Honshu
Largest and most populous island of Japan.
Honshu is the largest of Japan's four main islands, historically known as Akitsushima or Hondo. It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Japan to the west, and is the seventh-largest island in the world. As the historical center of Japanese cultural and political power, Honshu includes several past capitals, such as Kyoto, Nara, and Kamakura, and contains Japan's highest mountain, Mount Fuji, and its largest lake, Lake Biwa. The island had a population of 100.7 million as of the 2025 Census, representing 81.9 percent of Japan's total population, with most people concentrated in coastal areas and plains. Approximately 30 percent of the population lives in the Greater Tokyo Area on the Kantō Plain. Much of the southern shore forms part of the Taiheiyō Belt, a megalopolis spanning several Japanese islands. Most of Japan's industry is located along a belt running from Tokyo to Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, and Hiroshima. The island is linked to Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku by bridges and tunnels, including the Seikan Tunnel and the Kanmonkyo Bridge. Northern Honshu experiences four seasons with widely varying temperatures, while the south has long, hot summers and cool to mild winters. Central regions near the Japanese Alps receive heavy snowfall, making areas like Niigata and Nagano popular for winter sports. Honshu is mountainous and volcanic, with 40 active volcanoes, and experiences frequent earthquakes. The 2011 earthquake off the east coast, magnitude 9.0–9.1, generated tsunamis up to 40.5 meters high, killing 19,759 people and causing the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Humans first arrived at least 37,000 years ago as Stone Age hunter-gatherers from Northeast Asia. The Jōmon period followed, known for cord-marked pottery and clay figurines. The Meiji Restoration of 1868, led partly by samurai from Chōshū in western Honshu, ended the Tokugawa shogunate and restored imperial rule.
- Longest river
- Shinano River
- Largest lake
- Lake Biwa
- Number of active volcanoes
- 40
Quick Facts
- Native Name Link
- Japanese language
- Native Name Lang
- ja
- Location
- Sea of Japan (North and West) · Pacific Ocean (South and East)
- Archipelago
- Japanese archipelago
- Area Km2
- 227,960
- Length Km
- 1300
- Width Min Km
- 50
- Width Max Km
- 230
- Coastline Km
- 10084
- Rank
- 7th
- Highest Mount
- Mount Fuji
- Elevation M
- 3776
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Honshu, the largest of Japan’s four principal islands, lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Japan to the west. It is the seventh-largest island globally and the second-most populous, after Java. The island is mountainous and volcanic, with its highest point being the active volcano Mount Fuji, which also makes Honshu the world’s seventh-highest island. Its coastline stretches for thousands of kilometers, and its land area has grown over time due to land reclamation and tectonic uplift along a convergent boundary in the north. The island experiences two primary climates: northern Honshu has four distinct seasons with widely varying temperatures, while the south endures long, hot summers and cool to mild winters. Central Honshu, especially around the Japanese Alps, receives exceptionally heavy snowfall in winter, making areas like Niigata, Toyama, and Nagano among the snowiest inhabited places on Earth. Honshu is home to Japan’s longest river, the Shinano River, and its largest lake, Lake Biwa. The island is seismically active, sitting on the Ring of Fire with 40 active volcanoes, and has experienced major earthquakes, including the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake and the 2011 earthquake that shifted parts of the northeast. Most of Japan’s industry is concentrated along Honshu’s southern coast, forming a belt from Tokyo to Hiroshima. The island is linked to Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku by tunnels and bridges, including the Seikan Tunnel and the Kanmonkyo Bridge.
Reader's Guide
Honshu is the core of Japan's historical, cultural, and economic life. It generates around US$3.5 trillion, more than 80% of Japan's GDP, and most of Japan's industry is located in a belt along its southern coast from Tokyo to Hiroshima. The island is linked to Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku by bridges and tunnels, including the Seikan Tunnel and the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge. The island's climate varies from four seasons in the north to long, hot summers and mild winters in the south, with heavy snowfall in central regions like Niigata and Nagano. Its population is concentrated in coastal areas, with about 30% in the Greater Tokyo Area on the Kantō Plain.
Did You Know?
- Honshu is the seventh-largest island in the world and the second-most populous after Java.
- The island has 40 active volcanoes and is seismically active, being on the Ring of Fire.
- Honshu's land area has been increasing due to land reclamation and coastal uplift from plate tectonics.
More in Islands And Archipelagos 1-24
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