Japan consists of four main islands, Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. The Ryuku chain to the southwest was occupied by the US from 1945 to 1972. The surface of the islands consist mainly of mountains.

Japan is very volcanically active as well as active in earthquakes. There are approximately 1,000 earthquakes per year. Earthquakes can produce tsunamis, which are massive waves that can create a lot of destruction.