Japan is an island country in East Asia, situated in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asian mainland. Its coastlines are shaped by several surrounding bodies of water, bordered to the west by the Sea of Japan and extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north down to the East China Sea in the south.
Geography
The Japanese archipelago is composed of four major islands, accompanied by 14,121 smaller islands scattered across its waters. This island geography has profoundly shaped the nation's landscape, culture, and settlement patterns.
Much of the country's terrain is rugged, with around 75% of Japan's land being mountainous and heavily forested. As a result, agriculture and the country's dense, highly urbanized population are largely concentrated along the eastern coastal plains, where flatter land is available for cultivation and city development.
Administrative Divisions
Japan is organized into 47 administrative prefectures, which together are grouped into eight traditional regions. This layered system of governance reflects both modern administrative needs and long-standing historical and cultural distinctions between different parts of the country.
- 47 prefectures serve as the primary units of local administration.
- Eight traditional regions group these prefectures based on geographic and historical ties.
Population and Capital
Japan has a population of almost 123 million as of 2026, making it the world's 11th most populous country. This substantial population is concentrated largely in urban centers along the coast, given the mountainous nature of much of the interior.
Tokyo serves as both the nation's capital and its largest city, standing as the political, economic, and cultural heart of Japan.