Geography - Japan and the World
Geography - Japan and the World asks you to locate places, read maps, explain climate, population, and industry, and connect Japan to global systems. The exam favors cause-and-effect, not memorized lists.
Core rules and concepts
- Japan lies roughly 20°–46°N and 122°–154°E, with 47 prefectures across four main islands plus Okinawa; its EEZ is among the world’s largest.
- Climate is temperate monsoon. Winter winds from Siberia gain moisture over the Sea of Japan and drop snow on the Japan Sea side; the Pacific side stays dry. Summer brings the rainy season, typhoons, and high temperatures. The Seto Inland Sea is a rain-shadow region with little rain.
- Population is shrinking and aging, with concentration in the Tokyo metropolitan area; local regions face depopulation.
- Industry clusters on the Pacific Belt; Hiroshima and the Setouchi area host automotive, shipbuilding, and steel. Agriculture emphasizes rice, fruit, and livestock; fisheries face declining catches and aging workers.
Worked example
Two climate graphs: A has heavy winter precipitation and cool summers; B has dry winters and wet summers with a September peak. Identify A as a Japan Sea-side city such as Kanazawa and B as a Pacific-side city such as Tokyo. Reason from the winter monsoon, the Sea of Japan moisture source, and mountain uplift; then check summer typhoons for B. The key is seasonal wind direction, not latitude alone.
Traps that cost marks
Do not call the Seto Inland Sea wet in winter; do not confuse total population with population density; do not ignore map scale or the difference between prefecture and city; and do not explain snow only by “cold latitude.”