Honshu

The big, blue ocean tickles my shores all day long. Splash, splash, splash. I am a long, curvy piece of land, like a happy worm wiggling in the water. In some places, I feel the busy rumble of big cities where many people live and play. In other places, I am very quiet, with tall mountains that touch the clouds. One of my mountains is so tall it wears a snowy white hat all year round, even when it is sunny. I love feeling the sunshine on my green trees and sandy beaches. I am Honshu, the biggest island in Japan.

My story started a long, long, long time ago. At first, only a few people lived here in small villages. They were my first friends, and they loved my forests and rivers. As time went on, more and more people came to live with me. They built beautiful temples to pray in and big, strong castles to live in. My villages grew into towns, and my towns grew into big, bright cities with many lights. One of my cities, called Tokyo, became very important in the year 1603. It grew bigger and bigger, like a giant flower blooming. Then, something very exciting happened. On October 1st, 1964, a super-fast train started to zip across me. Whoosh. It’s called a bullet train, and it carries my friends from one city to another so fast. It tickles when it goes by.

Today, I am a happy home for so many people. I am also a home for playful monkeys that swing in my trees and gentle deer that walk in my parks. In the springtime, I wear my prettiest dress of pink flowers from my cherry blossom trees. It is so beautiful. I have busy cities with tall buildings, and I also have quiet forests where you can hear the birds sing. I love having so many different things to see. From my snowy mountains to my warm, sandy beaches, I have so many wonders to share with you. I hope you can come visit me for an adventure someday.