List of islands of Japan facts for kids
Japan is an island country made up of 14,125 islands! About 260 of these islands have people living on them. Japan is the fourth-largest island country in the world, after Indonesia, Madagascar, and Papua New Guinea. It's also the second-most-populated island country, with only Indonesia having more people.
For a long time, people thought Japan had 6,852 islands. This number came from a survey in 1987 by the Japan Coast Guard. They only counted islands that were at least 100 meters (about 328 feet) long along their coastlines and showed up on paper maps.
But on February 28, 2023, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan announced a new number: 14,125 islands! They used digital maps and new technology to count them. Even with the new count, they still only included islands with coastlines of 100 meters or more, because there isn't a worldwide rule for counting islands. This big jump in numbers shows how much better our mapping technology has become!
Contents
Japanese Archipelago: Japan's Island Chains
The Four Main Islands
Japan has four main islands that are the largest and most important:
- Hokkaido: This is the northernmost island and the second largest. It's known for its beautiful nature and cold winters.
- Honshu: This is the biggest island and where most of Japan's people live. The capital city, Tokyo, is on Honshu. Bridges and tunnels connect Honshu to the other three main islands.
- Kyushu: The third largest main island, located closest to the Asian continent. It has a warmer climate and active volcanoes.
- Shikoku: This is the smallest of the main islands and has the fewest people. It's located between Honshu and Kyushu.
Islands in Different Bays
Japan has many islands, including some in its busy bays.
Islands in Tokyo Bay
Some islands in Tokyo Bay are natural, while others are man-made (artificial islands) built for different purposes.
- Dream Island (Yume No Shima)
- Odaiba (an artificial island with shops and entertainment)
- Sarushima (a natural island)
- Tokyo International Airport (built on an artificial island)
Islands in Osaka Bay
Like Tokyo Bay, Osaka Bay also has several artificial islands.
- Maishima
- Yumeshima
- Kansai International Airport (a large airport built on an artificial island)
- Kobe Airport (another airport on an artificial island)
- Port Island
- Rokkō Island
Islands in Ise Bay
Ise Bay is home to some interesting islands.
- Chūbu Centrair International Airport (an airport built on an artificial island)
- Mikimoto Pearl Island (a famous island where cultured pearls were first developed)
Nanpō Islands: Far-Off Island Groups
The Nanpō Islands are a group of islands stretching south from Honshu.
Izu Islands
The Izu Islands are a chain of volcanic islands. Some popular ones include:
- Izu Ōshima
- Hachijō
- Miyake-jima
Ogasawara Islands (Bonin Islands)
The Ogasawara Islands are also known as the Bonin Islands. They are very far from mainland Japan and are famous for their unique wildlife.
- Chichijima
- Hahajima
Volcano Islands
The Volcano Islands are a small group of islands that are part of the Ogasawara chain. They are known for their volcanic activity.
- Iwo Jima (a historically significant island)
Ryukyu Islands: Southern Beauty
The Ryukyu Islands are a long chain of islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu towards Taiwan. They have a subtropical climate and a unique culture.
Satsunan Islands
The northern part of the Ryukyu Islands is called the Satsunan Islands. They are part of Kagoshima Prefecture.
- Tanegashima (known for its space center)
- Yakushima (a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its ancient forests)
- Amami Ōshima (the largest of the Amami Islands)
Okinawa Islands
The central part of the Ryukyu Islands is the Okinawa Islands, which form Okinawa Prefecture.
- Okinawa Island (the largest and most populated island in this group)
- Kumejima
- Kerama Islands (known for their beautiful clear waters and coral reefs)
Sakishima Islands
The Sakishima Islands are the southernmost part of the Ryukyu chain.
- Miyako Islands (including Miyako-jima)
- Yaeyama Islands (including Iriomote and Ishigaki)
Islands in the Seto Inland Sea
The Seto Inland Sea is a body of water between Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. It's dotted with many islands, some of which are very famous.
- Awaji (the largest island in the Seto Inland Sea)
- Itsukushima (popularly known as "Miyajima," famous for its "floating" torii gate)
- Shōdoshima
- Naoshima Islands (known for their art museums)
- Ōkunoshima (often called "Rabbit Island" because it's home to many wild rabbits)
- Aoshima, Ehime (another "Cat Island" with many cats)
Islands in Lakes
Japan also has islands within its lakes!
- Daikon-island (in Lake Nakaumi)
- Bentenjima in Lake Tōya
- Bentenjima in Lake Hamana
Other Artificial Islands
Besides the airport islands, Japan has built other artificial islands for various uses.
- Dejima (a historic artificial island in Nagasaki, built in the 17th century)
- Island City, Fukuoka
Largest Islands of Japan
Here are the 50 largest islands in Japan by size.
| Rank | Island name | Area (km2) |
Area (sq mi) |
Island group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honshu | 227,960 | 88,020 | |
| 2 | Hokkaido | 83,424.31 | 32,210.31 | |
| 3 | Kyushu | 36,782 | 14,202 | |
| 4 | Shikoku | 18,800 | 7,300 | |
| 5 | Okinawa Island | 1,207 | 466 | Ryukyu Islands |
| 6 | Sado Island | 855.26 | 330.22 | |
| 7 | Amami Ōshima | 712.35 | 275.04 | Amami Islands |
| 8 | Tsushima Island | 708.7 | 273.6 | |
| 9 | Awaji Island | 592.17 | 228.64 | Seto Inland Sea islands |
| 10 | Shimoshima Island, Amakusa | 574.01 | 221.63 | |
| 11 | Yakushima | 504.88 | 194.94 | Ōsumi Islands |
| 12 | Tanegashima | 444.99 | 171.81 | Ōsumi Islands |
| 13 | Fukue Island | 326.43 | 126.04 | Gotō Islands |
| 14 | Iriomote Island | 289.27 | 111.69 | |
| 15 | Tokunoshima | 247.8 | 95.7 | Amami Islands |
| 16 | Dōgojima | 241.58 | 93.27 | Oki Islands |
| 17 | Kamishima Island, Amakusa | 225.32 | 87.00 | Amakusa islands |
| 18 | Ishigaki Island | 222.5 | 85.9 | |
| 19 | Rishiri Island | 183 | 71 | |
| 20 | Nakadōri Island | 168.34 | 65.00 | Gotō Islands |
| 21 | Hirado Island | 163.42 | 63.10 | |
| 22 | Miyako-jima | 158.87 | 61.34 | |
| 23 | Shōdoshima | 153.30 | 59.19 | |
| 24 | Okushiri Island | 142.97 | 55.20 | |
| 25 | Iki Island | 138.46 | 53.46 | |
| 26 | Suō-Ōshima | 128.31 | 49.54 | |
| 27 | Okinoerabujima | 93.63 | 36.15 | Amami Islands |
| 28 | Etajima | 91.32 | 35.26 | |
| 29 | Izu Ōshima | 91.06 | 35.16 | Izu Islands |
| 30 | Nagashima Island, Kagoshima | 90.62 | 34.99 | |
| 31 | Rebun Island | 80 | 31 | |
| 32 | Kakeromajima | 77.39 | 29.88 | Amami Islands |
| 33 | Kurahashi-jima | 69.46 | 26.82 | |
| 34 | Shimokoshiki-jima | 66.12 | 25.53 | |
| 35 | Ōmishima Island, Ehime | 66.12 | 25.53 | |
| 36 | Hachijō-jima | 62.52 | 24.14 | |
| 37 | Kume Island | 59.11 | 22.82 | Okinawa Islands |
| 38 | Kikaijima | 56.93 | 21.98 | Amami Islands |
| 39 | Nishinoshima | 55.98 | 21.61 | |
| 40 | Miyake-jima | 55.44 | 21.41 | |
| 41 | Notojima | 46.78 | 18.06 | |
| 42 | Kamikoshiki-jima | 45.08 | 17.41 | |
| 43 | Ōshima (Ehime) | 41.87 | 16.17 | |
| 44 | Ōsakikamijima | 38.27 | 14.78 | |
| 45 | Kuchinoerabu-jima | 38.04 | 14.69 | |
| 46 | Hisaka | 37.23 | 14.37 | |
| 47 | Innoshima | 35.03 | 13.53 | |
| 48 | Nakanoshima (in Kagoshima) | 34.47 | 13.31 | Tokara Islands |
| 49 | Hario Island | 33.16 | 12.80 | |
| 50 | Nakanoshima (in Shimane) | 32.21 | 12.44 | Oki Islands |
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Islas de Japón para niños
- Geography of Japan
- Japanese archipelago
- List of islands of Japan by area
- List of islands
- Names of Japan
