Editing Geography of Japan (section)

===Location===
The Japanese archipelago is relatively far away from the Asian continent. Kyushu is closest to the southernmost point of the Korean peninsula, with a distance of {{convert|190|km|mi|abbr=on}}, which is almost six times farther away than from England to France across the [[English Channel]]. Thus, historically, Kyushu was the gateway between Asia and Japan. China is separated by {{convert|800|km|mi|abbr=on}} of sea from Japan's big [[mainland Japan|main islands]]. Hokkaido is near [[Sakhalin]], which was [[Karafuto Prefecture|occupied by Japan]] from 1905 to 1945. Most of the population lives on the Pacific coast of Honshū. The west coast facing the Sea of Japan is less densely populated.<ref name="jpn-places"/>

The Japanese archipelago has been difficult to reach since ancient history. During the [[Japanese Paleolithic|Paleolithic]] period around 20,000 BCE, at the height of the [[Last Glacial Maximum]], there was a land bridge between Hokkaido and Sakhalin that linked Japan with the Asian continent. The land bridge disappeared when sea levels rose in the [[Jōmon period]] around 10,000 BCE.<ref name=Japan>{{cite book |last1=Campbell |first1=Allen |last2=Nobel |first2=David S |title=Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia |publisher=Kodansha |date=1993 |page=1186 |isbn=406205938X}}</ref>

Japan's remote location, surrounded by vast seas, rugged, mountainous terrain, and steep rivers, makes it secure against invaders and uncontrolled migration from the Asian continent. The Japanese can close their civilization with an [[isolationist]] [[foreign policy]]. During the [[Edo period]], the [[Tokugawa Shogunate]] enforced the [[Sakoku]] policy, which prohibited most foreign contact and trade from 1641 to 1853.<ref>Ronald P. Toby, ''State and Diplomacy in Early Modern Japan: Asia in the Development of the Tokugawa Bakufu'', Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, (1984) 1991.</ref> In modern times, the inflow of people is managed via seaports and airports. Thus, Japan is fairly insulated from continental issues.

Throughout history, Japan has never been fully invaded or colonized by other countries. The [[Mongol invasions of Japan|Mongols tried to invade Japan]] twice and failed in 1274 and 1281. Japan capitulated only once after nuclear attacks in World War II. At the time, Japan did not have [[nuclear technology]]. The insular geography is a major factor in the isolationist, semi-open, and [[expansionist]] periods of [[History of Japan|Japanese history]].