List of islands of Japan

is an island country of 14,125 islands, of which approximately 260 are inhabited. Japan is the third-largest island country in the world, behind Indonesia and Madagascar. Japan is also the second-most-populous island country in the world, only behind Indonesia.
According to a survey conducted by the Japan Coast Guard in 1987, the number of islands in Japan was 6,852. At that time, the survey only counted islands with coastlines of 100 meters or more that were shown on paper maps.
On February 28, 2023, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan announced that the number of islands had been updated to 14,125 through a recount using digital maps. Since there is no international standard for counting islands, only islands with a coastline of 100 meters or more were counted, as in the past. According to the GSI, advances in surveying technology and the detailed representation of topographic features through digital mapping contributed to this announcement.

Japanese archipelago

Main islands

The four main islands of Japan are:

Hokkaido – the northernmost and second-largest main island, third most populous.
Honshu – the largest island, with the capital Tokyo and over 80% of the population. 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 mainland.
Shikoku – the smallest and least populous main island, located between Honshu and Kyushu.

Islands around Hokkaido

Islands of Honshu in the Sea of Japan

Islands in Tokyo Bay

Islands in Osaka Bay

Islands in Ise Bay

Islands in Mutsu Bay

Nanpō Islands (''Nanpō Shotō'')

Other Japanese islands

Islands around Kyushu

Most of these are located in the East [China Sea].

Islands around Shikoku

Ryukyu Islands (''Nansei-shotō'')

Satsunan Islands

The northern half is administratively part of Kagoshima Prefecture and Kyushu.

Ōsumi Islands

The North-Eastern Group:

The North-Western Group:

Iōjima
Shōwa Iōjima
Tokara Islands

The Shichi-tō:

Ryukyu Islands (''Ryūkyū-shotō'')

The Southern Half, Okinawa Prefecture

Okinawa Islands

The Central Group or Ryukyu proper:

Also known as the Further Isles:

Miyako Islands
* Miyako-jima
* Ikema
* Ogami
* Irabu Island
* Shimoji
* Kurima-jima
* Minna
* Tarama
Yaeyama Islands
* Iriomote
* Ishigaki
* Taketomi
* Kohama
* Kuroshima
* Aragusuku
* Hatoma
* Yubujima
* Hateruma
* Yonaguni
Senkaku Islands - controlled by Japan, disputed by China and Taiwan.
* Uotsurijima
* Kuba Jima
* Taisho Jima
* Kita Kojima
* Minami Kojima

Seto Inland Sea islands

Islands in lakes

Daikon-island
Bentenjima in Lake Tōya
Bentenjima in Lake Hamana

Other artificial islands

Claims but does not control

The Northern Territories

There are four disputed Kuril Islands that are controlled by Russia and claimed by Japan. These islands are called the Chishima Islands.

Others

Liancourt Rocks - controlled by South Korea, disputed by Japan. North Korea also claims the island, and has criticized Japan over its claim.

Former

South Seas Mandate - administered by the Empire of Japan as a League of Nations mandate until its defeat in 1945. In 1947, the region was placed under the United Nations trusteeship system as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, administered by the U.S.. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands later became a U.S. territory, while Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia became sovereign independent nations.
Taiwan and Penghu - part of the Empire of Japan until its defeat in 1945. Taken over by the Republic of China in 1945 but no treaty of sovereignty transfer has been signed. All claims relinquished by Japan in the Treaty of San Francisco signed in 1951.
Karafuto - the southern half of the island of Sakhalin, controlled by Japan after the Russo-Japanese War. Japan lost control of Karafuto after its invasion by the Soviet Union during World War II. Formally abolished as a legal entity by Japan in 1949. Japan in addition controlled the northern half of Sakhalin between 1920 and 1925, during and after the Russian Civil War.
Jeju Island - part of Korea, annexed by Japanese colonial empire until its defeat in 1945.

Largest islands of Japan

These are the 50 largest islands of Japan. It excludes the disputed Kuril islands known as the northern territories.

Rank	Island name	Area	Area	Island group
1	Honshu			-
2	Hokkaido			-
3	Kyushu			-
4	Shikoku			-
5	Okinawa Island		Ryukyu Islands	-
6	Sado Island			-
7	Amami Ōshima		Amami Islands	-
8	Tsushima Island			-
9	Awaji Island		Seto Inland Sea islands	-
10	Shimoshima Island, Amakusa			-
11	Yakushima		Ōsumi Islands	-
12	Tanegashima		Ōsumi Islands	-
13	Fukue Island		Gotō Islands	-
14	Iriomote Island			-
15	Tokunoshima		Amami Islands	-
16	Dōgojima		Oki Islands	-
17	Kamishima Island, Amakusa		Amakusa islands	-
18	Ishigaki Island			-
19	Rishiri Island			-
20	Nakadōri Island		Gotō Islands	-
21	Hirado Island			-
22	Miyako-jima			-
23	Shōdoshima			-
24	Okushiri Island			-
25	Iki Island			-
26	Suō-Ōshima			-
27	Okinoerabujima		Amami Islands	-
28	Etajima			-
29	Izu Ōshima		Izu Islands	-
30	Nagashima Island, Kagoshima			-
31	Rebun Island			-
32	Kakeromajima		Amami Islands	-
33	Kurahashi-jima			-
34	Shimokoshiki-jima			-
35	Ōmishima Island, Ehime			-
36	Hachijō-jima			-
37	Kume Island		Okinawa Islands	-
38	Kikaijima		Amami Islands	-
39	Nishinoshima			-
40	Miyake-jima			-
41	Notojima			-
42	Kamikoshiki-jima			-
43	Ōshima (Ehime)			-
44	Ōsakikamijima			-
45	Kuchinoerabu-jima			-
46	Hisaka			-
47	Innoshima			-
48	Nakanoshima (in Kagoshima)		Tokara Islands	-
49	Hario Island			-
50	Nakanoshima (in Shimane)		Oki Islands	-