Let’s take a closer look into a bit of geography of Japan here.
It will surely help you plan your trip better.
Japan is ranked 10th and 62nd in terms of population and land size. Including every single tiny little one, it consists of 6,852 islands, but four main islands take up 97% of its territory.
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Japan is ranked 10th and 62nd in terms of population and land size. Including every single tiny little one, it consists of 6,852 islands, but four main islands take up 97% of its territory.
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| wikimedia |
[ Island > Region > Prefecture ]
Japan is divided in 4 main islands - Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. It has 45 prefectures (administrative divisions) with the exception of capital city ‘Tokyo’ not belonging to any of these prefectures. Japanese also combine a few neighboring prefectures and call them a region. Only Honshu, the biggest island with 33 prefectures, is divided into 5 regions (Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, and Chugoku).
To sum up, Japanese use islands, prefectures and
regions when talking about geography and only prefecture is an administrative district.
Let’s practice with an example. Nagano prefecture is on Honshu Island and
belongs to Chubu region!
[ 8 Regions & 45 Prefectures ]
Since the railway pass is sold by region, it would
be wise to know Japanese regions to schedule your itinerary. Japanese rail
service comes in pretty handy when traveling Japan.
The name of island also refers to region and, at the
same time, prefecture’s name. Located in the northernmost part not far from
Russia, it’s so cold you could see floating ice on the sea. Hokkaido is the perfect place to enjoy the
beauty of great nature and hot spring.
2. Honshu Island
This biggest island has 5 regions, 33 prefectures
and the famous Tokyo. Honshu, equipped with excellent JR service, is always crowded with a great deal of travelers.
2-1. Honshu - Tohoku
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6 prefectures
in the northern part of Honshu Island are called Tohoku region. Since a world
famous Fukushima nuclear accident took place right here, you must have heard of
it. It’s hot during summer but freezing with lots of snow in winter. Being not a popular travel spot, Tohoku is recommendable for travelers looking for tranquility, serenity or a bit of exposure to radioactivity.
2-2. Honshu – Kanto
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Kanto has 6 prefectures and the capital of Japan, Tokyo.
This center for Japanese politics and economy holds one third of entire
Japanese population. This place is definitely on the top of travelers' list.
2-3. Honshu – Chubu
Located in the center of Honshu, it includes 9 prefectures. Chubu’s Kizaki Lake is Japanese people’s favorite holiday destination especially for uni students.
2-4. Honshu - Kansai
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Kansai that
consists of 7 prefectures has top travel destinations such as Kyoto and Osaka. Thanks
to Kansai’s wonderful transportation system, it is very convenient to travel
around.
2-5. Honshu –
Chugoku
Located in the further south of the island, it has 5 prefectures including Hiroshima best known as the first city to be targeted by a nuclear weapon. Due to lots of mountains, public transportation system is not well established. Eastern side has got more to see.
3. Shikoku - Island / Region
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Located in the further south of the island, it has 5 prefectures including Hiroshima best known as the first city to be targeted by a nuclear weapon. Due to lots of mountains, public transportation system is not well established. Eastern side has got more to see.
3. Shikoku - Island / Region
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Shikoku island itself is classified as one region. The smallest one among the 4 main islands of Japan has 4 prefectures in it. The weather of this region is the hottest in summer but almost as cold as Hokkaido in winter at the same time. If you are planning to travel here, car or flight will be better options since railroads are not fully developed yet.
4. Kyushu - Island / Region
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Kyushu is also a name of island and region, and there are 7 prefectures in it. Located most southwesterly of the 4 main islands, it encompasses the beautiful Okinawa islands, the heaven of vacationers far away south from mainland Japan. Many of famous hot springs are here, and it is a popular destination for university clubs' outings.
[ How far is it from one end to another? ]
Within its 4 main islands, from Hokkaido to Nagasaki is the longest distance. There is
no land route or direct flight. If you depart from Sapporo airport in Hokkaido,
you need to transfer at Tokyo or Osaka to reach Nagasaki airport. Flight time
is about 3 hours.
From Okinawa, the southernmost point of entire Japan,
to Sapporo takes about 3:40 by flight and transfer is
needed as well.
[ How far are
they from Tokyo?]
You can reach
most parts of Japan in 1:00 ~ 1:40 from Tokyo by flight. It takes 2:10 to
Seoul, 3:00 to Beijing and 4:30 to Hong Kong from Tokyo.
More Japan
1. JAPAN'S 9 UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES BETTER THAN THE OTHER 8 / By Marus
2. TOP 6 SUSHI BARS IN TOKYO : IF YOU DON'T GO, YOU ARE AN IDIOT / By Shibasaki Tabong
3. 7 VERY IMPORTANT TIPS YOU WILL FIND IT EXTERMELY USEFUL WHEN TRAVELING JAPAN / By Mira
4. 10 JAPANESE FOODS YOU GOTTA HAVE WHILE IN JAPAN / By Shibasaki Tabong
Written by Marcus
He was born in Singapore and went to schools in China and Australia. Having Engineering background, he have worked in Japan and South Korea before finally settled in Seoul. When he is not working, he loves to go on a quick trip to anywhere he wants to go with his beautiful wife.
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