Japan is an island nation in East Asia. The contemporary modern culture has absorbed influences from Asia, Europe, and North America. It has seen a lot of change over the millennia. Multiple Chinese dynasties also influenced Japanese culture from ancient times to the Middle Ages. This is the reason that the Japanese language uses Chinese characters(Kanji) for writing without a genetic relationship with the Chinese. Shinto and Buddhism are the prominent religions in Japan. Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu are the most populous islands in Japan among around 690 islands.