Honshu

Honshu (Japanese: 本州, Hepburn: Honshū; pronounced [hó̞ɰ̃̀.ɕɨ̀ɨ̀] ; lit. 'main province'), historically known as Akitsushima (秋津島; lit. 'dragonfly island') or Hondo (本土; lit. 'mainland'), is the largest of Japan's four main islands. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the seventh-largest island in the world, and the second-most populous after the Indonesian island of Java. Honshu had a population of 100.7 million as of 2025, constituting 81.9% of the entire population of Japan, and mostly concentrated in the coastal areas and plains.