NATIONAL PROFILE on Chemicals Management - UNITAR

Chapter 1Background information1 1 Related organisations and their activities1 1.1 GeographyThe area of Japan is approximately 378,000 km 2 , and it is situated in the sea east of the Asiancontinent. With the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Sea of Japan to the west, the Sea ofOkhotsk to the north and the East China Sea to the south, Japan has no direct connection toother countries via land routes. Japan consists of the four large islands of—from north tosouth—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, and approximately 3,000 smaller islands.About 300 of these islands are inhabited.Diagram 1-1Map of JapanRebun IslandRishiri IslandSea of OkhotskKunashiriIslandEtorofuIslandShikotan IslandHabomai IslandsSea of JapanIshikari PlainAmami OshimaIslandOkinawaIslandSado IslandEchigo PlainOki IslandsTsushimaIslandsGoto IslandsTsukushi PlainNobi PlainOsaka PlainAwaji IslandOshima IslandKanto PlainPacific OceanYakushima IslandTanegashimaIsland1