REGIONS OF JAPAN: MAIN ISLANDS AND FIVE AREAS OF HONSHU

REGIONS AND ISLANDS OF JAPAN

regions of Japan

Japan’s islands stretch over more than 2,736 kilometers (1,700 miles) from north to south with . the Pacific Ocean to the east the Sea of Japan to the west. Honshu is the largest of Japan’s four main islands, measuring 230,510 square kilometers (89,000 square miles). Three parallel mountain ranges extend across the northern part of the island. To the east lies the Sendai Plain, which borders the Pacific Ocean. To the west of the mountain ranges lies the Echigo Plain, which borders the Sea of Japan. The Japanese Alps lie in the center of Honshu. The country's highest point 12,388-foot (3,776-meter) -high Mount Fuji is near the Japan Alps. To the east of the Alps lies the Kanto Plain, Japan's largest lowland area, where many crops have traditionally been grown but is now heavily urbanized. [Source: Blackbirch Kid's Visual Reference of the World, Gale Group, Inc., 2001]

Hokkaido is the country's second-largest island at 78,073 square kilometers (At 30,144 square miles). Much of the land is covered by mountains and hills but there is also lots of farmland. A thin peninsula extends from the southwestern part of the island. The Ishikari Plain lies above this peninsula. This large lowland region is mainly used for agriculture. Kyushu, the third largest of Japan’s islands measures 36,554 square kilometers (14,114 square miles). There are plains lie on the west side of the island. Shikoku is the smallest of Japan's four main islands. It is 18,256 square kilometers (7,049 square miles in area. Most of the land is mountainous, except for a narrow plain extending down the southern coast. Sometimes tropical Okinawa in the south is called Japan’s fifth main island, It is 2,254 square kilometers (870 square miles) in area.

Japan's 47 prefectures are grouped into eight regions frequently used as statistical units in government documents. The islands of Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu each form a region, and the main island of Honshu is divided into five regions. [Source: Library of Congress, 1994]

Administrative divisions: 47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi. [Source: CIA World Factbook]

Kanto

The Kanto region is Japan's most populous and densely inhabited area, encompassing the nation's political and economic heart. Centered around the vast Kanto Plain, it features a sprawling urban megalopolis alongside mountainous borders and the Pacific coast.The Kanto region covers a total land area of roughly 32,424 square kilometers (12,519 square miles). Despite occupying only about 8.6 percent of Japan's total landmass, it is home to approximately 43.5 million residents, meaning it houses over one-third of the country's entire population. [Source: Wikipedia, Japan Guide]

satellite image of the Kanto region

The Kanto means "east of the barrier". Geographically, the region is composed of seven prefectures: Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Ibaraki, Tochigi, and Gunma. The region is often collectively referred to as "one capital and six prefectures", At the core of Kanto lies the Greater Tokyo Area, until recently the world's most populous metropolitan area. This continuous urban corridor integrates the mega-city of Tokyo with heavily populated neighboring zones. Notable major cities that anchor this massive urban network include Yokohama, Kawasaki, Chiba, and Saitama. Together, these cities form a seamlessly connected hub of commerce, transportation, and culture.

The Kanto Plain makes up slightly more than 40 percent of the region. The rest consists of the hills and mountains that border it except on the seaward side. Once the heartland of feudal power, the Kanto became the center of modern development. Within the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area, the Kanto houses not only Japan's seat of government but also the largest group of universities and cultural institutions, the greatest population, and a large industrial zone. Although most of the Kanto Plain is used for residential, commercial, or industrial construction, it is still farmed. Rice is the principal crop, although the zone around Tokyo and Yokohama has been landscaped to grow garden produce for the metropolitan market. [Source: Library of Congress, 1994 *]

The Kanto region is the most highly developed, urbanized, and industrialized part of Japan. Tokyo and Yokohama form a single industrial complex with a concentration of light and heavy industry along Tokyo Bay. Smaller cities, farther away from the coast, house substantial light industry. The average population density of approximately 1,345 people per square kilometer (3,475 people per square mile) average population density was 1,192 persons per square kilometer in 1991.

Kansai

The Kansai region (also called Kinki) covers an area of approximately 33,124 square kilometers (12,789 square miles), making up about 9 percent of Japan's total landmass. Situated in the south-central portion of Japan's main island of Honshu, it acts as the nation's historical, cultural, and second-most prominent economic heartland.The region consists of seven prefectures: Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Nara, Shiga, Wakayama, and Mie. Osaka and Kyoto are designated as urban prefectures (fu), while the remaining five are standard prefectures (ken). [Source: Wikipedia +]

The Kansai region lies to the west of Tokai and forms a comparatively narrow area of Honshu, stretching from the Sea of Japan on the north to the Pacific Ocean on the south. It includes Japan's second largest industrialcommercial complex, centered on Osaka and Kobe, and the two former capital cities of Nara and Kyoto, seats of the imperial family from the early eighth century A.D. until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The area is rich in imperial and cultural history and attracts many Japanese and foreign tourists. [Source: Library of Congress, 1994 *]

Kansai is dominated by the Keihanshin metropolitan area, which encompasses the major urban centers of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. This interconnected tri-city complex is Japan's second-largest urban and industrial belt after the Greater Tokyo Area. Osaka serves as the region's bustling commercial and economic hub, Kobe operates as a major international port city, and Kyoto stands as a primary center for traditional culture and global tourism. +

The Osaka Plain is the site of Osaka, Kobe, and a number of intermediate-sized industrial cities, which together form the Hanshin commercial-industrial complex. Since the 1980s, the suburbs of Osaka have been given over to farming, including vegetables, dairy farming, poultry raising, and rice cultivation. These areas were progressively reduced as the cities expanded and residential areas, including numerous so-called "new cities," were built, such as the developments north of Osaka resulting from the Osaka International Exposition (Expo '70) world's fair.*

Chubu

The Chūbu region spans 72,572 square kilometers (28,020 square miles) in central Honshū, dividing eastern and western Japan. Translating to "middle region," this diverse area covers about 20 percent of the country's total landmass and is the second-largest region in Japan by geographical area. Administratively, Chūbu is classically divided into nine prefectures: Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, and Yamanashi. In some broader geographic and economic contexts, Mie Prefecture is also included in this region. [Source: Wikipedia]

Because of its massive central span, Chūbu features highly contrasting geography. The inland area features the Japanese Alps ("the Rooftop of Japan") and Mount Fuji, dividing the coastal zones. As a result, urban development primarily hugs the coastlines and river valleys. The primary economic and urban powerhouse is the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area, anchored by Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture. Other major urban hubs include Hamamatsu and Shizuoka in the south, Niigata in the northeast, and Kanazawa and Toyama along the northwestern coast.

Chubu is the widest part of Honshu and is characterized by high, rugged mountains. The Japanese Alps divide the country into the sunnier Pacific side, known as the front of Japan, or Omote-Nihon, and the colder Sea of Japan side, or Ura-Nihon, the back of Japan. The region comprises three distinct districts: 1) Hokuriku, 2) Tosan, and 3) Tokai (See Below0 A number of small alluvial plains are found in the corridor section. A mild climate, favorable location relative to the great metropolitan complexes, and availability of fast transportation have made them truck-gardening centers for out-of-season vegetables. Upland areas of rolling hills are extensively given over to the growing of mandarin oranges and tea. The corridor also has a number of important small industrial centers. Nagoya, facing Ise Bay, is a center for heavy industry, including iron and steel and machinery manufacturing.*

Parts of Chubu

satellite image of Chubu

The three distinct of Chunua are 1) Hokuriku, a coastal strip on the Sea of Japan that is a major wet-rice producing area; 2) Tosan, or the Central Highlands; and 3) Tokai, or the eastern seaboard, a narrow corridor along the Pacific Coast. , bordering the Pacific Ocean. [Source: Library of Congress, 1994 *]

Hokuriku lies west of the massive mountains that occupy the central Chubu region. The district has a very heavy snowfall and strong winds. Its turbulent rivers are the source of abundant hydroelectric power. Niigata Prefecture is the site of domestic gas and oil production. Industrial development is extensive, especially in the cities of Niigata and Toyama. Fukui and Kanazawa also have large manufacturing industries. Hokuriku developed largely independently of other regions, mainly because it remained relatively isolated from the major industrial and cultural centers on the Pacific Coast. Because port facilities are limited and road transport hampered by heavy winter snows, the district relied largely on railroad transportation.*

Tosan is an area of complex and high rugged mountains — often called the roof of Japan — that include the Japanese Alps. The population is chiefly concentrated in six elevated basins connected by narrow valleys. Tosan was long a main silk-producing area, although output declined after World War II. Much of the labor formerly required in silk production was absorbed by the district's diversified manufacturing industry, which included precision instruments, machinery, textiles, food processing, and other light manufacturing.*

Tokai is a narrow corridor interrupted in places by mountains that descend into the sea. Since the Tokugawa period (1600-1867), this corridor has been important in linking Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. One of old Japan's most famous roads, the Tokaido, ran through it connecting Edo (Tokyo, since 1868) and Kyoto, the old imperial capital; in the twentieth century, it became the route of new super-express highways and high-speed railroad lines. The western part of Tokai includes the Nobi Plain, where rice was grown by the seventh century A.D.*

Chugoku

The Chugoku region spans 31,922 square kilometers (12,325 square miles) at the western tip of Honshu, Japan's main island. Home to roughly 7.5 million residents, it features a diverse landscape divided by central mountains into two distinct coastal zones: the rugged, folklore-rich Sea of Japan (San'in) side and the sunny Seto Inland Sea (San'yō) side. [Source: Wikipedia +]

Chugoku is composed of five prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. Hiroshima and Okayama serve as major economic and transport hubs, while Shimane and Tottori are celebrated for their natural beauty, historical shrines, and quieter coastal lifestyles. Yamaguchi sits at the far southwestern edge of Honshu.Urban areas are highly concentrated along the southern San'yō corridor facing the Seto Inland Sea, where the region's largest metropolis—Hiroshima City—anchors commerce, industry, and culture. Other significant urban centers include Okayama City, known for its transportation connections, and Fukuyama. In contrast, the northern San'in subregion is characterized by smaller provincial cities like Matsue and Tottori set amidst more rural and mountainous landscapes. [Source: Library of Congress, 1994]

The Chugoku region, is characterized by irregular rolling hills and limited plain areas and is divided into two distinct parts by mountains running east and west through its center. The northern, somewhat narrower, district is known as San'in, or "shady side of the mountain," and the southern district is known as San'y , or "sunny side," because of the marked differences in climate. The whole Inland Sea region, including San'yo, underwent rapid development in the late twentieth century. The city of Hiroshima, rebuilt after being destroyed by the atomic bomb in 1945, is an industrial metropolis of more than 1 million people. Overfishing and pollution reduced the productivity of the Inland Sea fishing grounds, and the area concentrated on heavy industry. San'in, however, is less industrialized and relies on agriculture.

Tohoku

The northeastern part of Honshu, called Tohoku (literally, "the northeast") covers approximately 66,952 square kilometers (25,850 square miles). One of Japan's largest regions, it consists of six prefectures: Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, and Fukushima. The region is characterized by mountainous terrain, extensive forests, fertile plains, and a long Pacific coastline. [Source: Wikipedia +]

Tohoku’s initial historical settlement occurred between the seventh and ninth centuries A.D., well after Japanese civilization and culture had become firmly established in central and southwestern Japan. Although iron, steel, cement, chemical, pulp, and petroleum-refining industries began developing in the 1960s, Tohoku was traditionally considered the granary of Japan because it supplied Sendai and the Tokyo-Yokohama market with rice and other farm commodities. Tohoku provided 20 percent of the nation's rice crop. The climate, however, is harsher than in other parts of Honshu and permits only one crop a year on paddy land. [Source: Library of Congress, 1994 *]

The inland location of many of the region's lowlands has led to a concentration of much of the population there. Coupled with coastlines that do not favor port development, this settlement pattern resulted in a much greater than usual dependence on land and railroad transportation. Low points in the central mountain range fortunately make communications between lowlands on either side of the range moderately easy. Tourism became a major industry in the Tohoku region, with points of interest including the islands of Matsushima Bay, Lake Towada, the Rikuchu Coastline National Park, and the Bandai-Asahi National Park.*

Tohoku was the area most severely affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011. The magnitude 9.0 earthquake generated a tsunami that struck much of the Pacific coast, with the greatest damage occurring in the prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima. In some locations, tsunami waves reached heights of about 40 meters (131 feet) and traveled as much as 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) inland. The disaster inundated approximately 561 square kilometers (216 square miles) of land and affected roughly 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) of Japan's coastline. +

Hokkaido

Hokkaido, about 83,500 square kilometers (32,240 square miles) in area, constitutes more than 20 percent of Japan's land area. Like the other main islands, Hokkaido is generally mountainous, but its mountains are lower than in other parts of Japan; many have leveled summits, and hills predominate. Valleys cut through the terrain, and communications are comparatively easy. Hokkaido is divided along a line extending from Cape Sōya to Cape Erimo. The eastern half includes the Daisetsu Mountains, at the foot of which lie the plains of Tokachi and Konsen. The western half is milder and less mountainous. [Source: Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Physical Geography, Gale Group, Inc., 2003; Library of Congress, 1994]

Hokkaido was long looked upon as a remote frontier area and until the second half of the nineteenth century was left largely to the indigenous Ainu. The Ainu number fewer than 20,000, and they are being rapidly assimilated into the main Japanese population. Since the movement of modern technology and development into the area in the late nineteenth century, Hokkaido has been considered the major center of Japanese agriculture, forestry, fishing, and mining. Hokkaido, with about 90 percent of Japan's pastureland, produces the same proportion of its dairy products. Manufacturing industry played a smaller role compared with the other regions.*

Hokkaido's environmental quality and rural character were altered by industrial and residential development in the 1980s, with developments such as the completion of the Seikan Tunnel linking Hokkaido and Honshu. Hokkaido is both an important agricultural center and a growing industrial area, with most industrial development near Sapporo, the prefectural capital.*

Shikoku

Shikoku is the smallest of Japan’s four main islands, covering an area of approximately 18,800 square kilometers (7,259 square miles). It is roughly 225 kilometers (140 miles) long and between 50 and 150 kilometers (30 to 93 miles) wide. The island is characterized by its rugged, mountainous interior and its warm, coastal plains.The island is divided into four distinct prefectures: Ehime, Kagawa, Kōchi, and Tokushima.

Kagawa, located in the northeast, is Japan's smallest prefecture and is highly celebrated for its Sanuki udon. Ehime faces the Seto Inland Sea in the northwest and is famous for its mandarin oranges and historical hot springs. Tokushima, situated in the east, is known for its dramatic Naruto whirlpools and the Awa Odori dance festival. Lastly, Kōchi spans the southern coast facing the Pacific Ocean, offering pristine rivers and a rich history connected to the samurai Sakamoto Ryōma.

The Shikoku region is connected to Honshu by ferry and air and, since 1988, by the Seto- Ohashi bridge network. Until completion of the bridges, the region was isolated from the rest of Japan, and the freer movement between Honshu and Shikoku is expected to promote economic development on both sides of the bridges. Because much of the island's interior is rugged and heavily forested, the vast majority of the population is concentrated in urban areas built on narrow plains along the coasts. The principal cities and industrial centers include Matsuyama (the largest city, located in Ehime), Takamatsu (the capital of Kagawa), Kōchi, and Tokushima. Unlike the dense, sprawling metropolitan networks of mainland Honshu, Shikoku's urban hubs are smaller, coastal-bound, and renowned for maintaining a more relaxed, provincial atmosphere. [Source: Encyclopedia Britannica]

Mountains running east and west divide Shikoku into a narrow northern subregion, fronting on the Inland Sea, and a southern part facing the Pacific Ocean. Most of the population lives in the north, and all but one of the island's few larger cites are located there. Industry is moderately well developed and includes the processing of ores from the important Besshi copper mine. Land is used intensively. Wide alluvial areas, especially in the eastern part of the zone, are planted with rice and subsequently are double cropped with winter wheat and barley. Fruit is grown throughout the northern area in great variety, including citrus fruits, persimmons, peaches, and grapes. [Source: Library of Congress, 1994 *]

The larger southern area of Shikoku is mountainous and sparsely populated. The only significant lowland is a small alluvial plain at Kochi, a prefectural capital. The area's mild winters stimulated some truck farming, specializing in growing out-of-season vegetables under plastic covering. Two crops of rice can be cultivated annually in the southern area. The pulp and paper industry took advantage of the abundant forests and hydroelectric power.*

Kyushu

Kyushu, the third-largest of Japan's main islands, measures approximately 36,782 square kilometers (14,202 square miles). This culturally rich and geologically active island sits at the southwestern corner of the Japanese archipelago.Administratively, the Kyushu region is made up of seven prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. (The broader Kyushu regional designation also includes Okinawa Prefecture to the south, which encompasses the Ryukyu Islands). [Source: Wikipedia]

Most of the island's population and industrial power is concentrated in the northern urban corridors. Fukuoka City serves as the island's largest metropolis, a major commercial and cultural hub. Nearby Kitakyushu is a historic center for heavy industry. Other significant urban areas stretch southward, including the port city of Nagasaki, the historic castle city of Kumamoto, and the southern hub of Kagoshima. [Source: Encyclopedia Britannica]

Kyushu means "nine provinces" (from its ancient administrative structure).It was the stepping stone to Honshu for early migrants from the Korean Peninsula and a channel for the spread of ideas from the Asian mainland. Kyushu lies at the western end of the Inland Sea. Its northern extremity is only about 1.6 kilometers (miles) from Honshu, and the two islands are connected by the Kammon Bridge and by three tunnels, including one for the Japan Railways Group's Shinkansen (bullet train). The region is divided not only geographically but also economically by the Kyushu Mountains, which run diagonally across the middle of the island. The north, including the Kitakyushu industrial region, became increasingly urbanized and industrialized after World War II, while the agricultural south became relatively poorer. The hilly northwestern part of the island has extensive coal deposits, the second largest in Japan, which formed the basis for a large iron and steel industry. An extensive lowland area in the northwest between Kumamoto and Saga is an important farming district. [Source: Library of Congress, 1994 *]

The climate of Kyushu is generally warm and humid, and the cultivation of vegetables and fruits is supplemented by cattle raising. The cities of Kitakyushu and Sasebo are noted for iron and steel production, and Nagasaki is noted for manufacturing. Nagasaki is a city of historical and cultural importance, a center for Chinese and Western influences from the sixteenth century on, and the only port open to foreign ships during most of the Tokugawa period. Like Hiroshima, it also was rebuilt after being devastated by an atomic bomb attack in 1945.*

Ryukyu Islands

The Ryukyu Islands form a subtropical archipelago extending approximately 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan. The island chain spans a total land area of about 3,090 square kilometers (1,193 square miles) across more than 55 inhabited and 100 uninhabited islands, acting as the maritime boundary between the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea. [Source: Wikipedia]

Administratively, the archipelago is divided between two Japanese prefectures. The northern islands fall under Kagoshima Prefecture, encompassing the Satsunan Islands (which include the Ōsumi, Tokara, and Amami island groups). The southern and larger segment belongs to Okinawa Prefecture, which comprises the Okinawa, Miyako, Yaeyama, Daitō, and Senkaku island groups.The largest urban area and central hub of the region is Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, located on the southwest coast of Okinawa Island.

Okinawa Island itself is the largest in the archipelago, stretching roughly 106.6 kilometers (66 miles) in length with an area of about 1,199 square kilometers (463 square miles). Naha, alongside adjacent municipalities like Tomigusuku, Ginowan, and the Urasoe urban corridor, serves as the economic and cultural center of the Ryukyus. Other notable urban centers on the larger islands include Ishigaki in the Yaeyama Islands and Miyakojima in the Miyako Islands, which function as localized hubs for trade, administration, and tourism.Would you like to explore more specific details on a particular island or city in the Ryukyu Islands, or are you looking for travel and accommodation options in the

Some of the 200 Ryukyu islands and islets are little more than coral outcrops. Less than half are are inhabited. They extend in a chain generally southwestward from the Tokara Strait, which separates them from the outlying islands of Kyushu, to within 120 kilometers (miles) of Taiwan. The Ryukyus are considered part of the Ryushu region but historically have been quite distinctively separate from the rest of the region.[Source: Library of Congress, 1994 *]

The islands are the tops of mountain ranges along the outer edge of the continental shelf. They are generally hilly or mountainous, with active volcanos occurring mainly in the northern part of the archipelago. Okinawa is the largest and economically the most important of the Ryukyus. There is little industry, and the economy relies heavily on tourism. Northern Okinawa is quite rugged and forested, while the southern part consists of rolling hills. Although agriculture and fishing remained the occupations of most of the population in the Ryukyus, the region experienced considerable industrial expansion during the period of United States occupation from 1945 to 1972.*

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO), CIA World Factbook], Library of Congress, Daily Yomiuri, National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Encyclopedia.com, Live Science, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Google AI, Wikipedia, The Guardian and various websites, books and other publications.

Last updated June 2026