Japan Map Quiz

Tap or click the prefecture it names, all 47 or one region at a time.

Japan Map Quiz

Name Date

Tap Niigata

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Write the name of each numbered prefecture.Answer key

  1. Aichi
  2. Akita
  3. Aomori
  4. Chiba
  5. Ehime
  6. Fukui
  7. Fukuoka
  8. Fukushima
  9. Gifu
  10. Gunma
  11. Hiroshima
  12. Hokkaido
  13. Hyogo
  14. Ibaraki
  15. Ishikawa
  16. Iwate
  17. Kagawa
  18. Kagoshima
  19. Kanagawa
  20. Kochi
  21. Kumamoto
  22. Kyoto
  23. Mie
  24. Miyagi
  25. Miyazaki
  26. Nagano
  27. Nagasaki
  28. Nara
  29. Niigata
  30. Oita
  31. Okayama
  32. Okinawa
  33. Osaka
  34. Saga
  35. Saitama
  36. Shiga
  37. Shimane
  38. Shizuoka
  39. Tochigi
  40. Tokushima
  41. Tokyo
  42. Tottori
  43. Toyama
  44. Wakayama
  45. Yamagata
  46. Yamaguchi
  47. Yamanashi

Drawn for this site from Natural Earth 5.1.2. Licence: public domain.

Each prefecture is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a prefecture is answered.

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All 47 prefectures on the diagram

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Chubu 9

  1. Aichi Capital: Nagoya, which stands on the Nobi Plain. With 7,542,415 people in the 2020 census, Aichi is the fourth most populous prefecture.
  2. Fukui Capital: Fukui. It is the fifth least populous prefecture. It comes after Tottori, Shimane, Kochi and Tokushima, with 766,863 people in the 2020 census. Its highest point is Mount Sannomine, at 2,095 m.
  3. Gifu Capital: Gifu. The thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go are here. They became part of a World Heritage Site in 1995. It shares its highest peak, Mount Hotakadake (3,190 m), with Nagano.
  4. Ishikawa Capital: Kanazawa. Its highest point is Mount Haku, at 2,702 m. It has 1,132,526 people (2020 census).
  5. Nagano Capital: Nagano. It is the fourth largest prefecture, at 13,562 square km. The Shinano, the longest river in Japan at 367 km, winds through it on the way to Niigata.
  6. Niigata Capital: Niigata. The longest river in Japan reaches the sea here. It is the Shinano, at 367 km. The Sado Island Gold Mines became a World Heritage Site in 2024.
  7. Shizuoka Capital: Shizuoka. It shares Mount Fuji with Yamanashi. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 m. It became a World Heritage Site in 2013.
  8. Toyama Capital: Toyama. Its highest point is Mount Tate, at 3,015 m. It shares the Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama, a World Heritage Site since 1995, with Gifu.
  9. Yamanashi Capital: Kofu. It is one of the eight prefectures with no coast. It shares Mount Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 m, with Shizuoka.

Chugoku 5

  1. Hiroshima Capital: Hiroshima. It has two World Heritage Sites, both listed in 1996. They are the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and Itsukushima Shinto Shrine.
  2. Okayama Capital: Okayama. The Great Seto Bridge runs from here to Kagawa. Opened in 1988, it carries road and rail across the Seto Inland Sea.
  3. Shimane Capital: Matsue. It has the second fewest people. It had 671,126 in the 2020 census. The Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine became a World Heritage Site in 2007.
  4. Tottori Capital: Tottori. It has the fewest people of the 47. It had 553,407 in the 2020 census. Its highest point is Mount Daisen, at 1,729 m.
  5. Yamaguchi Capital: Yamaguchi. Its city of Shimonoseki faces Kitakyushu on Kyushu. The Kanmon Straits between them are about 1 km wide for most of their length.

Kanto 7

  1. Chiba Capital: Chiba. Its highest point, Mount Atago, is only 408 m. That is the lowest high point of any of the 47 prefectures. It has 6,284,480 people (2020 census).
  2. Gunma Capital: Maebashi. The Tomioka Silk Mill is here. It became a World Heritage Site in 2014. The Tone, the second longest river in Japan at 322 km, flows through Gunma.
  3. Ibaraki Capital: Mito. Its highest point is Mount Yamizo, at 1,022 m. The Tone, the second longest river in Japan at 322 km, flows through it.
  4. Kanagawa Capital: Yokohama. It has the second most people. It had 9,237,337 in the 2020 census, in the fifth smallest area, 2,416 square km.
  5. Saitama Capital: Saitama. It is one of the eight prefectures with no coast. It has the fifth most people, 7,344,765 in the 2020 census.
  6. Tochigi Capital: Utsunomiya. Nikko's shrines and temples are a World Heritage Site. They were listed in 1999.
  7. Tokyo Capital: Tokyo. It has the most people of the 47. It had 14,047,594 in the 2020 census. Tokyo City was abolished in 1943, when the prefecture became Tokyo-to, the only to, or metropolis.

Kinki 7

  1. Hyogo Capital: Kobe. Himeji Castle has been a World Heritage Site since 1993. The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, opened in 1998, links Kobe with Awaji Island.
  2. Kyoto Capital: Kyoto. It is one of the two prefectures called fu. Osaka is the other. The Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto became a World Heritage Site in 1994.
  3. Mie Capital: Tsu. The usual eight regions put Mie in Kansai (Kinki). This map does too, but many official groupings file it with Chubu or Tokai instead.
  4. Nara Capital: Nara. Two groups of monuments are World Heritage Sites. The Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area were listed in 1993, the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara in 1998.
  5. Osaka Capital: Osaka. It is the second smallest prefecture, at 1,905 square km. It has the third most people: 8,837,685 in the 2020 census. It is one of the two called fu.
  6. Shiga Capital: Otsu. Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan, is here. It covers about 670 square km. The lake is not drawn on this map.
  7. Wakayama Capital: Wakayama. It shares a World Heritage Site with Nara and Mie. That is the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, listed in 2004.

Kyushu and Okinawa 8

  1. Fukuoka Capital: Fukuoka. It has the most people on Kyushu. It had 5,135,214 in the 2020 census. Its city of Kitakyushu faces Shimonoseki on Honshu across the Kanmon Straits.
  2. Kagoshima Capital: Kagoshima. The island of Yakushima belongs to it. Yakushima was one of the first four World Heritage Sites in Japan, all listed in 1993.
  3. Kumamoto Capital: Kumamoto. Its highest point is Mount Kunimi, at 1,739 m. It shares the Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region, a World Heritage Site since 2018, with Nagasaki.
  4. Miyazaki Capital: Miyazaki. Its highest point is Mount Sobo, at 1,756 m. It has 1,069,576 people (2020 census).
  5. Nagasaki Capital: Nagasaki. Its highest point is Mount Unzen, at 1,486 m. Its Hidden Christian Sites joined the World Heritage list in 2018.
  6. Oita Capital: Oita. Its highest point is Mount Kuju, at 1,791 m. It has 1,123,852 people (2020 census).
  7. Okinawa Capital: Naha. It is usually counted with Kyushu. Sometimes it is counted as a ninth region of its own. The castle sites of the Kingdom of Ryukyu became a World Heritage Site in 2000.
  8. Saga Capital: Saga. It is the smallest of the seven prefectures on Kyushu. It covers 2,441 square km and has the fewest people of the seven: 811,442 in the 2020 census.

Shikoku 4

  1. Ehime Capital: Matsuyama. The Shimanami Kaido crosses from here to Hiroshima. This chain of bridges over the Seto Inland Sea opened in 1999. It is the only Honshu to Shikoku route open to bicycles and walkers.
  2. Kagawa Capital: Takamatsu. It is the smallest prefecture, at 1,877 square km. The Great Seto Bridge, opened in 1988, carries road and rail from here to Okayama.
  3. Kochi Capital: Kochi. It is the largest of the four Shikoku prefectures. It covers 7,104 square km and has the fewest people of the four: 691,527 in the 2020 census.
  4. Tokushima Capital: Tokushima. The expressway from Kobe over Awaji Island reaches Shikoku here. It arrives at Naruto, by the Onaruto Bridge over the Naruto Strait.

Hokkaido and Tohoku 7

  1. Akita Capital: Akita. It is the sixth largest prefecture by area. It shares the beech forest of Shirakami-Sanchi, a World Heritage Site since 1993, with Aomori.
  2. Aomori Capital: Aomori. The Seikan Tunnel runs from here to Hokkaido. The 53.85 km tunnel under the Tsugaru Strait opened on March 13, 1988.
  3. Fukushima Capital: Fukushima. It is the third largest prefecture, after Hokkaido and Iwate. It covers 13,784 square km.
  4. Hokkaido Capital: Sapporo. It is the largest prefecture by far. It covers 83,424 square km and is the only one called a do. Shiretoko has been a World Heritage Site since 2005.
  5. Iwate Capital: Morioka. It is the second largest prefecture, at 15,275 square km. It is the largest on Honshu. The temples and gardens of Hiraizumi became a World Heritage Site in 2011.
  6. Miyagi Capital: Sendai. It has the most people of the six Tohoku prefectures. It had 2,301,996 in the 2020 census.
  7. Yamagata Capital: Yamagata. Its highest point is Mount Chokai, at 2,236 m. It has 1,068,027 people (2020 census).

How this list was compiled: Names, capitals, main islands, areas, 2020 census populations and the four kinds of prefecture (to, do, fu, ken) written for this site and checked on 2026-09-19 against https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefectures_of_Japan; the 47 census figures add up to 126,146,099. Codes and romanized names checked the same day against https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-2:JP. The regions and what they hold, with the notes on Mie and Okinawa: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_regions_of_Japan. Other facts, all read on 2026-09-19: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Japan (sites, prefectures and years), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Japanese_prefectures_by_highest_mountain, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Japan (Mount Fuji, Lake Biwa, the Shinano and Tone rivers, the Nobi Plain), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honsh%C5%AB%E2%80%93Shikoku_Bridge_Project, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikan_Tunnel and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanmon_Straits. Ranks by area and by people were worked out from the table. Neighbors, coasts, islands and shapes named in the hints were worked out from the drawing itself. Boundaries follow Natural Earth. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site from Natural Earth 5.1.2, ne_10m_admin_1_states_provinces (scale 1:10,000,000), https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvkelso/natural-earth-vector/v5.1.2/geojson/ne_10m_admin_1_states_provinces.geojson, downloaded 2026-09-19. Surrounding land from Natural Earth 5.1.2, ne_10m_admin_0_countries (scale 1:10,000,000), https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvkelso/natural-earth-vector/v5.1.2/geojson/ne_10m_admin_0_countries.geojson, downloaded 2026-09-19. Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centred on 38°N 137.5°E. Okinawa moved into an inset. Outlines simplified; small islands are left out. Licence: public domain (Natural Earth terms of use: https://www.naturalearthdata.com/about/terms-of-use/)

How it works

This Japan map quiz asks for all 47 prefectures, in one round or one of seven regions at a time. It also works as a Japan geography quiz: after each answer the detail line shows the capital and one checked fact.

Read the full guide

Seven regions, from 4 shapes to 9

The regions under Start from are the usual ones: Hokkaido and Tohoku (7 prefectures), Kanto (7), Chubu (9), Kinki (7), Chugoku (5), Shikoku (4), and Kyushu and Okinawa (8). Mie is filed under Kinki here, although many official groupings put it with Chubu. A wrong tap shows the right prefecture; the end card reruns them.

No coast, one ring, one box

Eight prefectures have no coast: Gunma, Tochigi, Saitama, Yamanashi, Nagano, Gifu, Shiga and Nara. Tokyo carries the map's one numbered ring, in the sea to the southeast, and Okinawa sits in a dashed box. Typed answers ignore macrons, so Hyogo equals Hyōgo, and forms such as Aichi-ken and Osaka-fu count. Some borders on this map are disputed. Disputed areas are shown but not asked.

  • Learn Tohoku as two columns under Aomori: Akita and Yamagata on the west coast, Iwate and Miyagi on the Pacific, and Fukushima across the bottom.
  • Nagano touches eight other prefectures, more than any other shape. Find it and work outward: Niigata above, Gifu to the west, Yamanashi and Shizuoka below.
  • On Kyushu, Saga is the small shape between Fukuoka and Nagasaki, and Nagasaki is the ragged western edge with the most islands.

Questions and answers

How many prefectures does Japan have?

47, in four kinds with little practical difference: 43 ken, two fu (Osaka and Kyoto), one do (Hokkaido) and one to (Tokyo). The regions that group them, such as Kanto, are not units of government, though officials have used them for statistics since 1905.

Why is Tokyo a prefecture and not a city?

Tokyo City was abolished in 1943, when the prefecture became Tokyo-to, the only to, or metropolis, among the 47. It has the most people, 14,047,594 in the 2020 census, yet its strip on the map is too narrow to tap, hence the ring.

Why is Okinawa in a box?

The real island lies far out to sea beyond Kyushu. The drawing moves Okinawa Island into a dashed box south of Shikoku, so the rest of the map can stay large. Okinawa is usually counted with Kyushu, so its region is listed as Kyushu and Okinawa.

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