EJU Japan and the World: Geography 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following correctly lists Japan's four main islands?
- Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Okinawa
- Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku (Correct answer)
- Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Okinawa
- Hokkaido, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Sado
Correct answer: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku
Japan's four main islands are Honshu (the largest), Hokkaido (northernmost), Kyushu, and Shikoku — together forming the core of the Japanese archipelago.
Question 2: The Kuroshio Current is significant for Japan's climate because it:
- Brings cold, nutrient-rich water from the Arctic Ocean southward
- Transports warm water northward along Japan's Pacific coast (Correct answer)
- Creates the heavy snowfall on Japan's Sea of Japan coast in winter
- Causes frequent typhoons to strike Japan's interior mountain regions
Correct answer: Transports warm water northward along Japan's Pacific coast
The Kuroshio (Black Current) is a warm ocean current that flows northward along Japan's Pacific coast, moderating coastal temperatures and influencing rainfall patterns.
Question 3: Japan's position on the Pacific Ring of Fire means the country frequently experiences:
- Hurricanes and severe monsoon flooding
- Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions (Correct answer)
- Tornadoes and large-scale dust storms
- Blizzards and polar vortex events
Correct answer: Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
The Ring of Fire is a zone of intense seismic and volcanic activity where multiple tectonic plates converge; Japan sits at the junction of the Pacific, Philippine, Eurasian, and North American plates.
Question 4: What is the cold ocean current that flows southward along Japan's northeastern Pacific coast?
- Tsushima Current
- Kuroshio Current
- Oyashio Current (Correct answer)
- Agulhas Current
Correct answer: Oyashio Current
The Oyashio Current is a cold subarctic current flowing southward along Japan's northeastern coast; where it meets the Kuroshio, rich fishing grounds are created.
Question 5: The Kanto Plain is geographically significant in Japan primarily because:
- It is Japan's most productive rice-farming region by total harvest volume
- It contains Japan's highest and most extensive mountain ranges
- It hosts Japan's largest urban concentration, anchored by Tokyo (Correct answer)
- It is the main coal and heavy mineral mining region in eastern Japan
Correct answer: It hosts Japan's largest urban concentration, anchored by Tokyo
The Kanto Plain is Japan's largest lowland area and home to the Greater Tokyo Area, making it the country's most densely populated and economically central region.
Question 6: During Japan's summer monsoon season, weather across most of the country is characterized by:
- Cold, dry air flowing in from Siberia to the northwest
- Warm, moist air arriving from the Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia (Correct answer)
- Dry, hot air originating over the Gobi Desert in central Asia
- Cold ocean winds driven by the Oyashio Current from the northeast
Correct answer: Warm, moist air arriving from the Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia
Japan's summer monsoon brings warm, humid air from the Pacific and Southeast Asia, producing the high temperatures and heavy rainfall that characterize the June–September rainy season.
Question 7: Which Japanese city is located on the island of Hokkaido?
- Osaka
- Sapporo (Correct answer)
- Nagoya
- Fukuoka
Correct answer: Sapporo
Sapporo is Japan's fifth-largest city and the capital of Hokkaido Prefecture, situated on Japan's northernmost main island.
EJU Japan and the World: Geography 1
Which of the following correctly lists Japan's four main islands?