Memorize This Map
All the little divisions on the map, meanwhile, are called prefectures (県 "ken"). They're the Japanese equivalent of American "states". There are 47 prefectures in all, and each one has its own unique flag, government, and local style.
|
No, seriously. Memorize it. (First click to make it bigger, though, because it's really tiny on this page.) Why should you memorize it? Because this is Japan. Well, this is the area of Japan that most of the world agrees on, anyway. There are still some arguments between Japan, China, and Russia over who gets what tiny islands to the north. Also, Okinawa is actually on the far southwest side of the main islands, somebody just stuck it in on the southeast side on this map because it was convenient.
The colors of this map represent the eight major regions (地方 "chihō") of the nation as divided by perceived geographical and cultural similarities. This is similar to the way we divide the USA into places like "the Midwest", "the Southeast", and "New England". The terms aren't official, and depending on who you ask, some prefectures on the borders might be classified one way or the other. It's good to know what they mean, nonetheless, so you don't get confused when somebody tells you they're from the "kinki area". The Eight Regions are: Hokkaidō 北海道
Tōhoku 東北 Kantō 関東 Chūbu 中部 Kansai 関西 or Kinki 近畿 * Chūgoku 中国 Shikoku 四国 Kyūshū 九州 * WARNING: the exact same term, chūgoku (中国), is also the Japanese name for China; the only way to tell them apart is by context. |
|
Japan-Guide.com's
Prefectures of Japan |
An excellent, concise guide to all 47 prefectures of Japan. Just pick one on the map and click. It's geared towards informing tourists about the major attractions and cities, but the information is relevant and useful.
|
Tokyo: where to next?
Below is a map centered on the main subway station in Tokyo (thanks, Google). Click, drag, and zoom to explore Japan.
