Hinomaru (circle of the sun); Nisshōki (flag of sun)
Japan (Nippon or Nihon) is an island country in East Asia, situated in the Pacific Ocean. It is surrounded by the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the East China Sea. The country has four main islands, Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū, and Shikoku and 14,121 smaller islands. Its official language is Japanese. Its capital and largest city is Tokyo.
Its total land area is 377,975 square kilometers (145,937 square miles). As of 2025, Japan has a population of over 123 million, making it the 11th most populous country in the world. Tokyo, located in the Kantō region is the capital and largest city.
The Japanese flag is commonly known as Hinomaru (circle of the sun); Officially it is called Nisshōki (flag of sun). The simple design of a central red disc over a white background was adopted in February 1870 and was officially recognized in August 1999.
| Capital City | Area (World Ranking) | 2023 Population (World Ranking) | Currency | Flag Ratio (Decimal) | Adopted |
| Tokyo | 377,975 km² / 145,937 mi² (62nd) | 124,840,000 (11th) | Japanese yen | 2:3 (1.5) | 1870 |
Japan is made up of 47 prefectures each with its own climate, historical or economic identity. These are grouped into eight major regions from Hokkaidō in the north east to Kyūshū in the south west.
| Region | Prefectures | Region | Prefectures |
Hokkaidō 北海道 | Hokkaidō | Kansai 関西地方 | Mie Shiga Kyōto Ōsaka Hyōgo Nara Wakayama |
Tōhoku 東北地方 | Aomori Iwate Miyagi Akita Yamagata Fukushima | Chūgoku 中国地方 | Tottori Shimane Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi |
Kantō 関東地方 | Ibaraki Tochigi Gunma Saitama Chiba Tōkyō Kanagawa | Shikoku 四国 | Tokushima Kagawa Ehime Kōchi |
Chūbu 中部地方 | Niigata Toyama Ishikawa Fukui Yamanashi Nagano Gifu Shizuoka Aichi | Kyūshū and Ryūkyū Islands 九州  | Fukuoka Saga Nagasaki Kumamoto Ōita Miyazaki Kagoshima Okinawa |
National Anthem of Japan: 君が代 Kimigayo “His Imperial Majesty’s Reign”