EJU Japan and the World: Geography 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Japan's population distribution is best described as:
- Evenly spread across all four main islands
- Concentrated mainly in mountainous interior regions
- Heavily concentrated in coastal lowlands, plains, and river valleys (Correct answer)
- Mostly located in the northern island of Hokkaido
Correct answer: Heavily concentrated in coastal lowlands, plains, and river valleys
Because mountains cover about 73% of Japan's land area, the population is crowded into coastal lowlands and plains, creating some of the world's highest urban densities.
Question 2: The Tokyo Metropolitan Area (Greater Tokyo) is notable globally for being:
- The world's most populous metropolitan area with over 37 million people (Correct answer)
- Japan's fastest-growing urban area in terms of population since 2000
- The oldest continuously inhabited major city in East Asia
- A city spanning portions of three different Japanese islands
Correct answer: The world's most populous metropolitan area with over 37 million people
Greater Tokyo consistently ranks as the world's most populous metropolitan area, housing over 37 million people in its urban agglomeration.
Question 3: The Tokaido Megalopolis refers to the densely urbanized industrial corridor stretching between:
- Sapporo and Tokyo along the Pacific coast
- Tokyo through Nagoya to Osaka and Kobe (Correct answer)
- Fukuoka and Hiroshima across northern Kyushu
- Nagoya and Sapporo through central Honshu
Correct answer: Tokyo through Nagoya to Osaka and Kobe
The Tokaido Megalopolis follows the old Tokaido highway from Tokyo through Nagoya to Osaka-Kobe, forming one of the world's most densely populated and industrialized urban corridors.
Question 4: Japan's demographic challenge of population aging is most directly driven by:
- Rapid emigration of young working-age adults to other countries
- A total fertility rate that has remained far below the replacement level of about 2.1 (Correct answer)
- High infant mortality rates that have reduced the youth population
- Government policies deliberately restricting family size since the 1970s
Correct answer: A total fertility rate that has remained far below the replacement level of about 2.1
Japan's total fertility rate has been well below the replacement level of approximately 2.1 for decades, meaning fewer children are born than needed to sustain the population size.
Question 5: The Sea of Japan coast (Sanin and Hokuriku regions) receives extremely heavy snowfall in winter primarily because:
- These regions are located at higher latitudes than the Pacific coast
- Cold, dry Siberian air masses pick up moisture crossing the Sea of Japan before reaching land (Correct answer)
- The Oyashio Current brings warm, snow-generating air masses from the north
- Mountain ranges trap Arctic air masses along the Sea of Japan coast
Correct answer: Cold, dry Siberian air masses pick up moisture crossing the Sea of Japan before reaching land
Cold, dry Siberian air flows over the relatively warm Sea of Japan in winter, absorbing moisture, and then drops heavy snow when it rises over the coastal mountains of Honshu.
Question 6: Approximately what percentage of Japan's total land area is used for agriculture?
- About 5%
- About 12% (Correct answer)
- About 30%
- About 50%
Correct answer: About 12%
Only about 12% of Japan's land is cultivable, due to the dominance of steep mountain terrain, making intensive and efficient farming methods essential.
Question 7: Japan's policy of protecting 'satochi satoyama' (里地里山) landscapes refers to preserving:
- Urban renewal zones designated for sustainable city development
- Traditional rural mosaics of rice paddies, grasslands, and secondary forests (Correct answer)
- Coastal reclamation projects that expand agricultural land into the sea
- Industrial zones converted from former farmland for manufacturing use
Correct answer: Traditional rural mosaics of rice paddies, grasslands, and secondary forests
Satochi satoyama describes Japan's traditional rural landscape — a mosaic of rice paddies, managed forests, and grasslands — recognized for its biodiversity and cultural heritage.
EJU Japan and the World: Geography 2
Japan's population distribution is best described as: