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:
Most of these are located in the East China Sea.
  • Amakusa
  • *Shimoshima Island, Amakusa
  • *Kamishima Island, Amakusa
  • Nagashima Island, Kagoshima
  • Aoshima
  • Gotō Islands
  • Danjo Islands
  • Hashima
  • Hirado
  • Iki
  • Koshikijima Islands
  • *Shimokoshiki-jima
  • *Kamikoshiki-jima
  • Tsushima
  • Ukushima

    Islands around Shikoku

  • Kuro-shima
  • Nii Ōshima

    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:
The Shichi-tō:
The Southern Half, Okinawa Prefecture
Okinawa Islands
The Central Group or Ryukyu proper:
Also known as the Further Isles:

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.
These are the 50 largest islands of Japan. It excludes the disputed Kuril islands known as the northern territories.
RankIsland nameArea
Area
Island group
1Honshu-
2Hokkaido-
3Kyushu-
4Shikoku-
5Okinawa IslandRyukyu Islands-
6Sado Island-
7Amami ŌshimaAmami Islands-
8Tsushima Island-
9Awaji IslandSeto Inland Sea islands-
10Shimoshima Island, Amakusa-
11YakushimaŌsumi Islands-
12TanegashimaŌsumi Islands-
13Fukue IslandGotō Islands-
14Iriomote Island-
15TokunoshimaAmami Islands-
16DōgojimaOki Islands-
17Kamishima Island, AmakusaAmakusa islands-
18Ishigaki Island-
19Rishiri Island-
20Nakadōri IslandGotō Islands-
21Hirado Island-
22Miyako-jima-
23Shōdoshima-
24Okushiri Island-
25Iki Island-
26Suō-Ōshima-
27OkinoerabujimaAmami Islands-
28Etajima-
29Izu ŌshimaIzu Islands-
30Nagashima Island, Kagoshima-
31Rebun Island-
32KakeromajimaAmami Islands-
33Kurahashi-jima-
34Shimokoshiki-jima-
35Ōmishima Island, Ehime-
36Hachijō-jima-
37Kume IslandOkinawa Islands-
38KikaijimaAmami Islands-
39Nishinoshima-
40Miyake-jima-
41Notojima-
42Kamikoshiki-jima-
43Ōshima -
44Ōsakikamijima-
45Kuchinoerabu-jima-
46Hisaka-
47Innoshima-
48Nakanoshima Tokara Islands-
49Hario Island-
50Nakanoshima Oki Islands-