Japan is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean with dense cities, imperial palaces, mountainous national parks, and thousands of shrines and temples. The Shinkansen bullet train connects the main islands of Kyushu (with the subtropical beaches of Okinawa), Honshu (with Tokyo and the atomic bombing memorial in Hiroshima) and Hokkaido (famous for skiing). Tokyo, the capital, is famous for its skyscrapers, commerce and pop culture.