_Plains._--Japan, though very mountainous, has many extensive plains. The northern island--Yezo--contains seven, and there are as many more in the main and southern islands, to say nothing of flat lands of minor dimensions. The principal are given in the following table:-- Name. Situation. Area. Remarks. Tokachi plain Yezo. 744,000 acres. -- Ishikari " " 480,000 " -- Kushiro " " 1,229,000 " -- Nemuro " " 320,000 " -- Kitami " " 230,000 " -- Hidaka " " 200,000 " -- Teshio " " 180,000 " -- Echigo " Main Island. Unascertained. -- Sendai " " " -- Kwanto " " " In this plain lie the capital, Tokyo, and the town of Yokohama. It supports about 6 millions of people. Mino-Owari " " " Has 1½ million inhabitants. Kinai " " " Has the cities of Osaka, Kioto and Kobe, and 2½ million people. Tsukushi " Kiushiu. " The chief coalfield of Japan. _Rivers._--Japan is abundantly watered. Probably no country in the world possesses a closer network of streams, supplemented by canals and lakes. But the quantity of water carried seawards varies within wide limits; for whereas, during the rainy season in summer and while the snows of winter are melting in spring, great volumes of water sweep down from the mountains, these broad rivers dwindle at other times to petty rivulets trickling among a waste of pebbles and boulders. Nor are there any long rivers, and all are so broken by shallows and rapids that navigation is generally impossible except by means of flat-bottomed boats drawing only a few inches. The chief rivers are given in the following table:-- Length in miles. Source. Mouth.