How did Japan's geography historically influence the accessibility of edible sea vegetables?
Answer
As an archipelago, Japan had immediate, natural access to the ocean resources
Japan’s geographical structure as an archipelago provided a distinct advantage regarding access to edible sea vegetables compared to many larger continental nations. For millennia, living along these extensive coastlines meant that sea vegetables were readily available resources requiring less demanding effort to gather than cultivating difficult terrestrial soil. This inherent, natural availability firmly positioned seaweed as a reliable component of the diet long before sophisticated modern supply chains or transportation networks were established.
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