Name
|
Area (sq km)
|
Honshu
|
225,800
|
Hokkaido
|
78,719
|
Kyushu
|
37,437
|
Shikoku
|
18,545
|
Kunashir Island
|
1,612
|
Okinawa
|
1,206
|
Sado
|
855
|
Tsushima
|
709
|
Awaji
|
593
|
Yakushima
|
524
|
Shikotan
|
253
|
Rishiri-to
|
192
|
Okushiri-to
|
145
|
Rebun-to
|
91
|
Iwo Jima
|
22
|
Kita Iwo Jima
|
6
|
|
Counting what exactly is an island has always been a challenge for
geographers. Usually, there has to be an area of at least 0.1 square
kilometers. There's a lively debate about tidal islands: those which are
above sea level at low tide but are otherwise submerged. In addition to
islands such as the Liancourt Rocks and a small collection in the north
whose ownership Japan disputes with Russia, Japan, like several other
nations, has made artificial islands. If we assert Japan is an archipelago of
about three thousand islands (426 inhabited), we'll be close enough.
Kunashir Island and Shikotan are two of the four
disputed Kuril islands, the others being Iturup and
Habomai.
Rishiri-to and Rebun-to are two of eight islands associated
with Hokkaido.
Sado is one of four islands off the western coast of
Honshu in the Sea of Japan.
In addition to the natural island of Sarushima, there are
twelve artificial islands in Tokyo Bay. Osaka Bay has 10
artificial islands, and there are six hybrid islands in Ise
Bay.
In the Pacific island region south of Tokyo there is
Enoshima plus the ten major islands and twenty minor
islands of the Ogasawara group and the ten islands of the
the Izu group. We turn our attention to Enoshima and
these two groups, and then to the Ryukyu Islands.
Tsushima is one of eight islands in the East China Sea
generally around Kysushu.