UPPSC 2021 Prelims GS Paper-I · Question 92 of 150

Correct — C, Japan. The Kanto Plain (Kanto, around Tokyo) is Japan's largest plain, and the Nobi Plain (around Nagoya, drained by the Kiso River) is another major lowland. Both are alluvial plains on Honshu, Japan's main island, and both are among the most densely populated and industrialised parts of the country. Hence they lie in Japan.

• (a)North Korea — Wrong — the Nobi and Kanto plains are in Japan; North Korea's lowlands (such as the Pyongyang plain) are different features.
• (b)South Korea — Wrong — Korea has its own plains (e.g., the Honam plain), but Nobi and Kanto are Japanese plains on Honshu island, not Korean.
• (d)China — Wrong — China's great lowland is the North China Plain; the Nobi and Kanto plains belong to Japan, not China.

Japan is a mountainous archipelago in which flat land is scarce, so its plains are small, coastal and heavily used. The Kanto Plain, on the Pacific side of Honshu, is the largest and holds the Greater Tokyo conurbation; the Nobi Plain around Nagoya (Aichi/Gifu), built up by the Kiso and other rivers, is a major industrial-agricultural lowland. Both being Japanese pins the answer to Japan.

The trap is that all four options are East Asian countries, so a student must recognise the specific place names. 'Kanto' (Tokyo) and 'Nobi' (Nagoya) are signature Japanese plains; Korea and China have their own separate lowlands. Reason from the named landform to the country rather than guessing by region.

• Kanto Plain — Japan's largest plain, on Honshu; contains the Greater Tokyo area.
• Nobi Plain — major lowland around Nagoya (Aichi/Gifu), drained by the Kiso River.
• Both are alluvial plains on Honshu, Japan's main island.
• Japan is largely mountainous, so its plains concentrate most people, farming and industry.

• Assuming any East Asian plain name belongs to China because of its size
• Confusing Kanto (Tokyo region) with Kansai (Osaka-Kyoto region)

UPPSC & UPSC world-geography questions match a landform (plain, mountain, river, strait) to its country — recall Kanto = Tokyo and Nobi = Nagoya, both Japan.

No directly related past PYQ was found.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The Kanto Plain, the largest plain of Japan, surrounds which major city?

  • (a)Osaka
  • (b)Tokyo
  • (c)Kyoto
  • (d)Sapporo

  Answer(b) Tokyo — the Kanto Plain holds the Greater Tokyo metropolitan area.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Which of the following plains is located in Japan?

  • (a)North China Plain
  • (b)Nobi Plain
  • (c)Indo-Gangetic Plain
  • (d)Great Hungarian Plain

  Answer(b) Nobi Plain — an alluvial lowland around Nagoya on Honshu, Japan.