MAP OF JAPAN - REGIONS

Map of Japan by Region shows all the regions of Japan. Click on the region for more information.

Japan -  Regions

Japan consists of four main islands and many smaller islands, notably Okinawa. Honshu, by far the largest and most populated island, is typically divided into five (or more) regions. The regions most commonly used are:

1. Hokkaido - the snowy northern frontier of Japan

2. Tohoku - north-eastern Honshu, for seafood, skiing and hot springs

3. Kanto - coastal plain including Tokyo and Yokohama

4. Chubu - mountainous middle region dominated by the Japan Alps (including Mount Fuji) and Japan's fourth-largest city Nagoya

5. Kansai - ancient capital of culture and commerce, including Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Kobe

6. Chugoku - westernmost Honshu, a rural region best known for Hiroshima

7. Shikoku - the smallest of the Big 4, a destination for Buddhist pilgrims

8. Kyushu - birthplace of Japanese civilization, largest towns Fukuoka and Nagasaki

9. Okinawa - semitropical southern island chain reaching out to Taiwan