Japan proper, consisting of four closely connected islands, has often
been compared to the British Isles. A map of the Eurasian continent
shows the similarity of their geographical position. Japan’s island
chain is much longer, but it clings to the Asiatic mainland very much
as the British Isles cling to the European mainland. The Straits of
Tsushima take the place of the English Channel.
Actually, however, Japan is much farther from the mainland than
Britain, even in the narrow waters of Tsushima. The steamer from
Shimonoseki takes nearly eight hours in crossing over to Fusan, on the
tip of the Korean peninsula. This fact has had important historical
results. The stretch of water has been wide enough to make invasion
difficult--at least until modern times. Yet it has not been so wide as
to bar cultural exchanges with the mainland.