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    Japan 日本  
Location
Japan is located in the Pacific Ocean to the east of Asian and spans from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north, North Pacific Ocean to the east and East China Sea and Philippine Sea to the south. The four major home islands are Honshū Island, Hokkaidō Island, Kyūshū Island and Shikoku Island. Prewar and during the Pacific War known as the Empire of Japan 大日本帝国 (Dai Nippon Teikoku) that included present day Japan plus colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories. To capital is Tokyo.

Until 1945, Japan administered Formosa (Taiwan), Korea and Manchuria (Manchukuo). In 1951, under the terms of the San Francisco Peace Treaty Japan gave up sovereignty of the Kurile Islands (Kuril) to the Soviet Union (Russia). Today, Japan is divided into eight regions, 47 prefectures and subprefectures. Borders the Sea of Japan to the west.

Wartime History
Japan was engaged in continious war including the Sino Japanese War (1884–1895), Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), Manchurian Incident (1931), Second Sino Japanese War (1937–1945), undeclared border wars/incidents (1938-1939) and the Pacific War (1941-1945). During 1944-1945, Japan was attacked by American B-29 Superfortresses bombers, U.S. Navy (USN) carrier aircraft and late in the war land based aircraft.

Japanese Islands
Honshū Island  main and is the largest central island of Japan.
Kyūshū Island  located in southern Japan.
Shikoku Island  located in southern Japan, includes four provinces.
Hokkaidō Island  located in the north of Japan.
Awaji Island  located to the south of Honshu.
Ryukyu Island Group (Ryukyu Islands, Nansei Islands)
Okinawa Island  located in southern Japan, largest island in Okinawa Prefecture.
Ie Shima (Iejima)  located three miles west of Okinawa Island.
Kouri Island (Kouri Jima)  located in southern Japan Okinawa Prefecture.
Amami Islands  (Amami Guntō)
Amami Ōshima (Amami-O-Shima)  largest island in the Amami Island Group.
Kikai Jima  island in the Amami Island Group.
Kikaiga-shima  located in the Amami Island Group.
Tokuno  located in the Amami Island Group.
Kerama Island Group
Kerama Island Group (Kerama Retto)  island chain 15 miles west of the southwestern tip of Okinawa.
Tokashiki Island  borders Kerama Anchorage.
Zamami Island  borders Kerama Anchorage.
Amuro Island  borders Kerama Anchorage.
Sakishima Island Group (Sakishima Islands)
Miyako Island Group (Miyako Islands)
Yaeyama Island Group (Yaeyama Islands)

Iriomote Jima  located in the Yaeyama Islands in the Sakishima Islands.
Sonai  located on the northwestern coast of Iriomote Jima.
Bonin Island Group (Bonin Islands)
Bonin Islands (Ogasawara Islands)  includes Father Island Group, Mother Island Group and Volcano Island.
Father Island Group (Father Islands)
Chi Chi Jima (Father Island, Ogasawara)  located in the Bonin Islands.
Chi Chi Jima Harbor  borders Chi Chi Jima Island.
Mother Island Group (Mother Islands)
Haha Jima (Mother Island)  located in the Bonin Islands.
Okimura (Oki)  located on the west central portion of Haha Jima.
Volcano Island Group (Volcano Islands)
North Iwo Jima (Kita Iwo Jima)  located to the north of Iwo Jima.
Iwo Jima (Iwo To)  known as sulfur island in Japanese, USMC landing on February 19, 1945.
Minami-Tori-shima
Marcus Island (Minamitorishima)  easternmost Japanese island.
Kurile Island Group (Kurile slands, Kuriles, Kuril, Chishima-Rettō)
Kurile Island Group (Kurile Islands, Kuril, Chishima-Rettō)  island chain to the north of Japan.
Ryukyu Islands (Nansei Shoto)
Ryukyu Islands (Nansei Shoto) span Kagoshima Prefecture and Okinawa Prefecture in Japan

Japan Regions
Chūbu Region (Chubu Region) located in central Honshu.
Keihin Region located on Honshu.
Kantō Region (Kanto Region) located on Honshu.
Tōhoku Region (Tohoku Region) located on Honshu.
Kansai Region located on Honshu.
Chūgoku Region located on Honshu.

Japan Prefectures
Okinawa Prefecture  Ryukyu Islands (Nansei Shoto) island chain in southern Japan
Hokkaidō Prefecture  located in the north of Japan.
Hyogo Prefecture  includes Kobe and Awaji Island.
Shikoku Island
Ehime Prefecture  located in the southwestern portion of Shikoku Island.
Kagawa Prefecture  located in the northern portion of Shikoku Island.
Kōchi Prefecture  located on Shikoku Island.
Tokushima Prefecture  located on Shikoku Island.
Kyūshū Island
Fukuoka Prefecture  located in the northern center of Kyushu, includes Fukuoka
Nagasaki Prefecture  located to in the northwest of Kyushu, includes Nagasaki and Sasebo
Kagoshima Prefecture  located in the south of Kyushu, includes Kaseda, Kanoya, Kushira
Kumamoto Prefecture  located in the west center Kyushu
Miyazaki Prefecture  located in the east of Kyushu
Ōita Prefecture  located in the northeast corner of Kyushu
Saga Prefecture  located in the western corner of Kyushu

Japan Subprefectures
Ōshima Subprefecture  located to the south of Honshu includes Izu Ōshima.
Ogasawara Subprefecture  Bonin Islands (Ogasawara) Father Islands, Mother Islands and Volcano Islands.

Japan Bodies of Water
Bungo Strait  connects the Pacific and Inland Sea between Kyushu and Shikoku.
Seto Inland Sea (Inland Sea)  seporates Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku.
Tokyo Bay  borders Tokyo on the southern coast of Honshu.
Sagami Bay (Sagami Wan)  borders southern coast of Honshu.
Sagami Sea (Sagami Nada)  borders Sagami Bay and the southern coast of Honshu.

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Last Updated
November 30, 2023

 

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