The natural beauty of Japan

Japan is a land of great natural beauty. Mountains and hills cover about 70 percent of the country. In fact, the Japanese islands consist of the rugged upper part of a great mountain range that rises from the floor of the North Pacific Ocean, jagged peaks, rocky gorges, and thundering mountain waterfalls provide some of the country s most spectacular scenery. Thick forests thrive un the mountainsides, adding to the scenic beauty of the Japanese islands.

Numerous short, swift rivers cross Japan's rugged surface. Most of the rivers are too shallow and steep to be navigated. However, their waters are used to irrigate farmland, and their rapids and falls supply power for hydroelectric plants. Many lakes nestle among the Japanese mountains. Some of them lie in the craters of extinct volcanoes. A large number of hot springs gush from the
ground throughout the country.