Chances are you think of Japan as the single island of Honshu, home to the major cities of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. But in reality, Japan is a chain of islands that includes well over 6,000 islands. And thanks to the placement of the islands from north to south, you'll find a huge variety of climates from Hokkaido's deep snow (and amazing skiing) in the north to Okinawa's beaches and crystal blue water in the south.