Therefore, the side of the mountain that the weather is moving toward tends to get less rain due to that mountain’s “rain shadow.” In Japan, the cities to the north of Mt. Fuji are in its rain shadow and get the least rain in all of Japan. Volcanic mountains also give rise to hot springs, or onsen. They are an important part of Japanese culture, because groups of people such as friends, family and business partners often gather to soak in a natural hot spring together.
A major challenge people face has to do with farming. The little bit of flat land that exists in Japan is crowded with people, so farmers have to plant crops in the mountains. However, many crops need to be grown on flat land. For example, rice must be soaked in water after planting in order to grow. You can’t soak it in water if all the water flows downhill. However, Japanese people have adapted to that by carving terraces into the mountains. These terraces look like large staircases on the sides of mountains and allow farmers to plant crops on flat land while giving them access to the vast open spaces that exist on the mountains.
Another challenge has to do with urban design. Because so many people are crowded into such small areas of flat land, Japan's cities are very densely populated. This comes with problems. For example, how can so many people peacefully coexist in such a small space? One way Japan addresses this is by building a lot of high-rise apartments and work spaces. Further, apartments tends to be very small. Japan has also developed an efficient public transportation system so that people don’t have to use cars.
