Honshu

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Principal island of Japan, lying between Hokkaido to the northeast and Kyushu to the southwest. Its land mass comprises approximately four-fifths of the country total area; area 231,100 sq km/89,228 sq mi, including 382 smaller islands; population (2000 est) 102,318,000. The capital is Tokyo; other major cities are Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe, Nagoya, and Hiroshima. Honshu is linked by bridges and tunnels with the islands of Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. A chain of volcanic mountains runs along the island and there are frequent earthquakes. Honshu has both the largest mountain in Japan, Mount Fuji, and the largest lake in the country, Lake Biwa. Agriculture on Honshu is characterized by the intensive cultivation of rice, vegetables and fruit; fish is also a major industry. The Pacific coast is the most densely-populated area of Honshu, especially in the great conurbations of Tokyo-Yokohama and Osaka-Kobe, which are among the world's leading commercial and industrial areas, with a great variety of industry, much of it based on high technology.

From the 16th to the mid-19th century the Mori clan held feudal control over western Honshu and in 1867 their warriors played a leading part in restoring the power of the emperor. After this restoration Japan came increasingly under Western influence.