Japan has always had this mysterious appeal for Westerners. Centuries of isolation did that. The culture developed in ways you don’t see elsewhere. People who go there tend to go back. Every visit shows you something you missed before.
Japan is much bigger than it looks on typical maps.
The archipelago contains 14,125 islands! Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku are the four main islands. They hold nearly all the land. The total comes to 378,000 square kilometers (145,936 square miles).
The length stands out. From north to south, Japan covers 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles). East to west at the widest point is 1,645 kilometers (1,022 miles). Maine to Florida is roughly 3,000 km for comparison.
Japan Over the US East Coast
Drop Japan onto the eastern US. Hokkaido lands near Nova Scotia. The southern islands sit off Cuba. The main islands blanket the whole Atlantic coast.
Japan Extends Past Korea
Check where Japan’s borders actually are compared to Korea. The northernmost point? Above Korea. The southern islands? Below Korea’s tip. Japan also extends further east and west.
Island Comparisons
Island/Region
Area (km²)
Area (mi²)
Length N-S (km)
Length N-S (mi)
Length E-W (km)
Length E-W (mi)
Population (2024)
Density (per km²)
Japan
378,000
146,000
3,000
1,900
~400
~250
124M
340
British Isles
315,159
121,684
1,400
870
~500
~310
75M
235
New Zealand
268,680
103,740
1,600
1,000
~450
~280
5.3M
20
British Isles have 315,159 km² (121,684 mi²). New Zealand spans 268,680 km² (103,740 mi²). Japan beats both. New Zealand’s length? Japan is nearly double. The British Isles? Japan is 2.5 times longer.
The gap between Hokkaido and Okinawa is 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles). Okinawa has coral reefs and subtropical summers.
Mountains occupy 85% of Japan. The population of 123 million fits into the remaining 15%.
