地図の上から

on the map

Exploring Japan’s regions

Lying to the east of mainland Asia and curving across 1,900 miles (3,000 km) of Pacific Ocean, Japan is made up of thousands of islands. Mainland Japan is typically defined as the five largest islands in the archipelago: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Okinawa. These islands are divided into 47 administrative units called prefectures, which in turn are informally grouped into eight different regions. Each region has its own distinct character, with local customs and culture shaped by the country’s highly changeable weather and geographical features.

Be More Japan Welcome to Japan

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Be More Japan Welcome to Japan

The Five Main Islands

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The Japanese Archipelago is made up of 6,852 islands, of which only 430 are inhabited. The vast majority of the population live on the five main islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and Okinawa.