List of islands of Japan

thumb|upright=1.6|Japanese islands outlined

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, behind only 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.

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

Ōshima
Okushiri Island
Teuri Island
Rebun Island
Rishiri Island
Yagishiri Island
Kamome island

Islands of Honshu in the Sea of Japan

Awashima Island, Niigata
Kanmurijima
Kutsujima, Kyoto
Mitsukejima
Nanatsujima archipelago
Notojima
Oki Islands
Dōgo
Nakanoshima
Nishinoshima
Chiburijima
Sado
Takashima, Shimane
Tobishima (Yamagata)
Tsunoshima
Umashima, Shimane

Islands in Tokyo Bay

Dream Island (Yume No Shima)
Odaiba (artificial island)
Sarushima (natural)
Tokyo International Airport (artificial island)
Wakasu

Islands in Osaka Bay

Maishima
Yumeshima
Kansai International Airport (artificial island)
Kobe Airport (artificial island)
Port Island
Rokkō Island
Wakayama Marina City

Islands in Ise Bay

Chūbu Centrair International Airport (artificial island)
Kami-shima
Kashiko Island
Kozukumi Island
Mikimoto Pearl Island

Islands in Mutsu Bay

Ōshima
Taijima

Nanpō Islands (Nanpō Shotō)

thumb|upright=1.4|Izu Islands

Izu Islands
Aogashima
Hachijō
Izu Ōshima
Kōzu
Udonejima
Hahajima
Hirado
Kerama Islands
Tokashikijima
Zamamijima
Akajima
Gerumajima
Daitō Islands
Kitadaitojima
Minamidaitōjima
Okidaitōjima

Sakishima Islands

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

thumb|upright=1.4|Seto Inland Sea

Kasaoka Islands
Takashima Island (Okayama) 高島 (岡山県笠岡市)
Shiraishi Island
Kitagi Island, 北木島
Obishi Island, 大飛島
Kobi Island, 小飛島
Manabeshima, 真鍋島
Mushima Island (Okayama), 六島 (岡山県)
Shiwaku Islands
Awaji

Iturup -
Kunashir -
Shikotan -
Habomai Islands -

thumb|Liancourt rocks between Japan and Korea

Others

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

Former

South Seas Mandate (1919–1947) - 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 (1895–1952) - 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 (1905–1949) - 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 (1910–1945) - 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.

{| class="sortable wikitable"

! Rank !! Island name !! | Area<br />(km<sup>2</sup>) !! Area<br />(sq mi) !! Island group

| 1 ||Honshu|| ||

| 2 || Hokkaido || ||

| 3 || Kyushu || ||

| 4 || Shikoku || ||

| 5 || Okinawa Island || || Okinawa Islands, Central Part of the Ryukyu Islands

| 6 || Sado Island || ||

| 7 || Amami Ōshima || || Amami Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands

| 8 || Tsushima Island || ||

| 9 || Awaji Island || || Seto Inland Sea Islands

| 10 || Shimoshima Island, Amakusa || || Amakusa Islands

| 11 || Yakushima || || Ōsumi Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands

| 12 || Tanegashima || || Ōsumi Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands

| 13 || Fukue Island || || Gotō Islands

| 14 || Iriomote Island || || Yaeyama Islands, Southern Part of the Ryukyu Islands

| 15 || Tokunoshima || || Amami Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands

| 16 || Dōgojima || || Oki Islands

| 17 || Kamishima Island, Amakusa || || Amakusa Islands

| 18 || Ishigaki Island || || Yaeyama Islands, Southern Part of the Ryukyu Islands

| 19 || Rishiri Island || ||

| 20 || Nakadōri Island || || Gotō Islands

| 21 || Hirado Island || ||

| 22 || Miyako-jima || ||Miyako Islands, Southern Part of the Ryukyu Islands

| 23 || Shōdoshima || ||Seto Inland Sea Islands

| 24 || Okushiri Island || ||

| 25 || Iki Island || ||

| 26 || Suō-Ōshima || ||

| 27 || Okinoerabujima || || Amami Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands

| 28 || Etajima || ||

| 29 || Izu Ōshima || || Izu Islands

| 30 || Nagashima Island, Kagoshima || ||

| 31 || Rebun Island || ||

| 32 || Kakeromajima || || Amami Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands

| 33 || Kurahashi-jima || ||

| 34 || Shimokoshiki-jima || ||

| 35 || Ōmishima Island, Ehime || ||

| 36 || Hachijō-jima || ||Izu Islands

| 37 || Kume Island || || Okinawa Islands, Central Part of the Ryukyu Islands

| 38 || Kikaijima || || Amami Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands

| 39 || Nishinoshima || ||

| 40 || Miyake-jima || ||Izu Islands

| 41 || Notojima || ||

| 42 || Kamikoshiki-jima || ||

| 43 || Ōshima (Ehime) || ||

| 44 || Ōsakikamijima || ||

| 45 || Kuchinoerabu-jima || ||

| 46 || Hisaka || ||

| 47 || Innoshima || ||

| 48 || Nakanoshima (in Kagoshima) || || Tokara Islands, Northern Part of the Ryukyu Islands

| 49 || Hario Island || ||

| 50 || Nakanoshima (in Shimane) || || Oki Islands