34 Geography of Japan

Japan is an island nation to the east of the continent of East Asia, which includes China, Russia and the peninsula of Korea:

In the sixth century CE, Japanese culture was centered in the southwestern part of the island around Kyoto and Osaka. Travel to and from the peninsula of Korea was possible but difficult due to weather and ocean currents. In the sixth century, however, there were many people who emigrated from the Korean peninsula in order to escape political unrest. Many of these people were highly trained in the latest technologies of the continent and were well-educated in the high culture of China. From this point on, Japan absorbed waves of culture, technology, and religious ideas from China in alternation with periods of relative isolation.