Country

Japan

Also Known As Nippon

Eastern Asia

An archipelago nation off the eastern coast of the Asian mainland, comprising four main islands, Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, and thousands of smaller ones. Its Heian period (794 to 1185), centered on the imperial capital at Heian-kyo, present-day Kyoto, produced a highly refined aristocratic court culture that gave rise to some of the earliest and most fully realized works of Japanese prose literature. This is the home setting Murasaki Shikibu and The Tale of Genji are described against in the Literature atlas.

Facts

Capital

Tokyo 2

Formerly Edo; became the imperial capital in 1868, replacing Kyoto.

Population

122,587,000 2

Britannica 2026 estimate. The atlas own earlier region-era figure, 123,900,000, is not overwritten; this population-year fact dates THIS value specifically.

Population Estimate Year

2026 2

Area (sq km)

377,975 2

Total land area across the four main islands and thousands of smaller ones.

Classification

Sovereignty Status

UN Member State 1

Japan

Cities

113 entries

Subregion

Country (Contained By)

Continent

Population Band

Capital Status

Founding Era

Showing 1 to 50 of 113 in Cities, page 1 of 3.

FAQs

What was Tokyo called before it became the capital of Japan?

Tokyo was called Edo until 1868, when it was renamed eastern capital in contrast to Kyoto, the earlier capital to the west.

Tokyo was originally known as Edo, a name meaning estuary that came from the city's position on a bay. In 1868 the name was changed to Tokyo, which means eastern capital. The new name was chosen as a contrast to Kyoto, the previous capital, which lies to the west.

Connections

Associated With

Aichi Prefecture

Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan.

Source Aichi Prefecture (Wikipedia)

Chiba Prefecture

East Asia

Fukuoka

Source Fukuoka (Wikipedia)

Fukuoka Prefecture

Fukuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan.

Source Fukuoka Prefecture (Wikipedia)

Gifu Prefecture

Hiroshima

Source Hiroshima (Wikipedia)

Hiroshima Prefecture

Hiroshima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan.

Source Hiroshima Prefecture (Wikipedia)

Hokkaido

Hokkaido is a prefecture of Japan.

Source Hokkaido (Wikipedia)

Hyogo Prefecture

Hyogo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan.

Source Hyogo Prefecture (Wikipedia)

Ibaraki Prefecture

Kanagawa Prefecture

Kanagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan.

Source Kanagawa Prefecture (Wikipedia)

Kawasaki

Source Kawasaki (Wikipedia)

Kobe

Source Kobe (Wikipedia)

Kumamoto Prefecture

Kyoto

This source names Japan directly: "basin in the Kansai region of Honshu, Japan, ringed by mountains that historically limited its growth and gave the city its grid-planned layout, modeled on the Chinese capital Chang'an when it was..."

Source Encyclopaedia Britannica

Kyoto

This source names Kyoto directly: "capital at Heian-kyo, present-day Kyoto, produced a highly refined aristocratic court culture that gave rise to some of the earliest and most fully realized works of Japanese prose literature."

Source Encyclopaedia Britannica

Kyoto Prefecture

Kyoto Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan.

Source Kyoto Prefecture (Wikipedia)

Miyagi Prefecture

Nagano Prefecture

Nagoya

Nagoya is a city in Japan.

Source Nagoya (Wikipedia)

Niigata Prefecture

Okayama Prefecture

Osaka

Osaka is a city in Japan.

Source Osaka (Wikipedia)

Osaka Prefecture

Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan.

Source Osaka Prefecture (Wikipedia)

Sagamihara

Sagamihara is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

Source Sagamihara (Wikipedia)

Saitama

Source Saitama (Wikipedia)

Saitama Prefecture

Saitama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan.

Source Saitama Prefecture (Wikipedia)

Sapporo

Source Sapporo (Wikipedia)

Shizuoka Prefecture

Taiwan

Japan lies to the northeast.

Source Taiwan (Wikipedia)

Tokyo

Tokyo is Japan's capital.

Source Tokyo (Wikipedia)

Tokyo

Source Tokyo (Wikipedia)

Yokohama

Yokohama is a city in Japan.

Source Yokohama (Wikipedia)

Yokosuka

Yokosuka is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

Source Yokosuka (Wikipedia)

Bordered By Water

Has Capital

Tokyo

Tokyo is the capital of Japan.

Source Tokyo (Wikipedia)

Long-Form Articles

The Sea That Opened Behind It

In the Other Atlases

Has Member

Group of Eight (G8)

Also in Economics Atlas: a member of this subject.

Nationals Include

Hitoshi Akamatsu

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Hitoshi Akamatsu (Wikipedia)

Isao Takahata

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Ishirō Honda

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Ishirō Honda (Wikipedia)

Katsuhiro Otomo

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Katsura Hashino

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Katsura Hashino (Wikipedia)

Katsuya Eguchi

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Katsuya Eguchi (Wikipedia)

Kazunori Yamauchi

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Kazunori Yamauchi (Wikipedia)

Keiichiro Toyama

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Keiji Nakazawa

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Keisuke Kinoshita

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Keisuke Kinoshita (Wikipedia)Lead paragraph [associated-with]

Quote, Lead paragraph [associated-with]

was a Japanese film director and screenwriter

Kenji Mizoguchi

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Kenji Mizoguchi (Wikipedia)

Koji Hashimoto

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Mamoru Hosoda

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Mamoru Hosoda (Wikipedia)

Masahiro Sakurai

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Masahiro Sakurai (Wikipedia)

Masamune Shirow

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Masamune Shirow (Wikipedia)

Masashi Kishimoto

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Masashi Kishimoto (Wikipedia)Lead paragraph

Quote, Lead paragraph

is a Japanese manga artist

Motoyoshi Oda

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Nagisa Ōshima

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Nagisa Ōshima (Wikipedia)

Osamu Tezuka

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Wikipedia)

Satoshi Kon

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Satoshi Kon (Wikipedia)

Satoshi Tajiri

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Shigeru Miyamoto

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Shigeru Miyamoto - WikipediaLead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article

Quote, Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article

Shigeru Miyamoto (Japanese: 宮本茂, Hepburn: Miyamoto Shigeru; born November 16, 1952) is a Japanese video game designer, producer, game director and filmmaker at Nintendo, where he has served as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002.

Shinji Mikami

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Shinji Mikami (Wikipedia)

Shōhei Imamura

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Tadashi Imai

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Takaaki Kidani

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Takashi Nishiyama

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Takashi Tokita

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Takashi Tokita (Wikipedia)

Takeshi Kitano

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Teinosuke Kinugasa

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Tomohiro Nishikado

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Toru Iwatani

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Toru Iwatani - WikipediaLead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article

Quote, Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article

Tōru Iwatani (岩谷徹, Iwatani Tōru; born January 25, 1955) is a Japanese video game designer who spent much of his career working for Namco.

Yasujiro Ozu

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Yasujiro Ozu - WikipediaLead sentence 1

Quote, Lead sentence 1

Yasujirō Ozu (小津安二郎, Ozu Yasujirō; 12 December 1903 – 12 December 1963) was a Japanese filmmaker.

Yōjirō Takita

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Yoshiaki Koizumi

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Yoshiaki Koizumi (Wikipedia)

Yoshinori Kitase

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Yoshinori Kitase (Wikipedia)

Yoshiyuki Tomino

Also in Film and Media Atlas: a national of this subject.

Akira Yoshizawa

Also in Home, Crafts and Hobbies Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Akira Yoshizawa (Wikipedia)Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article

Quote, Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article

Akira Yoshizawa (吉澤章, Yoshizawa Akira; 14 March 1911 – 14 March 2005) was a Japanese origamist, considered to be the grandmaster of origami.

Shoji Hamada

Also in Home, Crafts and Hobbies Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Shoji Hamada (Wikipedia)Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article

Quote, Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article

Shōji Hamada (濱田庄司, Hamada Shōji; December 9, 1894 – January 5, 1978) was a Japanese potter.

Yanagi Soetsu

Also in Home, Crafts and Hobbies Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Yanagi Soetsu (Wikipedia)Lead sentence 1

Quote, Lead sentence 1

Yanagi Sōetsu (Japanese: 柳宗悦; March 21, 1889 – May 3, 1961), also known as Yanagi Muneyoshi, was a Japanese art critic, philosopher, and founder of the mingei (folk craft) movement in Japan in the late 1920s and 1930s.

Fumiko Saiga

Also in Law Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Fumiko Saiga (Wikipedia)

Hidehisa Horinouchi

Also in Law Atlas: a national of this subject.

Hisashi Owada

Also in Law Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Hisashi Owada (Wikipedia)tier 2

Hozumi Nobushige

Also in Law Atlas: a national of this subject.

Inoue Kowashi

Also in Law Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Inoue Kowashi (Wikipedia)tier 2

Ito Miyoji

Also in Law Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source It? Miyoji (Wikipedia)tier 2

Itsuro Terada

Also in Law Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Itsuro Terada - WikipediaLead sentence 1

Quote, Lead sentence 1

Itsurō Terada (寺田逸郎, Terada Itsurō; born 9 January 1948) is a Japanese lawyer who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2014 to 2018.

Kaneko Kentaro

Also in Law Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Kaneko Kentarō (Wikipedia)tier 2

Kotaro Tanaka

Also in Law Atlas: a national of this subject.

Source Wikidata: Kotaro Tanaka

Showing 101 to 150 of 306 in Nationals Include, page 3 of 7.

Origin Of

Japanese-Western Eclectic Architecture

Also in Architecture and Design Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Metabolism

Also in Architecture and Design Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Getty Art and Architecture Thesaurus: Metabolism (movement)Scope note

Quote, Scope note

Japanese architectural movement of the 1960s and 1970s, dedicated to urban-scale issues based on biologic principles of dynamic growth and change.

Minka

Also in Architecture and Design Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Getty Research Institute, Art and Architecture Thesaurus: MinkaScope note

Quote, Scope note

Refers to a style of Japanese domestic structure

Ryukyuan Architecture

Also in Architecture and Design Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Shinden-zukuri

Also in Architecture and Design Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Shoin-zukuri

Also in Architecture and Design Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Ceramics

Also in Arts and Music Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Gardner's Art Through the AgesFred S. Kleiner (after Helen Gardner)

Chikamatsu Monzaemon

Also in Arts and Music Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Hakuin Ekaku

Also in Arts and Music Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Getty Research Institute, Union List of Artist Names: Hakuin Ekaku (Japanese monk and painter, 1685 or 1686-1768)Birth and Death Places

Quote, Birth and Death Places

Born: Hara (Nagano, Japan) (inhabited place)

Hokusai

Also in Arts and Music Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Gardner's Art Through the AgesFred S. Kleiner (after Helen Gardner)

Kanō Tan'yū

Also in Arts and Music Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Getty Research Institute: Union List of Artist Names: Kanō Tan'yūBirth and Death Places

Quote, Birth and Death Places

Born: Kyoto (Kyōto, Japan) (inhabited place)

Kawase Hasui

Also in Arts and Music Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Tadao Ando

Also in Arts and Music Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Tani Bunchō

Also in Arts and Music Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Getty Research Institute, Union List of Artist Names: Tani Bunchō (Japanese painter, 1763-1840)Birth and Death Places

Quote, Birth and Death Places

Born: Tokyo (Tōkyō, Japan) (inhabited place)

Toshiko MacAdam

Also in Arts and Music Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Wikidata: Toshiko MacAdam

Unkei

Also in Arts and Music Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Utagawa Kunisada

Also in Arts and Music Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Getty Research Institute, Union List of Artist Names: Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese printmaker and illustrator, 1786-1864)Birth and Death Places

Quote, Birth and Death Places

Born: Tokyo (Tōkyō, Japan) (inhabited place)

Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Also in Arts and Music Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Shinto

Also in Divinity Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Akira Yoshino

Also in Energy Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Wikidata: Akira Yoshino

Hiroshi Amano

Also in Energy Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Wikidata: Hiroshi Amano

Ichisuke Fujioka

Also in Energy Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Wikidata: Ichisuke Fujioka

Isamu Akasaki

Also in Energy Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Wikidata: Isamu Akasaki

Momosuke Fukuzawa

Also in Energy Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Wikidata: Momosuke Fukuzawa

Namihei Odaira

Also in Energy Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Wikidata: Namihei Odaira

Sazō Idemitsu

Also in Energy Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Wikidata: Sazo Idemitsu

Shuji Nakamura

Also in Energy Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Wikidata: Shuji Nakamura

Yoshio Masuda

Also in Energy Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Wikidata: Yoshio Masuda

Akira

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Akira (1988 film) (Wikipedia)Lead sentence 1

Quote, Lead sentence 1

Akira (Japanese: アキラ, pronounced [aꜜkiɾa]) is a 1988 Japanese animated cyberpunk action thriller film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, produced by Ryōhei Suzuki and Shunzō Katō, and written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, based on Otomo's 1982 manga Akira.

Animal Crossing (2001 video game)

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Animal Crossing (video game), WikipediaLead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article

Quote, Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article

Animal Crossing, known in Japan as Dōbutsu no Mori, is a social simulation game developed and published by Nintendo.

Bâan: The Boundary of Adulthood

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Barefoot Gen

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Barefoot Gen, WikipediaLead sentence 1

Quote, Lead sentence 1

Barefoot Gen (Japanese: はだしのゲン, Hepburn: Hadashi no Gen) is a Japanese historical manga series written and illustrated by Keiji Nakazawa, loosely based on Nakazawa's experiences as a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing.

Bushido, Samurai Saga

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Castle in the Sky

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Castle in the Sky, WikipediaLead sentence 1

Quote, Lead sentence 1

Castle in the Sky, also known as Laputa: Castle in the Sky, is a 1986 Japanese animated fantasy adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

Castlevania (1986 video game)

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Chrono Trigger

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Dance Dance Revolution

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Wikipedia: Dance Dance RevolutionLead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article

Quote, Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article

Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, Dance Dance Revolution is the pioneering series of the rhythm and dance genre in video games.

Dark Souls

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Departures (2008 film)

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Departures (2008 film) - WikipediaLead sentence 1

Quote, Lead sentence 1

Departures (Japanese: おくりびと, Hepburn: Okuribito; "one who sends off") is a 2008 Japanese drama film directed by Yōjirō Takita and starring Masahiro Motoki, Ryōko Hirosue, and Tsutomu Yamazaki.

Donkey Kong

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Drive My Car (2021 film)

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Drive My Car - WikipediaLead sentence 1

Quote, Lead sentence 1

Drive My Car (Japanese: ドライブ・マイ・カー, Hepburn: Doraibu Mai Kā) is a 2021 Japanese drama film directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Takamasa Oe.

Elden Ring

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Father Mother Sister Brother

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Final Fantasy VII

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Galaga

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Gate of Hell

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Ghost in the Shell

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Gigantis, the Fire Monster

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Godzilla 1985

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Godzilla, King of the Monsters!

Also in Film and Media Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Showing 1 to 50 of 280 in Origin Of, page 1 of 6.