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Four main islands form the Japan. They are Honshu(the main island), Kyushu, Shikoku, and Hokkaido. There are also many smaller ones spreading out from the southernmost isles near Taiwan over to the northernmost ones which are very close to the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia. Japanese culture was influenced in many ways by the cultures of other countries. Over the years, though, it developed into a distinctive entity that had a considerable influence on others as well. Externally, modern Japanese culture is not much different from most advanced countries of the world, but there is a little exotic fragrance in various details, which comes from the country's thousand-year long history. Japan's population as of October, 2003 was 127,214,49 people which is approximately half of the population of the entire United States, with only 1/25 of the size of land mass. What's more, most of the land is mountainous, leaving only 1/7 of the land flat and near the seaside. The unique constitution that the Japanese people are proud of ensures them democracy, freedom, civilian reign and that their nation will never use its armed force for supremacy in the world. This spirit often encounters various strains and difficulties, given the reality of struggles, conflicts and racial and religious fights going on in various parts of the world.
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