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This translation was generated by AI and may contain wording that differs from the facts. Please check the Japanese original or official sources for anything important. Japanese original
Key points
- 4th-largest economy (about US$4.2 trillion), 123 million people (12th, shrinking by ~900,000 a year), 29.4% aged 65+ — the world's highest.
- 3.9 million vending machines, 56,000 convenience stores, 14,125 islands, 111 active volcanoes, 26 World Heritage sites, 3.5 million people a day at Shinjuku Station.
- A table of area, population, density, ageing rate, GDP and minimum wage for all 47 prefectures.
🥇 Japan's world rankings and surprising numbers
About US$4.2 trillion
4th in the world (after the US, China and Germany)
名目GDP
IMF World Economic Outlook 2025・概数
123 million
12th in the world; shrinking by about 900,000 a year
人口
総務省 2025年国勢調査速報
378,000 km²
61st in the world; larger than Germany or Vietnam
面積
国土地理院
Women 87.1 years, men 81.1 years
Among the highest in the world (2024)
平均寿命
厚労省 簡易生命表 2024
42.68 million
Record high, up 15.8% on the previous year
訪日外国人（2025年）
JNTO
¥9.45 trillion
¥229,000 per visitor; China tops the list at ¥2.0 trillion
訪日客の消費（2025年）
観光庁 インバウンド消費動向調査
671,000
Record low for the 10th straight year; total fertility rate 1.14
出生数（2025年）
厚労省 人口動態統計
29.4%
Highest in the world
65歳以上の割合
総務省 人口推計 2025
¥1,145 trillion
Over twice GDP, the largest among advanced economies (forecast for end of FY2026)
普通国債残高
財務省
111
About 7% of the world's
活火山
気象庁
14,125
Doubled after a 2023 recount (previously 6,852)
島の数
国土地理院
26 sites
21 cultural, 5 natural (the 26th: Sado Island gold mines, 2024)
世界遺産
文化庁・UNESCO
About 3.5 million
World's busiest station (Guinness World Record)
新宿駅の1日の利用者
JR東日本ほか各社・概数
About 25 billion
World's highest; 200 trips per person a year
鉄道の年間利用者
国土交通省 鉄道輸送統計・概数
About 3.9 million
One per 32 people
自動販売機
日本自動販売システム機械工業会
About 56,000
Almost all open 24 hours
コンビニ
日本フランチャイズチェーン協会
About 3,000 resorts, about 27,000 sources
About 13,000 lodgings have their own hot spring
温泉地・源泉
環境省 温泉利用状況
About 170
Most of any city
東京のミシュラン星付き店
ミシュランガイド東京 2025・概数
0.2 per 100,000 people
Among the lowest in the world
殺人の発生率
警察庁・UNODC
67%
Among advanced economies, behind only Finland and Sweden
森林率
林野庁
About 100,000
Rising for 55 straight years; nearly 90% are women
100歳以上の人
厚労省 2025年
About 80,000 shrines and 77,000 temples
Roughly three times the number of convenience stores
神社と寺
文化庁 宗教統計調査
About 125 million
Around 9th in the world
日本語の話者
Ethnologue・概数
About 24,000
Udon and soba shops: about 20,000
ラーメン店
総務省 経済センサス・概数
47 prefectures in numbers
| Prefecture | Area km² | Population (thousands) | Density /km² | Aged 65+ % | GDP ¥tn | Min. wage ¥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido | 83,424 | 4,981 | 60 | 33.4 | 20.3 | 1,131 |
| Aomori | 9,646 | 1,142 | 118 | 35.4 | 4.5 | 1,090 |
| Iwate | 15,275 | 1,127 | 74 | 35.4 | 4.8 | 1,090 |
| Miyagi | 7,282 | 2,240 | 308 | 29.4 | 9.8 | 1,098 |
| Akita | 11,638 | 882 | 76 | 39.5 | 3.5 | 1,090 |
| Yamagata | 9,323 | 1,004 | 108 | 35.3 | 4.3 | 1,092 |
| Fukushima | 13,784 | 1,731 | 126 | 33.3 | 7.9 | 1,094 |
| Ibaraki | 6,097 | 2,793 | 458 | 30.9 | 14.0 | 1,136 |
| Tochigi | 6,408 | 1,872 | 292 | 30.5 | 9.1 | 1,125 |
| Gunma | 6,362 | 1,881 | 296 | 31.3 | 9.0 | 1,120 |
| Saitama | 3,798 | 7,315 | 1,926 | 27.9 | 23.6 | 1,196 |
| Chiba | 5,158 | 6,265 | 1,215 | 28.3 | 21.0 | 1,195 |
| Tokyo | 2,194 | 14,246 | 6,493 | 22.9 | 113.7 | 1,280 |
| Kanagawa | 2,416 | 9,230 | 3,820 | 26.1 | 35.1 | 1,279 |
| Niigata | 12,584 | 2,078 | 165 | 34.3 | 9.0 | 1,108 |
| Toyama | 4,248 | 989 | 233 | 33.6 | 4.7 | 1,119 |
| Ishikawa | 4,186 | 1,093 | 261 | 30.9 | 4.7 | 1,113 |
| Fukui | 4,191 | 733 | 175 | 32.3 | 3.6 | 1,112 |
| Yamanashi | 4,465 | 787 | 176 | 31.8 | 3.6 | 1,113 |
| Nagano | 13,562 | 1,974 | 146 | 33.0 | 8.5 | 1,117 |
| Gifu | 10,621 | 1,905 | 179 | 31.8 | 7.8 | 1,121 |
| Shizuoka | 7,777 | 3,514 | 452 | 31.4 | 17.4 | 1,154 |
| Aichi | 5,173 | 7,483 | 1,447 | 25.9 | 40.4 | 1,195 |
| Mie | 5,774 | 1,705 | 295 | 31.0 | 8.3 | 1,143 |
| Shiga | 4,017 | 1,401 | 349 | 27.2 | 7.0 | 1,136 |
| Kyoto | 4,612 | 2,511 | 544 | 30.1 | 10.7 | 1,180 |
| Osaka | 1,905 | 8,750 | 4,593 | 28.1 | 40.0 | 1,231 |
| Hyogo | 8,401 | 5,324 | 634 | 30.1 | 21.9 | 1,172 |
| Nara | 3,691 | 1,271 | 344 | 32.8 | 3.7 | 1,107 |
| Wakayama | 4,725 | 867 | 183 | 34.5 | 3.7 | 1,101 |
| Tottori | 3,507 | 526 | 150 | 33.5 | 1.9 | 1,090 |
| Shimane | 6,708 | 638 | 95 | 35.5 | 2.6 | 1,092 |
| Okayama | 7,115 | 1,828 | 257 | 31.2 | 7.9 | 1,104 |
| Hiroshima | 8,479 | 2,722 | 321 | 30.3 | 11.9 | 1,141 |
| Yamaguchi | 6,113 | 1,270 | 208 | 35.9 | 6.5 | 1,101 |
| Tokushima | 4,147 | 675 | 163 | 35.7 | 3.2 | 1,103 |
| Kagawa | 1,877 | 913 | 486 | 32.7 | 3.9 | 1,092 |
| Ehime | 5,676 | 1,262 | 222 | 34.4 | 4.9 | 1,093 |
| Kochi | 7,104 | 647 | 91 | 36.9 | 2.4 | 1,086 |
| Fukuoka | 4,987 | 5,100 | 1,023 | 28.6 | 19.6 | 1,114 |
| Saga | 2,441 | 784 | 321 | 31.6 | 3.2 | 1,095 |
| Nagasaki | 4,131 | 1,240 | 300 | 34.3 | 4.6 | 1,087 |
| Kumamoto | 7,409 | 1,693 | 229 | 32.6 | 6.5 | 1,092 |
| Oita | 6,341 | 1,077 | 170 | 34.2 | 4.5 | 1,096 |
| Miyazaki | 7,735 | 1,022 | 132 | 33.9 | 3.6 | 1,085 |
| Kagoshima | 9,187 | 1,517 | 165 | 34.0 | 5.6 | 1,090 |
| Okinawa | 2,282 | 1,468 | 643 | 24.1 | 4.5 | 1,086 |
Area: GSI. Population: 2025 census preliminary (thousands). Aged 65+: 2024. GDP: FY2021 nominal. Minimum wage: FY2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need for a first trip to Japan?
Seven days is enough for the 'Golden Route' of Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka at a comfortable pace. Tokyo alone takes 3–4 days and Kyoto 2. With 10 days or more you can add Hiroshima or Hokkaido.
