This country consists of four main islands and many smaller islands, notably Okinawa. Here they are from north to south, with Honshu, by far the largest and most populated island, divided into five: Hokkaido : northernmost island, and snowy frontier. Famous for its wide open spaces and cold winters.Tohoku : north-east Honshu, for seafood, skiing and hot springs
Kanto : coastal plain of Honshu, includes the cities of Tokyo and Yokohama
Chubu : mountainous middle region of Honshu, dominated by the Japan Alps and Japan's fourth-largest city Nagoya.
Kansai : western region of Honshu, ancient capital of culture and commerce, including the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Kobe.
Chugoku : south-westernmost Honshu, a rural region best known for the cities of Hiroshima and Shimonoseki.
Shikoku : smallest of the 4 main islands, a destination for Buddhist pilgrims, and Japan's best white-water rafting
Kyushu : southernmost of the 4 main islands, birthplace of Japanese civilization; largest cities Fukuoka and Kitakyushu
Okinawa: semi-tropical southern island chain reaching out toward Taiwan; formerly the independent Ryukyu Kingdom until it was annexed by Japan in 1879, its traditional customs and architecture are significantly different from the rest of Japan.