The Sea of Okhotsk is to the north of the four main islands of Japan, the Pacific Ocean is to the east and south, the East China Sea is to the southwest, and the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan are on the west. On the Asian continent, Russia is to the north and northwest of Japan, and North Korea, South Korea, and China are to the west. Taiwan lies to the west of Japan's Ryukyu Islands (See the Maps section for detailed maps of Japan and the surrounding areas.

Japan is a rugged land of high mountains and deep valleys, with many small plains. Because of the alternating sequence of mountain and valley, and the rocky soil, only about 11 percent of the land is arable. The mountains of Japan are the most conspicuous feature of the topography. Mountain ranges extend across the islands from north to south, the main chains sending off smaller ranges that branch out laterally or run parallel to the parent range, and frequently descend to the coast, where they form bays and harbors. Many of these mountains contain dormant and active volcanos, including the famous Mount Fuji, which last erupted in 1707.

Due to the mountainous nature of the terrain, most rivers are short, fast flowing and shallow. So most rivers are not navigable - and a network of ports and harbours, and key highways, serve the purpose of transportation of goods.

Japan has few, if any, natural resources. It depends on much of its raw material needs on imports from other countries.