Real size
How big is Japan really?
370,000 km²
143,000 sq mi · 63rd largest of the 167 here · about the size of Norway
Normal web maps draw it 1.6× too big
Japan covers 370,000 km² (143,000 sq mi), about the size of Norway. A normal web map draws it about 1.6 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 38°N), and those maps stretch land more the closer it gets to the North Pole.
Measured from our map outlines, so official figures can differ by a few percent. Ranks count the 167 countries and territories on these pages: those over 5,000 km², not counting disputed territories.
Part of the land Japan holds or claims is disputed (3 disputes). Our area follows the borders drawn on today's map. See the disputed territories →
- Real area
- 370,000 km²
- Size rank
- 63rd of 167
- On a normal web map
- 1.6× too big
- Latitude
- 38°N
Countries about the same size
- NorwayAbout the same size
- GermanyAbout the same size
- ZimbabweZimbabwe is 1.1 times the size of Japan
- CongoJapan is 1.1 times the size of Congo
- ParaguayParaguay is 1.1 times the size of Japan
Japan through history
Borders here have moved many times. Step through our maps, from 2000 BCE to today, to see who ruled this land before, and how big their realms really were.
Open the history map →Browse the eras →
Common questions
- How big is Japan?
- Japan covers about 370,000 km² (143,000 sq mi). It is the 63rd largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Japan look so big on maps?
- Most web maps use the Mercator projection, which keeps shapes right but stretches area more and more toward the poles. Averaged over the whole country, it draws Japan about 1.6 times too big.
- Is Japan bigger than Zimbabwe?
- No. Zimbabwe is about 1.1 times the size of Japan.
- Is Japan bigger than Norway?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.