Japan


Japan
Aliases:	Nihon Nippon
Category:	Country
Region:	East Asia
Points of interest:	Agarashima; Gunma; Higashiosaka; Hiroshima; Hokkaidō; Honshū; Kanagawa Prefecture; Kushiro; Kyoto; Mie Prefecture; Miyagi Prefecture; Nagano Prefecture; Nagasaki; Oto Island; Osaka; Toba; Tokyo; Toyama; Yamagata
1st appearance:	Gojira (1954)

Japan is a country located in East Asia. Officially known as Nippon, it is a nation comprised of 6,852 islands and 47 prefectures. The four largest islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku, which together comprise about ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area.

Japan has played a consistent role in the daikaiju ("giant monster") films of the Shōwa period and Heisei periods. Beginning with 1954's Gojira and extending into the modern era, Japan and its many inhabitants have had to deal with all sorts of atomically mutated monsters including Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Anguirus and many others. Godzilla first set his sights on the island after causing some mayhem on nearby Oto Island. Members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force mustered up all of their military might to combat him, as he laid waste to bridges, towers, and skyscrapers, but were unable to stop his rampage. Ultimately, it was the work of one tormented scientist, Daisuke Serizawa, and his Oxygen Destroyer, which finally put the monster down for good... or did it? Like the proverbial bad penny, Godzilla and his pals found a way to spring back up time and time again to make trouble for the poor folks of Japan.

Points of Interest[]

Regions[]

Chūbu region: The Chūbu region is the central region of Honshū. It encompasses nine prefectures: Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, Yamanashi, and often Mie. The region is the widest part of Honshū and the central part is characterized by high, rugged mountains. The Japanese Alps divide the country into the Pacific side, sunny in winter, and the Sea of Japan side, snowy in winter. In Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, a race of aliens known as Xians tricked the Japanese government into relinquishing control of Godzilla and Rodan over to them. Mentally controlling the monsters, the Xians threatened to have them rampage through Shizuoka Prefecture unless they surrendered to them.

Chūgoku region: The Chūgoku region is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. The Chūgoku region is characterized by irregular rolling hills and limited plain areas and is divided into two distinct parts by mountains running east and west through its center. The city of Hiroshima, the "capital" of the Chūgoku region, was rebuilt after being destroyed by an atomic bomb in 1945, and is now an industrial metropolis of more than one million people.

Kansai region: The Kansai region lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included. While the use of the terms "Kansai" and "Kinki" have changed over history, in most modern contexts the use of the two terms is interchangeable. The urban region of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto (Keihanshin region) is the second most populated in Japan after the Greater Tokyo Area.

Kantō region: The Kantō region is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 45 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain. The rest consists of the hills and mountains that form the land borders.

Tōhoku region: The Tōhoku region consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures (ken): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata. Tōhoku retains a reputation as a remote, scenic region with a harsh climate. In the 20th century, tourism became a major industry in the Tōhoku region.

Prefectures[]

Akita Prefecture: Akita Prefecture a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of northern Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Akita. Akita Prefecture played a minor role in the 1965 film Frankenstein Conquers the World.

Chiba Prefecture: Chiba Prefecture is one of the forty-seven prefectures of Japan. It is located in the central eastern section of the island of Honshu and is part of the Kantō region. Its capital city is Chiba.

Hiroshima Prefecture: Hiroshima Prefecture s a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima. It has a population of around 2.9 million. Hiroshima prefecture lies in the middle of Chūgoku. Most of the prefecture consists of mountains leading towards Shimane Prefecture; and rivers produce rich plains near the coast. The province faces Shikoku across the Seto Inland Sea. Hiroshima Bay opens on the Inland Sea. The prefecture also includes many small islands.

Kanagawa Prefecture: Kanagawa Prefecture is located in the southern region of Japan known as Kantō and is considered part of the Greater Tokyo Area. It's capital city is Yokohama. Another city of note in Kanagawa is Kamakura.

Kyoto Prefecture: Kyoto Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. It's capital city is Kyoto. Other notable cities include Ayabe, Jōyō, Kizugawa, Kyōtanabe, Kyōtango and Nagaokakyō. In Marvel Comics, parts of the ninja assassin clan known as The Hand are based out of Kyoto Prefecture.

Mie Prefecture: Mie Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. It has fourteen major cities, seven districts and municipalities. It's capital city is Tsu. It is part of the Kii Peninsula with a total land area of 5,777.22 km2. In the 1954 film Gojira, the fictional locale of Oto Island was filmed in Toba in Mie Prefecture.

Miyagi Prefecture: Miyagi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai. It has an area of 7,285.16 km² with a population of 2,337,513. It has 10 districts and 36 municipalities.

Nagano Prefecture: Nagano Prefecture is located on the island of Honshu in the Chūbu region. Its capital city is Nagano. A notable location is the Kitasaku District which contains the town of Karuizawa. In the 2003 film Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., Karuizawa was the home of Doctor Shin'ichi Chûjô, and his nephew Yoshito Chûjô and grandson Syun Chûjô .

Niigata Prefecture: Niigata Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata with which it shares the same name. Godzilla series actress Kumi Mizuno was born in the city of Niigata on January 1st, 1937.

Okayama Prefecture: Okayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Okayama.

Shizuoka Prefecture: Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. It is located on the island of Honshu in the Chūbu region. With a land area of 3,003.73 square miles, it borders the Pacific Ocean to the east. It is bordered to the west by the Japanese Alps, which includes Mount Fuji. In film, Shizuoka Prefecture has made numerous appearances in Asian cinema. It often appears in films of the daikaiju ("giant monster") vein, such as Godzilla vs. Monster Zero in 1965. In that film, a race of aliens known as Xians tricked the Japanese government into relinquishing control of Godzilla and Rodan over to them. Mentally controlling the monsters, the Xians threatened to have them rampage through Shizuoka unless they surrendered to them.

Tokyo Prefecture: Tokyo is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. It is located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture and the city of Tokyo. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family.

Toyama Prefecture: is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on the main Honshu island. The capital is the city of Toyama. Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity from abundant hydroelectric resources.

Yamagata Prefecture: Yamagata Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on Honshu island. Its capital is Yamagata. Yamagata Prefecture is located in the southwest corner of Tōhoku, facing the Sea of Japan. It borders Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture on the south, Miyagi Prefecture on the east, and Akita Prefecture on the north. All of these boundaries are marked by mountains, with most of the population residing in a limited central plain.

Districts[]

Kitasaku District: The Kitasaku District is located in Nagano Prefecture in Japan. It has three towns, Karuizawa, Miyota and Tateshina. In the 2003 film Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., Kitsaku District was the site of a Mothra sighting, who accompanied the Shobijin fairies to visit the home of Doctor Shin'ichi Chûjô.

Cities & Towns[]

Chiba: Chiba is a city in Japan. It is the capital of Chiba Prefecture in the Kantō region on the island of Honshu. Chiba plays a small, yet vital role in the Godzilla film series. The fictional military unit, the Anti-Megalosaurus Force was founded in Chiba in 1966 according to the 2002 film Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla. One of the actors from that film, Akira Nakao, was born in Chiba on August 11th, 1942.

Higashiosaka: is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on February 1st, 1967, by a merger of three cities, Fuse, Kawachi, and Hiraoka in eastern Osaka Prefecture. Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. actress Miho Yoshioka was born in Higashiosaka on February 3rd, 1980.

Kamakura: Kamakura is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. It was incorporated as a city in 1939 and has a population of more than 170,000 people. Noted Godzilla actor Hiroshi Koizumi was born in Kamakura on August 12th, 1926.

Karuizawa: Karuizawa is a town located in the Kitasaku District of Nagano Prefecture. In the 2003 film Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., Karuizawa was the home of Doctor Shin'ichi Chûjô, and his nephew Yoshito Chûjô and son, Syun Chûjô. The twin fairies known as the Shobijin visited Doctor Chûjô to implore his aid in convincing the Japanese government that they must cease using MechaGodzilla for it was made from the bones of the original Godzilla. Failure to do so would risk an attack from Mothra. Shin'ichi walked outside his home and saw Mothra in moth form resting before him.

Kyoto: Kyoto is a city located on the island of Honshu. It is located in the Kansai region of the Kyoto Prefecture. For over a thousand years, Kyoto stood as the Imperial capital of Japan. If one is looking for copious amounts of temples and shrines, Kyoto is the place to be. Noted Godzilla film series screenwriter Shin'ichi Sekizawa was born in Kyoto on June 2nd, 1921. An elementary school in Kyoto was the site of a global conspiracy to prevent the Apocalypse by offering up human sacrifices, which would be carried out via various supernatural creatures. A ghost of a young girl terrorized a girls' school in Kyoto. The Japan site always had a record of besting the U.S. based staging grounds for these events. ^[1]

Nagoya: In 1967, Nagoya was the site of a climactic battle between two giant monsters; Gamera and Gyaos. During the fight, Gamera bit off Gyaos' toes, which led military scientists to theorize that exposure to ultraviolet light would weaken Gyaos. A plan was formed using artificial blood as bait that involved disorienting Gyaos long enough for the sun to rise and kill him. Gyaos was lured out to the predetermined area, but the plan failed when the power station overheated. ^[2]

Toba: Toba is a city in Mie Prefecture. It borders the cities of Ise and Shima. In the 1954 film Gojira, the fictional locale of Oto Island was filmed in Toba in Mie Prefecture.

Yamagata: Yamagata is the capital city of Yamagata Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of Japan. The Mogami River passes through the city, which includes Mount Zaō within its borders. Yamagata City is located in a wide central valley that can heat up quickly in spring and summer and is often grey and humid, while to the east in Miyagi Prefecture on the Pacific coast it is usually clearer and more temperate.

Municipalities[]

Karuizawa: Karuizawa is a town located in the Kitasaku District of Nagano Prefecture. In the 2003 film Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., Karuizawa was the home of Doctor Shin'ichi Chûjô, and his nephew Yoshito Chûjô and son, Syun Chûjô. The twin fairies known as the Shobijin visited Doctor Chûjô to implore his aid in convincing the Japanese government that they must cease using MechaGodzilla for it was made from the bones of the original Godzilla. Failure to do so would risk an attack from Mothra. Shin'ichi walked outside his home and saw Mothra in moth form resting before him.

Nagasaki: Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. During World War II, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki made Nagasaki the second and, to date, last city in the world to experience a nuclear attack. Nagasaki lies at the head of a long bay which forms the best natural harbor on the island of Kyūshū. The main commercial and residential area of the city lies on a small plain near the end of the bay. Two rivers divided by a mountain spur form the two main valleys in which the city lies.

Narashino: Narashino is a city located in Chiba Prefecture in the Kantō region on the island of Honshu in Japan. It has a total land area of 8.10 square miles and a population of more than 165,000 people. In the 2002 film Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla, Narashino was the location of the Anti-Megalosaurus Force (AMF) command center. It was here in 1999 that Akane Yashiro received disciplinary action for her actions during an encounter with Godzilla that resulted in the deaths of several men.

Osaka: Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Japan. It is the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and the largest component of the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Japan and among the largest in the world with nearly 19 million inhabitants. Situated at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, Osaka is Japan's third largest city by population after the Tokyo 23 wards and Yokohama, and serves as a major economic hub.

Toba: Toba is a city in Mie Prefecture. It borders the cities of Ise and Shima. In the 1954 film Gojira, the fictional locale of Oto Island was filmed in Toba in Mie Prefecture.

Toyama: Toyama is the capital city of Toyama Prefecture, Japan, located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in the Chūbu region on central Honshū, about 200 km (120 mi) north of the city of Nagoya and 300 km (190 mi) northwest of Tokyo.

Yamagata: Yamagata is the capital city of Yamagata Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of Japan. The Mogami River passes through the city, which includes Mount Zaō within its borders. Yamagata City is located in a wide central valley that can heat up quickly in spring and summer and is often grey and humid, while to the east in Miyagi Prefecture on the Pacific coast it is usually clearer and more temperate.

Yokohama: Yokohama is a city in the island nation of Japan. It is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture in the Kantō region of Honshu Island. After Tokyo, it is the second most populous city in the country with a population of nearly 3,700,000 people. It has a total land area of 168.87 square miles. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu. It is a major commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area.

Yokosuka: Yokosuka is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture. It has a total land area of 38.9 square miles and a population of approximately 415,000 people. In 1975, Yokosuka was devastated by a three-way monster war between the forces of Godzilla, Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus. Members of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) arrived to defend the city, but Titanosaurus leveled buildings and vehicles with the powerful wind drafts generated from his finned tale and Mechagodzilla set entire city blocks aflame with his multi-colored optic death rays.

Structures[]

Jigoku-Chu Castle: Jigoku-Chu Castle is located in Japan. This was a structure utilized by various members of the crime cartel known as The Hand. Several of the daimyo representing the Snakeroot Clan came to Jigoku-Chu Castle as part of a summit arranged by Matt Murdock to unify the clans. During a meal, a Hand member named Bakuto became ill and began hallucinating. ^[3]

Businesses[]

Maneki Neko Casino: The Maneki Neko Casino was a high-roller gambling establishment located in Japan. Members of the criminal cartel known as The Hand, such as Bakuto, were known to frequent the place. The Hand may have even had a controlling interest in the establishment. ^[4]

Films that take place in Japan[]

TV shows that take place in Japan[]

Manga that takes place in Japan[]

Venus Capriccio Vol 1

Comics that take place in Japan[]

Characters from Japan[]

Organizations based out of Japan[]

Includes real world and fictional organizations

Monsters that enjoy rampaging through Japan[]

People who were born in Japan[]

People who died in Japan[]

External Links[]

References[]

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[1] Cabin in the Woods, The

[2] Gamera vs. Gyaos

[3] Daredevil 505

[4] Daredevil 505

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