Geography Quiz: Elementary School Study + Slightly Advantageous Geography Questions

Fukuoka Prefecture, Nagasaki Prefecture, Saga Prefecture, Kumamoto Prefecture, Oita Prefecture, Miyazaki Prefecture, Kagoshima Prefecture

There are seven prefectures, so it’s curious why it’s called Kyushu, isn’t it? It’s said to come from the fact that there used to be nine old provinces, such as Chikuzen, Hyuga, and Satsuma.

Hyogo Prefecture

Hyogo Prefecture has about 22,000 irrigation ponds. There is the very large Kako-Ōike in Inami Town, and many ponds are also found on Awaji Island, accounting for an impressive 14% of all such ponds in Japan. They support local life in various ways, such as regulating floodwaters and securing agricultural water supplies.

Lake Biwa (670 km²)

Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, with an area of 670 km²—larger than Lake Kasumigaura in Ibaraki (220 km²) and Lake Saroma in Hokkaido (150 km²) combined—is known as the largest lake in Japan. Formed about 4.4 million years ago, it is an ancient lake located fairly close to Kyoto, and it’s said that Oda Nobunaga built Azuchi Castle on its shore to take advantage of water transport. Though it is called a lake, its vastness feels almost like the sea, making it a place you should see at least once.

12 nautical miles

Under the Territorial Sea Law, Japan’s territorial sea is defined as extending up to 12 nautical miles—approximately 22 kilometers—from the baseline coastline. Within the territorial sea, Japan has the recognized right to freely conduct activities such as fishing and resource development, and if foreign vessels enter without permission, they can be regulated in accordance with Japanese law.

3,776m

Mount Fuji is widely known not only in Japan but also overseas as a symbol of the country. Straddling Shizuoka and Yamanashi Prefectures, it is an active volcano. It has long been a subject in various art forms, including Japanese painting, crafts, and photography. Incidentally, 3,193 meters is the elevation of Mount Kitadake in the Southern Alps, the second-highest mountain after Mount Fuji.