Japan is an island country of 14,125 islands, of which approximately 260 are inhabited. Japan is the third-largest island country in the world, behind Indonesia and Madagascar. Japan is also the second-most-populous island country in the world, behind only Indonesia.
According to a survey conducted by the Japan Coast Guard in 1987, the number of islands in Japan was 6,852. At that time, the survey only counted islands with coastlines of 100 meters or more that were shown on paper maps. On February 28, 2023, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan announced that the number of islands had been updated to 14,125 through a recount using digital maps. Since there is no international standard for counting islands, only islands with a coastline of 100 meters or more were counted, as in the past. According to the GSI, advances in surveying technology and the detailed representation of topographic features through digital mapping contributed to this announcement.
Japanese archipelago
Main islands
The four main islands of Japan are:Imperial Japanese Commission to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. (1903). Japan in the Beginning of the 20th century (Haruki Yamawaki, editor), p. 2. Hokkaido – the northernmost and second-largest main island, third most populous. Honshu – the largest island, with the capital Tokyo and over 80% of the population. Honshu is connected to the other three main islands by bridges and tunnels. Kyushu – the third-largest main island, second most populous and the nearest to the Asian mainland. Shikoku – the smallest and least populous main island, located between Honshu and Kyushu.
Islands around Hokkaido Ōshima Okushiri Island Teuri Island Rebun Island Rishiri IslandNussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Rishiri-tō" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 791. Yagishiri Island Kamome island
Islands of Honshu in the Sea of Japan Awashima Island, Niigata Kanmurijima Kutsujima, Kyoto Mitsukejima Nanatsujima archipelago Notojima Oki IslandsPonsonby-Fane, Richard. (1962). Sovereign and Subject, p. 332. Dōgo Nakanoshima Nishinoshima Chiburijima
SadoPonsonby-Fane, p. 331. Takashima, Shimane Tobishima (Yamagata)
Tsunoshima Umashima, Shimane
Islands in Tokyo Bay
Dream Island (Yume No Shima) Odaiba (artificial island) Sarushima (natural)
Tokyo International Airport (artificial island)
Wakasu
Islands in Osaka Bay
Maishima Yumeshima
Kansai International Airport (artificial island) Kobe Airport (artificial island) Port Island Rokkō Island
Wakayama Marina City
Islands in Ise Bay
Chūbu Centrair International Airport (artificial island) Kami-shima Kashiko Island Kozukumi Island Mikimoto Pearl Island
Islands in Mutsu Bay
Ōshima Taijima
Nanpō Islands (Nanpō Shotō)
Izu IslandsNussbaum, "Izu Shotō" at p. 412. AogashimaGotoh, H. et al. (2010). "Infrastructure Maintenance and Disaster Prevention Measures on Isolated Islands: the Case of the Izu Islands near Tokyo" in Island Sustainability (Favro, S., editor), p. 187. HachijōNussbaum, p. 412; Ponsonby-Fane, p. 332. Izu ŌshimaNussbaum, "Ōshima" at p. 761. Kōzu Miyake-jima Mikura-jima Nii-jima Shikine Toshima Tori-shimaNussbaum, "Torishima" at p. 987. Udonejima Ogasawara Islands (Bonin Islands) Mukojima Rettō ChichijimaNussbaum, "Ogasawara Guntō" at p. 737. Hahajima Mukojima Volcano Islands (Kazan Rettō) Nishinoshima Kita Iwo Jima (North Iwo Jima) Iwo Jima Minami Iwo Jima (South Iwo Jima) Other Japanese islands Minami Torishima (Marcus Island) Enoshima Okino Torishima (Parece Vela)
Islands around Kyushu Most of these are located in the East China Sea. Amakusa Islands Shimoshima Island, Amakusa Kamishima Island, Amakusa Nagashima Island, Kagoshima Aoshima Gotō Islands Danjo Islands
HashimaNussbaum, "Hashima" at p. 294. Hirado Iki Koshikijima Islands Shimokoshiki-jima Kamikoshiki-jima Tsushima Ukushima
Islands around Shikoku Kuro-shima (Ehime) Nii Ōshima
Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shotō)
Satsunan Islands
The northern half is administratively part of Kagoshima Prefecture of the Kyushu Region.
Ōsumi Islands
The North-Eastern Group: Tanegashima Yakushima Kuchinoerabujima Mageshima The North-Western Group: Iōjima Shōwa Iōjima Kuroshima Takeshima
Tokara Islands
Kuchinoshima Nakanoshima (Kagoshima) Gajajima Suwanosejima Akusekijima Tairajima Kodakarajima Takarajima
Amami Islands
Amami Ōshima Kikaijima Kakeromajima Yoroshima Ukeshima Tokunoshima Okinoerabujima Yoronjima
Ryukyu Islands (Ryūkyū-shotō) The southern half is administratively part of Okinawa Prefecture.
Okinawa Islands
The Central Group or Ryukyu proper: Okinawa Island Kumejima Iheyajima Izenajima Agunijima Iejima Iōtorishima Kerama Islands Tokashikijima Zamamijima Akajima Gerumajima Daitō Islands Kitadaitojima Minamidaitōjima Okidaitōjima
Sakishima Islands
Also known as the Further Isles: Miyako Islands Miyako-jima Ikema Ogami Irabu Island Shimoji Kurima-jima Minna Tarama Yaeyama Islands Iriomote Ishigaki Taketomi Kohama Kuroshima Aragusuku Hatoma Yubujima Hateruma Yonaguni Senkaku Islands - controlled by Japan, disputed by China and Taiwan. Uotsurijima Kuba Jima Taisho Jima Kita Kojima Minami Kojima
Seto Inland Sea islands
Kasaoka Islands Takashima Island (Okayama) 高島 (岡山県笠岡市) Shiraishi Island Kitagi Island, 北木島 Obishi Island, 大飛島 Kobi Island, 小飛島 Manabeshima, 真鍋島 Mushima Island (Okayama), 六島 (岡山県) Shiwaku Islands Awaji Etajima Kurahashi-jima Inujima Itsukushima (popularly known as "Miyajima") Shōdoshima Naoshima Islands Suō-Ōshima, Yamaguchi Himeshima, Ōita Aoshima, Ehime Hashira Island Okamura Island Ōshima (Ehime) Mukaishima Island, Hiroshima Ōmishima Island, Ehime Ōkunoshima (often called "Rabbit Island")
Islands in lakes Daikon-island Bentenjima in Lake Tōya Bentenjima in Lake Hamana
Other artificial islands Chūbu Centrair International Airport Dejima New Kitakyushu Airport , off Hakodate (artificial) (artificial) Wakaejima (artificial) Island City, Fukuoka (artificial)
Claims but does not control
The Northern Territories There are four disputed Kuril Islands that are controlled by Russia and claimed by Japan. These islands are called the Chishima Islands.Imperial Japanese Commission, p. 3.
Iturup - Kunashir - Shikotan - Habomai Islands -
Others Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo/Takeshima) - controlled by South Korea, disputed by Japan. North Korea also claims the island, and has criticized Japan over its claim.
Former South Seas Mandate (1919–1947) - administered by the Empire of Japan as a League of Nations mandate until its defeat in 1945. In 1947, the region was placed under the United Nations trusteeship system as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, administered by the U.S.. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands later became a U.S. territory, while Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia became sovereign independent nations. Taiwan and Penghu (1895–1952) - part of the Empire of Japan until its defeat in 1945. Taken over by the Republic of China in 1945 but no treaty of sovereignty transfer has been signed. All claims relinquished by Japan in the Treaty of San Francisco signed in 1951. Karafuto (1905–1949) - the southern half of the island of Sakhalin, controlled by Japan after the Russo-Japanese War. Japan lost control of Karafuto after its invasion by the Soviet Union during World War II. Formally abolished as a legal entity by Japan in 1949. Japan in addition controlled the northern half of Sakhalin between 1920 and 1925, during and after the Russian Civil War. Jeju Island (1910–1945) - part of Korea, annexed by Japanese colonial empire until its defeat in 1945.
Largest islands of Japan
These are the 50 largest islands of Japan. It excludes the disputed Kuril islands known as the northern territories.
Rank Island name Area(km2) Area(sq mi) Island group 1 Honshu 2 Hokkaido 3 Kyushu 4 Shikoku 5 Okinawa Island Okinawa Islands, Central Part of the Ryukyu Islands 6 Sado Island 7 Amami Ōshima Amami Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands 8 Tsushima Island 9 Awaji Island Seto Inland Sea Islands 10 Shimoshima Island, Amakusa Amakusa Islands 11 Yakushima Ōsumi Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands 12 Tanegashima Ōsumi Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands 13 Fukue Island Gotō Islands 14 Iriomote Island Yaeyama Islands, Southern Part of the Ryukyu Islands 15 Tokunoshima Amami Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands 16 Dōgojima Oki Islands 17 Kamishima Island, Amakusa Amakusa Islands 18 Ishigaki Island Yaeyama Islands, Southern Part of the Ryukyu Islands 19 Rishiri Island 20 Nakadōri Island Gotō Islands 21 Hirado Island 22 Miyako-jima Miyako Islands, Southern Part of the Ryukyu Islands 23 Shōdoshima Seto Inland Sea Islands 24 Okushiri Island 25 Iki Island 26 Suō-Ōshima 27 Okinoerabujima Amami Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands 28 Etajima 29 Izu Ōshima Izu Islands 30 Nagashima Island, Kagoshima 31 Rebun Island 32 Kakeromajima Amami Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands 33 Kurahashi-jima 34 Shimokoshiki-jima 35 Ōmishima Island, Ehime 36 Hachijō-jima Izu Islands 37 Kume Island Okinawa Islands, Central Part of the Ryukyu Islands 38 Kikaijima Amami Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands 39 Nishinoshima 40 Miyake-jima Izu Islands 41 Notojima 42 Kamikoshiki-jima 43 Ōshima (Ehime) 44 Ōsakikamijima 45 Kuchinoerabu-jima 46 Hisaka 47 Innoshima 48 Nakanoshima (in Kagoshima) Tokara Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands 49 Hario Island 50 Nakanoshima (in Shimane) Oki Islands
See also Geography of Japan Japanese archipelago List of islands of Japan by area Lists of islands Names of Japan
References