Japan is traditionally called the 'Land of the Rising Sun' because it was east of China, but in modern geographical terms, it is not the first place to see the sunrise. That honor belongs to the island nation of Kiribati, specifically Millennium Island (Caroline Island). Because Kiribati moved the International Date Line eastward in 1995, it became the first country to enter each new day. During the equinoxes, the first sunrise of the day occurs in Kiribati. However, during the southern summer (December), the first sunrise on a landmass occurs at the East Cape of New Zealand. This tricky fact shows how political boundaries and seasonal tilt change our understanding of 'first' and 'last' on a rotating planet.