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"Mainland Japan" (内地, naichi, lit. "inner lands") is a term used to distinguish Japan's core land area from its outlying territories. It is most commonly used to distinguish the country's four largest islands (Hokkaidō, Honshū, Kyūshū, and Shikokū) from smaller islands such as the Bonin Islands and the Ryukyu Islands.
In that division, of the four main islands of Japan, Hokkaidō, Shikoku, and Kyūshū make up one region each, the latter also containing the Satsunan Islands, while the largest island Honshū is divided into five regions. Okinawa Prefecture is usually included in Kyūshū, but is sometimes treated as its own ninth region. [1] [2] [3]
Honshu – the largest and most populous island, with the capital Tokyo. 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 continent. Shikoku – the smallest and least populous main island, located between Honshu and Kyushu.
The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—and thousands of smaller islands, covering 377,975 square kilometres (145,937 sq mi). Japan has a population of over 123 million as of 2025, making it the eleventh-most populous country.
The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—and thousands of smaller islands, covering 377,975 square kilometres (145,937 sq mi). Japan has a population of over 123 million as of 2025, making it the eleventh-most populous country.
The archipelago consists of 14,125 islands [1] (here defined as land more than 100 m in circumference), of which 430 are inhabited. [8] The five main islands, from north to south, are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. [6] Honshu is the largest and referred to as the Japanese mainland. [9] The topography is divided as:
81% of the population lives on Honshu, 10% on Kyushu, 4.2% on Hokkaido, 3% on Shikoku, 1.1% in Okinawa Prefecture, and 0.7% on other Japanese islands such as the Nanpō Islands. Nearly 1 in 3 Japanese people live in the Greater Tokyo Area, and over half live in the Kanto, Kinki, and Chukyo metropolitan areas. [115]
The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—and thousands of smaller islands, covering 377,975 square kilometres (145,937 sq mi). Japan has a population of nearly 124 million as of 2024, making it the eleventh-most populous country.