The Number of Islands in Japan

The Number of Islands in Japan

Japan is classified as 'shimaguni' (島国).

Since 'shima' (島) means "island" and 'guni/kuni' (国) means "country," shimaguni means countries whose primary territory consists of islands.

The definition of shima (島 - "island") in Japan is a land that is surrounded by water, has an outer circumference of 100 meters or more, and was made naturally.

According to this definition, the number of islands in Japan is 6852.

However, the number of islands that have residents (or a resident) is about only 400, and all other islands are uninhabited.

日本の島の数

日本は「島国」に分類されます。

「島」は "island," 「国」は "country" を意味するため、「島国」は "island country," すなわち領土が島で構成される国のことを意味します。

日本における「島」とは、水で囲まれた外周100m以上の陸地で、自然にできたもののことです。

この定義に従うと、日本の島の数は6852島となります。

ただし、そのうち人が住んでいる有人島は400島程度で、その他の島は無人島だそうです。