Japan is an island nation in East Asia. This country is located in the Pacific Ocean and lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is often referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
Th country is a hugely diverse, especially when it comes to its thousands of islands. There are approximately 6,852 to choose from, so you don’t have to go far to find mountains, beaches, coral reefs and quaint little villages. Many of the islands are almost untouched by tourism so make for an exceptionally traditional experience. From the Rough Guide to Japan, here are 20 of the best.
Some beautiful scenes of the islands of Japan
