torii gate looks like it is floating on the sea.) |
| 広島平和記念公園 | Hiroshima Heiwa Kinen Kōen | Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park | A park dedicated to the victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. It includes the Peace Memorial Museum and the Atomic Bomb Dome. (広島平和記念公園は、原爆の犠牲者に捧げられています。Hiroshima Heiwa Kinen Kōen wa, genbaku no giseisha ni sasagerarete imasu. - Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is dedicated to the victims of the atomic bomb.) |
| 沖縄美ら海水族館 | Okinawa Churaumi Suizokukan | Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium | One of the largest aquariums in the world, located in Okinawa. It's famous for its massive Kuroshio Sea tank. (沖縄美ら海水族館は世界最大級の水族館の一つです。Okinawa Churaumi Suizokukan wa sekai saidai-kyū no suizokukan no hitotsu desu. - Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in the world.) |
Quiz: Which landmark is famous for its "floating" torii gate?
Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社)Key Vocabulary
Here's a more extensive list of key vocabulary related to Japanese geography and landmarks.
| Japanese | Romaji | English | Additional Notes | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 島 | shima | island | 日本にはたくさんの島があります。 (Nihon ni wa takusan no shima ga arimasu. - There are many islands in Japan.) | |
| 山 | yama | mountain | 富士山は美しい山です。 (Fuji-san wa utsukushii yama desu. - Mount Fuji is a beautiful mountain.) | |
| 川 | kawa | river | 京都には鴨川という川があります。 (Kyōto ni wa Kamo-gawa to iu kawa ga arimasu. - There is a river called Kamo River in Kyoto.) | |
| 湖 | mizuumi | lake | Alternatively: ko (湖) | 琵琶湖は日本で一番大きい湖です。 (Biwa-ko wa Nihon de ichiban ōkii mizuumi desu. - Lake Biwa is the largest lake in Japan.) |
| 海 | umi | sea | 日本は海に囲まれています。 (Nihon wa umi ni kakomarete imasu. - Japan is surrounded by the sea.) | |
| 都市 | toshi | city | 東京は大きな都市です。 (Tōkyō wa ōkina toshi desu. - Tokyo is a large city.) | |
| 神社 | jinja | shrine | Shinto religious site | 神社でお参りをします。 (Jinja de o-mairi o shimasu. - I pray at a shrine.) |
| 寺 | tera/dera | temple | Buddhist religious site | 寺は静かな場所です。 (Tera wa shizuka na basho desu. - Temples are quiet places.) |
| 城 | shiro/jō | castle | 姫路城は有名なお城です。 (Himeji-jō wa yūmei na o-shiro desu. - Himeji Castle is a famous castle.) | |
| 滝 | taki | waterfall | 那智の滝はとても迫力があります。 (Nachi no Taki wa totemo hakuryoku ga arimasu. - Nachi Falls are very impressive.) | |
| 温泉 | onsen | hot spring | 日本にはたくさんの温泉があります。 (Nihon ni wa takusan no onsen ga arimasu. - There are many hot springs in Japan.) | |
| 高原 | kōgen | plateau, highland | 霧ヶ峰高原は美しい高原です。 (Kirigamine kōgen wa utsukushii kōgen desu. - Kirigamine Plateau is a beautiful plateau.) | |
| 砂浜 | sunahama | sandy beach | Alternatively: hama (浜) | 白い砂浜を歩くのは気持ちいいです。 (Shiroi sunahama o aruku no wa kimochi ii desu. - It feels good to walk on the white sandy beach.) |
| 谷 | tani | valley | 黒部峡谷は深い谷です。 (Kurobe Kyōkoku wa fukai tani desu. - Kurobe Gorge is a deep valley.) | |
| 半島 | hantō | peninsula | 紀伊半島は自然が豊かです。(Kii Hantō wa shizen ga yutaka desu. - The Kii Peninsula is rich in nature.) | |
| 湖畔 | kohan | lakeside | 湖畔の景色は美しいです。(Kohan no keshiki wa utsukushii desu. - The lakeside scenery is beautiful.) | |
| 庭園 | teien | garden | Often referring to traditional Japanese gardens. | 兼六園は有名な庭園です。(Kenrokuen wa yūmei na teien desu. - Kenrokuen is a famous garden.) |
| 鳥居 | torii | torii gate | Found at the entrance of Shinto shrines. | 鳥居をくぐって神社に入ります。(Torii o kugutte jinja ni hairimasu. - I pass through the torii gate and enter the shrine.) |
| 都 | to | capital | Commonly used to refer to Tokyo. | 東京は日本の首都です。 (Tōkyō wa Nihon no shuto desu. - Tokyo is the capital of Japan.) |
Vocabulary Quiz: What is the Japanese word for "hot spring"?
温泉 (Onsen)Practice Sentences
Let's put some of these words into practice. Try translating the sentences first, then check your answer.
日本には四つの大きな島があります。 Nihon ni wa yottsu no ōkina shima ga arimasu. (There are four large islands in Japan.)
富士山は日本で一番高い山です。 Fuji-san wa Nihon de ichiban takai yama desu. (Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan.)
京都には多くの有名な寺があります。 Kyōto ni wa ōku no yūmei na tera ga arimasu. (There are many famous temples in Kyoto.)
北海道は自然が豊かです。 Hokkaidō wa shizen ga yutaka desu. (Hokkaido is rich in nature.)
大阪は美味しい食べ物で有名です。 Ōsaka wa oishii tabemono de yūmei desu. (Osaka is famous for its delicious food.)
この神社の鳥居はとても大きいです。 Kono jinja no torii wa totemo ōkii desu. (The torii gate of this shrine is very big.)
箱根は温泉で有名です。 Hakone wa onsen de yūmei desu. (Hakone is famous for its hot springs.)
京都の庭園はとても美しいです。 Kyōto no teien wa totemo utsukushii desu. (The gardens in Kyoto are very beautiful.)
Translation Exercise: "The view from Mount Aso is spectacular."
阿蘇山からの眺めは素晴らしいです。(*Aso-san kara no nagame wa subarashii desu.*)Quick Facts & Lesser-Known Gems
- The longest river in Japan is the 信濃川 (Shinano-gawa, Shinano River). It flows through Nagano and Niigata prefectures.
- The largest lake is 琵琶湖 (Biwa-ko, Lake Biwa). It's located in Shiga Prefecture and is an important source of water for the region.
- Japan is made up of over 6,800 islands. Most are uninhabited.
- Aogashima is a volcanic island in the Philippine Sea, administered by Tokyo. The entire island is a volcano, and people live within the caldera.
- 立山黒部アルペンルート (Tateyama Kurobe Alpen Route) is a unique mountain sightseeing route through the Northern Japan Alps. It's famous for its snow walls in spring.
- 白川郷 (Shirakawa-gō) is a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its traditional gassho-style farmhouses.
True or False: Aogashima is an uninhabited island.
False. Aogashima is inhabited.Further Exploration
To deepen your understanding, consider these activities:
- Explore maps and photos: Use online maps (like Google Maps) to explore the geography we discussed. Look for photos of the landmarks to get a better sense of their appearance.
- Virtual Tours: Many landmarks offer virtual tours on their websites.
- Read travel blogs and articles: Find articles about traveling in Japan to learn more about different regions and landmarks.
- Watch documentaries: There are many documentaries about Japan's natural beauty and cultural heritage.
- Practice making your own sentences: Try to describe places you have visited or would like to visit in Japan using the vocabulary you have learned.
Try using these words in your own sentences! Good luck!