Japan's role crucial for Asia

Japan is a small island nation on the edge of Asia. That is the image we tend to have. But is it correct?

While it is true that Japan is not a large country, it is made up of nearly 7,000 islands and islets, each with a circumference in excess of 100 m. In terms of land area, Japan ranks only 60th in the world.

But since it has many islands such as the Ogasawara chain that juts out into the Pacific Ocean, measured by the area of exclusive economic zone which gives a country the right to resources, it ranks sixth. This is something to be reckoned with.