Honshu

Honshu is the largest of Japan's four main islands. It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Japan to the west. It is the world's seventh-largest island and has many people living there.

As of 2017, about 104 million people lived on Honshu. Many live near the coast and in flat areas, especially around the busy Greater Tokyo Area. Honshu has been important for Japan's culture and government for a long time. Famous old cities like Kyoto, Nara, and Kamakura are here. The island also has Mount Fuji, Japan's tallest mountain, and Lake Biwa, the country's biggest lake.

Much of Japan's work and factories are along Honshu's southern coast, from Tokyo to cities such as Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe, and Hiroshima. The island connects to Japan's other big islands through many bridges and tunnels. Northern Honshu has clear seasons, while the south gets very hot in summer and stays mild in winter.

Etymology

The name Honshū comes from an old Chinese language. It means "main province" or "home land."

History

See also: History of Japan

Humans first arrived in Honshu about 37,000 years ago. They were hunter-gatherers from Northeast Asia who followed large animals during the ice age. We know about this time because of stone tools they left behind, similar to ones found in Siberia.

Later, the Jōmon period began around 14,000–300 BCE. The Jōmon people made special pottery with cord patterns and small clay figures called dogū. These items show they had interesting spiritual beliefs and lived in small communities near coasts and rivers.

In 1868, Japan went through a big change called the Meiji Restoration. This ended the old Tokugawa government and brought back rule under the emperor, Meiji. Leaders of this change came from places like Chōshū in western Honshu.

Geography

Honshu is the largest island in Japan. It is about 1,300 kilometers long and 50 to 230 kilometers wide. The island’s land area grows slowly because of land reclamation and natural lifting of the land.

Honshu is mountainous and volcanic. The highest point is Mount Fuji, an active volcano that is 3,776 meters tall. The island often experiences earthquakes because it is on the world’s seismic Ring of Fire.

Many people live on Honshu—about 104 million. The largest city is Tokyo, Japan’s capital. The island connects to other Japanese islands through bridges and tunnels.

Honshu has many parks and natural areas with many different plants and animals. It also has many active volcanoes, making it a geologically active place.

Economy

Honshu island makes about US$3.5 trillion. This is over 80% of Japan's GDP.

Agriculture

Honshu grows many fruits, vegetables, grains, rice, and cotton. The Tōhoku region in the northeast is known for rice. Chiba Prefecture is famous for peanuts and makes the most in Japan. Some special plants called Menegazzia only grow here.

Industry

Most of Japan’s tea and silk comes from Honshu. The three biggest industrial areas in Japan are on this island: the Keihin region, the Hanshin Industrial Region, and the Chūkyō Industrial Area.

Minerals and fuels

Honshu has many of Japan’s minerals, like small amounts of oil and coal. Coal is mostly in Fukushima Prefecture and Niigata Prefecture, but there is less than in Hokkaido and Kyushu. Oil is mainly along the west coast in Niigata, Yamagata, and Akita areas.

The island also has most of Japan’s copper, lead, zinc, and chromite. There are smaller amounts of gold, silver, arsenic, sulfur, and pyrite.

Transportation

The Tokaido Shinkansen opened in 1964 between Tokyo and Shin-Ōsaka. It was Japan's first high-speed rail line and is still very busy. The San'yō Shinkansen connects Shin-Osaka in Osaka to Hakata Station in Fukuoka. These rail lines help travel through the Taiheiyō Belt area.

Honshu has four major airports:

• Haneda Airport (serving Tokyo)
• Narita International Airport (serving Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture)
• Chubu Centrair International Airport (serving the Chūkyō region)
• Kansai International Airport (serving the Keihanshin region)

Administrative regions and prefectures

Honshu is divided into five main areas and has 34 prefectures, including the busy city of Tokyo. Some smaller islands, like the Ogasawara Islands, Sado Island, Izu Ōshima, and Awaji Island, are also part of these prefectures.

The five regions and their prefectures are:

• The Tōhoku region has six prefectures:

  • Akita Prefecture
  • Aomori Prefecture
  • Fukushima Prefecture
  • Iwate Prefecture
  • Miyagi Prefecture
  • Yamagata Prefecture

• The Kantō region has seven prefectures, including Japan's capital, Tokyo:

  • Chiba Prefecture
  • Gunma Prefecture
  • Ibaraki Prefecture
  • Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Saitama Prefecture
  • Tochigi Prefecture
  • Tokyo

• The Chūbu region has nine prefectures:

  • Aichi Prefecture
  • Fukui Prefecture
  • Gifu Prefecture
  • Ishikawa Prefecture
  • Nagano Prefecture
  • Niigata Prefecture
  • Shizuoka Prefecture
  • Toyama Prefecture
  • Yamanashi Prefecture

• The Kansai region has seven prefectures:

  • Hyōgo Prefecture
  • Kyoto Prefecture
  • Mie Prefecture
  • Nara Prefecture
  • Osaka Prefecture
  • Shiga Prefecture
  • Wakayama Prefecture

• The Chūgoku region has five prefectures:

  • Hiroshima Prefecture
  • Okayama Prefecture
  • Shimane Prefecture
  • Tottori Prefecture
  • Yamaguchi Prefecture