I am interested in the history of Japan since my parents are Japanese.
It is very interesting, since the first human gabitation in Japan was in prehistoric times.
I wonder how many islands are part of Japan?
Japan even back in prehistoric times was actually an archipelago. 
What is an archipelago?
Like you said, it is a group of islands like Japan is and was back in prehistoric times.
I know Tokyo is the capital but what are some other big cities there?
I'm not sure, but I know that the imperial dynasty continues to reign over Japan even today.
Does Japan have an emperor or king?
History of Japan
The history of Japan covers Japan and its relation to the world. It is characterized by isolationist, semi-open and expansionist periods.
Please see the era classifications for details of each era.
The very first human habitation in the Japanese archipelago has been traced to prehistoric times around 30,000 BCE. The Jōmon period, named after its "cord-marked" pottery, was followed by the Yayoi in the first millennium BC when new technologies were introduced from continental Asia. During this period, the
Territorial disputes of Japan
Japan is currently engaged in several territorial disputes with nearby countries, including Russia, South Korea, the People's Republic of China, and the Republic of China.
Kuril Islands.
The Kuril Islands are an archipelago stretching from the Japanese island of Hokkaido to the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula. The Kurils and the nearby island of Sakhalin have changed hands several times since the 1855 Treaty of Shimoda first defined the boundary between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan; under this treaty, the border in