View source for Honshu

{{Short description|Largest island of Japan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox islands 
| name             = Honshu
| native_name      = {{nobold|本州}}
| native_name_link = Japanese language
| native_name_lang = ja
| image            = Satellite image of Honshu in May 2003.png
| image_caption    = A May 2003 satellite image of Honshu
| image_map        = Japan honshu map.svg
| location         = {{ubl
  | [[Sea of Japan]] (North and West)
  | [[Pacific Ocean]] (South and East)
  }}
| coordinates      = {{coord|36|N|138|E|region:JP_type:isle_scale:5000000|display=inline,title}}
| archipelago      = [[Japanese archipelago]]
| area_km2         = 227,960<ref name=honshu>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uUNWAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA268 |page=268 |title=An Atlas of the World's Conifers: An Analysis of their Distribution, Biogeography, Diversity and Conservation Status |first1=Aljos |last1=Farjon |first2=Denis |last2=Filer |publisher=BRILL |year=2013 |isbn=9789004211810}}</ref>
| length_km        = 1300
| width_min_km     = 50
| width_max_km     = 230
| coastline_km     = 10084
| rank             = 7th
| highest_mount    = [[Mount Fuji]]
| elevation_m      = 3776
| country          = {{JAP}}
| country_admin_divisions_title     = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefectures]]
| country_admin_divisions           = {{clist
  | title = List of prefectures
  | {{flagcountry|Aichi}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Akita}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Aomori}}
  | {{flagcountry|Chiba}}
  | {{flagcountry|Fukui}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Fukushima}}
  | {{flagcountry|Gifu}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Gunma}}
  | {{flagcountry|Hiroshima}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Hyōgo}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Ibaraki}}
  | {{flagcountry|Ishikawa}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Iwate}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Kanagawa}}
  | {{flagcountry|Kyoto}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Mie}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Miyagi}}
  | {{flagcountry|Nagano}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Nara}}                               
  | {{flagcountry|Niigata}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Okayama}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Osaka}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Saitama}}
  | {{flagcountry|Shiga}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Shimane}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Shizuoka}} 
  | {{flagcountry|Tochigi}}
  | {{flagcountry|Tokyo}}
  | {{flagcountry|Tottori}}                               
  | {{flagcountry|Toyama}}     
  | {{flagcountry|Wakayama}}
  | {{flagcountry|Yamagata}}
  | {{flagcountry|Yamaguchi}}
  | {{flagcountry|Yamanashi}}
  }}
| country_largest_city = [[Tokyo]] (pop. 14,043,239)<ref name = "metrostat">{{cite web |title=Tokyo Metropolis' Population overview – Reiwa 3 January 1 |url=https://www.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/tosei/hodohappyo/press/2021/08/30/03.html |publisher=[[Tokyo Metropolitan Government]] |access-date=22 October 2021 |language=ja}}</ref>
| country_largest_city_population   = 14,043,239
| population       = 104,000,000<ref name = "metrostat"/>
| timezone1        = [[Japan Standard Time]] ([[UTC+9]])
| population_as_of = 2017
| density_km2      = 447
| ethnic_groups    = [[Japanese people|Japanese]]
}}

{{Nihongo|'''Honshu'''|本州|Honshū|{{IPA|ja|hoꜜɰ̃.ɕɯː|pron|ja-Honshu.ogg}}; {{lit|main province|lk=yes}}|lead=yes}}, historically known as {{Nihongo|'''Akitsushima'''|秋津島||{{lit|dragonfly island}}}},<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://etc.usf.edu/maps/galleries/asia/japan/index.php |title=Maps ETC – Asia -> Japan |publisher=[[University of South Florida]] |access-date=25 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://kojiki.kokugakuin.ac.jp/shinmei/oyamatotoyoakizushima/ |title=Ōyamatotoyoakizushima |publisher=Kokugakuin University |access-date=29 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://isahaya-jinja.jp/archives/11079 |title=Akitsushima |publisher=Isahaya Shrine |access-date=29 June 2023}}</ref> is the largest of [[List of islands of Japan#Main islands|Japan's four main islands]].<ref name="main-islands-japan">{{cite web |title=離島とは(島の基礎知識) (what is a remote island?) |publisher=[[Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism]] |url=http://www.mlit.go.jp/crd/chirit/ritoutoha.html |website=MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) |date=22 August 2015 |access-date=9 August 2019 |language=ja |format=website |quote=MILT classification 6,852 islands(main islands: 5 islands, remote islands: 6,847 islands) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113053915/http://www.mlit.go.jp/crd/chirit/ritoutoha.html |archive-date=13 November 2007}}</ref><ref name="Britannica">{{Cite web|title=Honshu|website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Honshu|access-date=19 February 2016}}</ref> It lies between the [[Pacific Ocean]] (east) and the [[Sea of Japan]] (west). It is the [[list of islands by area|seventh-largest island]] in the world, and the [[list of islands by population|second-most populous]] after the [[list of islands of Indonesia|Indonesian]] island of [[Java]].<ref name="JPCensus">[http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/daityo/index.html Japan Civil Registry Database 2013]</ref><ref>See [http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kokusei/2000/final/hyodai.htm Japan Census of 2000]; the editors of [[List of islands by population]] appear to have used similar data from the relevant statistics bureaux and totalled up the various administrative districts that make up each island, and then done the same for less populous islands. An editor of this article has not repeated that work. Therefore, this plausible and eminently reasonable ranking is posted as unsourced [[Wikipedia:Common knowledge|common knowledge]].</ref><ref name="autogenerated5">{{cite web |url=http://islands.unep.ch/Tiarea.htm |title=Islands By Land Area |publisher=Islands.unep.ch |access-date=1 August 2010 |archive-date=20 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220003634/http://islands.unep.ch/Tiarea.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Honshu had a population of 104 million {{As of|2017|lc=y}}, constituting 81.3% of the entire population of Japan,<ref name="honshu2">{{cite book|last=Boquet|first=Yves|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=90C4DgAAQBAJ&pg=PA16|title=The Philippine Archipelago|publisher=Springer|year=2017|isbn=9783319519265|page=16}}</ref> and mostly concentrated in the coastal areas and plains. Approximately 30% of the total population resides in the [[Greater Tokyo Area]] on the [[Kantō Plain]]. As the historical center of Japanese cultural and political power,<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last1=Dolan|first1=Ronald|title=Japan: a country study|last2=Worden|first2=Robert|publisher=Federal Research Division, Library of Congress|year=1992}}</ref> the island includes several past Japanese capitals, including [[Kyoto]], [[Nara (city)|Nara]], and [[Kamakura]]. Much of the island's southern shore forms part of the [[Taiheiyō Belt]], a [[megalopolis]] that spans several of the Japanese islands.<ref name=":0" /> Honshu also contains Japan's highest mountain, [[Mount Fuji]], and its largest lake, [[Lake Biwa]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Honshu {{!}} Facts, History, & Points of Interest|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Honshu|access-date=14 April 2021|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref>

Most of Japan's industry is located in a belt running along Honshu's southern coast, from [[Tokyo]] to [[Nagoya]], [[Kyoto]], [[Osaka]], [[Kobe]], and [[Hiroshima]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>''[[Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan]]''</ref> The island is linked to the other three major Japanese islands by a number of bridges and tunnels. The island primarily shares two climates, with Northern Honshu having four seasons with largely varying temperatures while the south experiences long, hot summers and cool to mild winters.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Köppen |first=Wladimir |date=1884 |title=Die Wärmezonen der Erde, nach der Dauer der heissen, gemässigten und kalten Zeit und nach der Wirkung der Wärme auf die organische Welt betrachtet |url=https://boris.unibe.ch/9257/1/s9.pdf |trans-title=The thermal zones of the earth according to the duration of hot, moderate and cold periods and to the impact of heat on the organic world) |journal=Meteorologische Zeitschrift |translator1-first=E. |translator1-last=Volken |translator2-first=S |translator2-last=Brönnimann |publication-date=2011 |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=351–360 |via=ingentaconnect.com/content/schweiz/mz/2011/00000020/00000003/art00009 |bibcode=2011MetZe..20..351K |doi=10.1127/0941-2948/2011/105 |s2cid=209855204 |access-date=2 September 2016 }}</ref>

==Etymology==
The name of the island, {{nihongo|Honshū|本州}}, stems from [[Middle Chinese]]. It directly translates to "main province" or "home land" in English.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Scott |date=2020-08-01 |title=Anglicized map shows what Japan's prefectures might be named if they were part of England |url=https://soranews24.com/2020/08/01/anglicized-map-shows-what-japans-prefectures-might-be-named-if-they-were-part-of-england/ |access-date=2025-07-05 |website=SoraNews24 -Japan News- |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Walker |first=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W9LZAwAAQBAJ |title=Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands: The First Comprehensive Guide to the Entire Ryukyu Island Chain |date=2014-05-27 |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |isbn=978-1-4629-1431-9 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hiragana Times |date=2013-02-13 |title=[:en]Japanese Maps and the Meaning of Place-Names {{!}} Past Articles[:ja]日本の地図と地名の意味｜過去記事 {{!}} Hiragana Times |url=https://hiraganatimes.com/highlights/japanese-maps-and-the-meaning-of-place-names |access-date=2025-07-05 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==History==
{{See also|History of Japan}}

===Early history===
Humans first arrived in Honshu at least approximately 37,000 years ago. The first humans to arrive in Honshu were [[Stone Age]] hunter-gatherers from Northeast Asia, likely following the migration of [[ice age]] [[megafauna]]. Surviving artifacts from this period include finely crafted stone blades, similar to those found in [[Siberia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aboutjapan.japansociety.org/content.cfm/early_japan_50000bc_710ad |title=About Japan: A Teacher's Resource &#124; Early Japan (50,000 BC – 710 AD) &#124; Japan Society |access-date=24 December 2022 |archive-date=10 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240910235935/https://aboutjapan.japansociety.org/content.cfm/early_japan_50000bc_710ad |url-status=dead }}</ref>
After the initial arrival of hunter-gatherers, the island saw the emergence of the Jōmon period (c. 14,000–300 BCE), one of the earliest known eras of prehistoric Japanese culture. The Jōmon people were known for their distinctive cord-marked pottery and dogū clay figurines, many of which have been excavated at archaeological sites across Honshu. These artifacts reflect a complex spiritual life and early forms of sedentary communities, particularly along the coasts and river valleys.

===Meiji Restoration===
The Meiji Restoration, in Japanese history, is the political revolution in 1868 that brought the final demise of the Tokugawa [[shogunate]] (which is a military government). It ended the [[Edo]] (Tokugawa) Period (1603–1867) and at least nominally returned control of the country to direct imperial rule under Mutsuhito (the [[Emperor Meiji]]). One of the main leaders of the restoration (who were mostly young [[samurai]]) was Chōshū in far western Honshu, which was one of the feudal areas, hostile to Tokugawa authority domains.

==Geography==
[[File:Satellite_View_of_Japan_1999.jpg|thumb|200x255px|left|Japan as seen from a satellite. Honshu is the largest, middle island.]]

The island is roughly {{convert|1300|km|abbr=on}} long and ranges from {{convert|50|to|230|km|mi|abbr=on}} wide, and its total area is {{convert|227,960|km²|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name=honshu/> It is slightly larger than [[Great Britain|Britain]]. Its land area has been increasing with [[land reclamation]] and coastal uplift in the north due to [[plate tectonics]] with a [[convergent boundary]]. Honshu has {{convert|10084|km|0}} of coastline.<ref name="Britannica" />

Mountainous and volcanic, Honshu experiences frequent earthquakes (such as the [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake|Great Kantō earthquake]], which heavily damaged Tokyo in September 1923; and the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami|earthquake of March 2011]], which moved the northeastern part of the island by varying amounts of as much as {{convert|5.3|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Map of Horizontal Land Movement caused by 2011/3/11 M9.0 earthquake|url=http://www.gsi.go.jp/common/000059672.pdf|date=19 March 2011|publisher=[[Geospatial Information Authority of Japan]]|access-date=15 November 2012|language=ja}}</ref><ref name="Deutsche Welle">{{cite news|title=Quake shifted Japan by over two meters|url=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14909967,00.html|publisher=[[Deutsche Welle]]|date=14 March 2011|access-date=14 March 2011}}</ref> while causing devastating tsunamis). The highest peak is the active volcano [[Mount Fuji]] at {{convert|3776|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, which makes Honshu the world's [[List of islands by highest point|7th highest island]]. There are many rivers, including the [[Shinano River]], Japan's longest. The [[Japanese Alps]] span the width of Honshu, from the 'Sea of Japan' coast to the Pacific shore. Western Japan experiences a temperate climate with hot summers and cool to mild winters.
In addition to the general climate patterns, central Honshu, particularly the regions surrounding the Japanese Alps, experiences heavy snowfall in winter. Areas such as Niigata, Toyama, and Nagano prefectures are renowned for their snow accumulation, making them popular destinations for skiing and winter sports. These regions are among the snowiest inhabited places in the world, due to the humid air masses from the Sea of Japan colliding with the mountainous terrain.

===Population===
Honshu has a total population of 104 million people, according to a 2017 estimate, 81.3% of the entire population of Japan.<ref name=honshu2/> The largest city is [[Tokyo]] (population: 13,988,129),<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tokyo Population 2021 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)|url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/tokyo-population|access-date=22 October 2021|website=worldpopulationreview.com}}</ref> the capital of Japan and part of the [[Greater Tokyo Area]], the most populous [[metropolitan area]] in the world.

===Extreme points===
====Bridges and tunnels====
Honshu is connected to the islands of [[Hokkaido]], [[Kyushu]] and [[Shikoku]] by tunnels and bridges. Three bridge systems have been built across the islands of the Inland Sea between Honshu and Shikoku ([[Akashi Kaikyo Bridge]] and the [[Ōnaruto Bridge]]; Shin-Onomichi Bridge, [[Innoshima Bridge]], Ikuchi Bridge, [[Tatara Bridge]], Ōmishima Bridge, [[Hakata–Ōshima Bridge]], and the [[Kurushima Kaikyō Bridge]]; [[Shimotsui-Seto Bridge]], [[Hitsuishijima Bridge]], [[Iwakurojima Bridge]], [[Yoshima Bridge]], [[Kita Bisan-Seto Bridge]], and the [[Minami Bisan-Seto Bridge]]), the [[Seikan Tunnel]] connects Honshu with Hokkaido, and the [[Kanmonkyo Bridge]] and [[Kanmon Railway Tunnel|Kanmon Tunnel]] connect Honshu with Kyushu.

===Flora and fauna===
These are notable flora and fauna of Honshu.

:{| class="wikitable sortable" 
|+ Notable flora and fauna<ref>Japanese Wiki page [[:ja:北海道]]</ref> 
|- 
! Name !! Type  
! Notes 
|- 
| [[Japanese black bear]] 
| Fauna  
| A subspecies of the [[Asian black bear]]. It is typically [[herbivorous]] and lives in Honshu and Kyushu. 
|- 
|[[Japanese macaque]] 
|Fauna 
|(''Macaca fuscata'' or snow monkey), is a terrestrial [[Old World monkey]] species that is native to [[Japan]]. 
|- 
| [[Japanese golden eagle]] 
| Fauna 
| (''Aquila chrysaetos japonica''), a subspecies of the [[golden eagle]], inhabits Honshu and Hokkaido all year round.
|- 
|[[Japanese wolf]] 
|Fauna 
|Aka Honshu Wolf is an extinct subspecies of the wolf. 
|- 
| [[Sika deer|Sika Deer]] 
| Fauna  
| ''Cervus nippon'' (Japanese deer), is overabundant in Honshu. 
|- 
| [[Japanese dwarf flying squirrel]] 
| Fauna 
| (''Nihon momonga'') is one of two species of Old World [[flying squirrel]]s in the genus ''Pteromys''.  
|- 
| [[Japanese raccoon dog]] 
| Fauna 
| (''Nyctereutes viverrinus,'' also called ''tanuki)'', is a species of [[Canidae|canid]] [[Endemism|endemic]] to [[Japan]]. 
|- 
| [[Japanese giant salamander]] 
| Fauna 
| (''Andrias japonicus'') this fully aquatic salamander is [[Endemism|endemic]] to [[Japan]] and called ''Ōsanshōuo (Giant Salamander)''  
|- 
| [[Takydromus tachydromoides]] 
| Fauna 
| The Japanese grass lizard, is a wall lizard species of the genus ''[[Takydromus]]''.  
|- 
|[[Japanese serow]] 
|Fauna 
|''(kamoshika'', lit. "coarse pelt deer"): (''Capricornis crispus'') is a Japanese [[Caprinae|goat-antelope]] found in dense [[woodland]] primarily in northern and central Honshu. 
|- 
|[[Japanese giant flying squirrel]] 
|Fauna 
|(''musasabi'', ''Petaurista leucogenys'') is native to Japan where it inhabits sub-alpine forests and boreal evergreen forests on Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. 
|- 
|[[Japanese boar]] 
|Fauna 
|(''Sus scrofa leucomystax,'' aka white-moustached pig, ''Nihon-inoshishi'' (ニホンイノシシ)), is a [[subspecies]] of [[wild boar]] native to all of [[Japan]], save for [[Hokkaido]] and the [[Ryukyu Islands]]. 
|- 
|[[Japanese bush warbler]] 
|Fauna 
|''(uguisu'' (鶯), is an Asian [[passerine]] bird more often heard than seen. It is a year-round resident of Japan (except Hokkaido where it is only in summer). 
|- 
|[[Sasakia charonda]] 
|Fauna 
|National butterfly of Japan (''ō-murasaki'', "great purple") 
|- 
|[[Copper pheasant]] 
|Fauna 
|(''Syrmaticus soemmerringii'') a large [[pheasant]] with a rich coppery chestnut plumage is [[Endemism|endemic]] to Japan. 
|- 
|[[Green pheasant]] 
|Fauna 
|(''Phasianus versicolor''), aka Japanese green pheasant, is an [[Omnivore#Other species|omnivorous bird]] native to the [[Japanese archipelago]], to which it is [[Endemism in birds|endemic]]. 
|- 
|[[Grey heron|Grey Heron]] 
|Fauna 
|(Ardea cinerea) Long legged wading bird. 
|-
|[[Japanese scops owl]]
|Fauna
|(''Otus semitorques'') is a resident breeder in [[Japan]] and found in other countries in East Asia. 
|- 
| [[Doryrhamphus japonicus]] 
| Fauna 
| ''Doryrhamphus japonicus'', or the Honshu pipefish, is a species of [[flagtail pipefish]]  
|-
|[[Brahmaea japonica]]
|Fauna
|''(Japanese owl moth)'' a species of [[moth]] of the [[Brahmaeidae]] family native to [[Japan]].
|-
|[[Japanese spider crab]]
|Fauna
|(''Macrocheira kaempferi'') a [[Marine biology|marine]] [[crab]] with the largest leg-span of any [[arthropod]]. They live off the southern coasts of [[Honshū]] from [[Tokyo Bay]] to [[Kagoshima Prefecture]].
|-
|[[Chum salmon]]
|Fauna
|(aka white salmon (白鮭 シロサケ) is native to middle and northern Honshu, [[Hokkaido]] and the [[North Pacific]].
|-
|[[Silurus biwaensis]]
|Fauna
|The giant Lake Biwa catfish or ''Biwako-o'namazu,'' endemic to [[Lake Biwa]].
|-
|[[Oncorhynchus kawamurae]]
|Fauna
|A species of landlocked [[Oncorhynchus|Pacific trout]] in [[Japan]]. It is [[Endemism|endemic]] to [[Lake Tazawa]], [[Akita Prefecture]], but was [[Species translocation|translocated]] to [[Lake Saiko]]. 
|- 
|[[Akita (dog)|Akita Inu]] 
|Fauna 
|(秋田犬, ''Akita-inu'') is a historic [[Breed of dog|dog breed]] of large size originating from the mountains in [[Akita Prefecture]] (northern Honshu). 
|- 
|[[Kai Ken]] 
|Fauna 
|The Kai Ken (甲斐犬) is a rare [[Dog breed|breed]] of [[dog]] native to [[Japan]]. It is originally from [[Kai Province]] in [[Yamanashi Prefecture]]. 
|- 
|[[Kishu]] 
|Fauna 
|Kishu Ken are a rare dog breed that was selectively bred for the hunting of wild boar and deer in the mountainous [[Mie prefecture]] and [[Wakayama prefecture]].  
|- 
|[[Shiba Inu]] 
|Fauna 
|The Shiba Inu (柴犬), is an original and distinct [[spitz]] breed [[hunting dog]], native to Japan. 
|- 
| [[Rosa rugosa|Japanese rose]]
| Flora 
| (''[[Rosa rugosa]]''), a species of [[rose]] native to eastern [[Asia]] and Japan. 
|- 
|[[Hydrangea hirta]] 
|Flora 
|A species of [[flowering plant]] in the family [[Hydrangeaceae]] that is native to [[East Asia]] and common in the Pacific side of Honshu. 
|- 
|''[[Tsuga sieboldii]]'' 
|Flora 
|''(Tsuga sieboldii or simply tsuga (栂))'', is a [[conifer]] native to the [[Japan|Japanese]] islands of [[Honshū]], [[Kyūshū]], [[Shikoku]] and [[Yakushima]]. 
|}

===Geologic activity===
{{See also|Category:Volcanoes of Honshu}}
Being on the [[Ring of Fire]], the island of Honshu is seismically active, and is home to 40 active volcanoes.

In 2011, an [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami|earthquake of magnitude 9.0–9.1]] occurred off the coast of Honshu, generating tsunami waves up to 40.5 meters (133 ft) high and killing 19,747. It was the most powerful [[List of earthquakes in Japan|earthquake ever recorded in Japan]], and the [[Largest earthquakes by magnitude|fourth most powerful earthquake in the world]] since modern record-keeping began in 1900.<ref name=USGS>{{cite news|title=New USGS number puts Japan quake at fourth largest |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/14/501364/main20043126.shtml |publisher=[[CBS News]] |agency=Associated Press |date=14 March 2011 |access-date=15 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110407005051/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/14/501364/main20043126.shtml |archive-date=7 April 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/13/japan-tsunami-earthquake-power-cuts |title=Tsunami, earthquake, nuclear crisis – now Japan faces power cuts |last=Branigan |first=Tania |date=13 March 2011 |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=15 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611003207/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/13/japan-tsunami-earthquake-power-cuts/print |archive-date=11 June 2022 |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref name="3news">{{Cite news |url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Japan-quake---7th-largest-in-recorded-history/tabid/417/articleID/201998/Default.aspx |title=Japan quake – seventh largest in recorded history |access-date=11 March 2011 |date=11 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110331005015/http://www.3news.co.nz/Japan-quake---7th-largest-in-recorded-history/tabid/417/articleID/201998/Default.aspx |archive-date=31 March 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The tsunami subsequently led to the meltdown of 3 nuclear reactors at the [[Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant]], leading to the [[Fukushima nuclear disaster]].

===Parks===
[[File:Lake Motosu03.jpg|thumb|320x211px|right|[[Mount Fuji]] seen from [[Lake Motosu]] in [[Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park]]]]
{| class="wikitable"
|+ National parks (国立公園)
|-
| [[Minami Alps National Park]]              || 南アルプス
|-
| [[Chūbu-Sangaku National Park]]              || 中部山岳
|-
| [[Hakusan National Park]]       || 白山
|-
| [[Myōkō-Togakushi Renzan National Park]]             || 妙高戸隠連山
|-
| [[Daisen-Oki National Park]]           || 大山隠岐
|-
| [[Chichibu Tama Kai National Park]] || 秩父多摩甲斐
|-
| [[Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park]] || 富士箱根伊豆
|-
| [[Jōshin'etsu-kōgen National Park]] || 上信越高原
|-
| [[Nikkō National Park]] || 日光国立公園
|-
| [[Ogasawara National Park]] || 小笠原
|-
| [[Ise-Shima National Park]] || 伊勢志摩
|-
| [[Sanin Kaigan National Park]] || 山陰海岸
|-
| [[Yoshino-Kumano National Park]] || 吉野熊野
|-
| [[Setonaikai National Park]] || 瀬戸内海
|-
| [[Bandai-Asahi National Park]] || 磐梯朝日
|-
| [[Sanriku Fukkō National Park]] || 三陸復興
|-
| [[Towada-Hachimantai National Park]] || 十和田八幡平
|-
| [[Oze National Park]] || 尾瀬
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Region !! List of Quasi-National Parks 
|-
| [[Tōhoku region|Tōhoku]] || [[Shimokita Hantō Quasi-National Park|Shimokita Hantō]], [[Tsugaru Quasi-National Park|Tsugaru]], [[Hayachine Quasi-National Park|Hayachine]], [[Kurikoma Quasi-National Park|Kurikoma]], [[Minami Sanriku Kinkasan Quasi-National Park|Minami Sanriku Kinkasan]], [[Zaō Quasi-National Park|Zaō]], [[Oga Quasi-National Park|Oga]], [[Chōkai Quasi-National Park|Chōkai]]
|-
| [[Kantō region|Kantō]] || [[Suigō-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park|Suigō-Tsukuba]], [[Minami Bōsō Quasi-National Park|Minami Bōsō]], [[Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park|Meiji no Mori Takao]], [[Tanzawa-Ōyama Quasi-National Park|Tanzawa-Ōyama]]
|-
| [[Chūbu region|Chūbu]] || [[Echigo Sanzan-Tadami Quasi-National Park|Echigo Sanzan-Tadami]], [[Myōgi-Arafune-Saku Kōgen Quasi-National Park|Myōgi-Arafune-Saku Kōgen]], [[Sado-Yahiko-Yoneyama Quasi-National Park|Sado-Yahiko-Yoneyama]], [[Noto Hantō Quasi-National Park|Noto Hantō]], [[Echizen-Kaga Kaigan Quasi-National Park|Echizen-Kaga Kaigan]], [[Yatsugatake-Chūshin Kōgen Quasi-National Park|Yatsugatake-Chūshin Kōgen]], [[Tenryū-Okumikawa Quasi-National Park|Tenryū-Okumikawa]], [[Chūō Alps Quasi-National Park|Chūō Alps]], [[Ibi-Sekigahara-Yōrō Quasi-National Park|Ibi-Sekigahara-Yōrō]], [[Hida-Kisogawa Quasi-National Park|Hida-Kisogawa]], [[Aichi Kōgen Quasi-National Park|Aichi Kōgen]], [[Mikawa-wan Quasi-National Park|Mikawa-wan]]
|-
| [[Kansai region|Kansai]]|| [[Suzuka Quasi-National Park|Suzuka]], [[Wakasa Wan Quasi-National Park|Wakasa Wan]], [[Tango-Amanohashidate-Ōeyama Quasi-National Park|Tango-Amanohashidate-Ōeyama]], [[Biwako Quasi-National Park|Biwako]], [[Murō-Akame-Aoyama Quasi-National Park|Murō-Akame-Aoyama]], [[Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen Quasi-National Park|Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen]], [[Yamato-Aogaki Quasi-National Park|Yamato-Aogaki]], [[Kōya-Ryūjin Quasi-National Park|Kōya-Ryūjin]], [[Meiji no Mori Minō Quasi-National Park|Meiji no Mori Minō]], [[Kyoto Tamba Kogen Quasi-National Park|Kyoto Tamba Kogen]]
|-
| [[Chūgoku region|Chūgoku]] || [[Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park|Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan]], [[Hiba-Dogo-Taishaku Quasi-National Park|Hiba-Dōgo-Taishaku]], [[Nishi-Chugoku Sanchi Quasi-National Park|Nishi-Chūgoku Sanchi]], [[Kita-Nagato Kaigan Quasi-National Park|Kita-Nagato Kaigan]], [[Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park|Akiyoshidai]]
|-
|}

==Economy==

Honshu island generates around [[US$]]3.5 trillion or more than 80% of Japan's [[GDP]].<ref>[http://stats.oecd.org/ Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Gross Domestic Product, Large regions TL2], OECD.Stats. Accessed on 30 August 2022.</ref>

===Agriculture===
Fruit, vegetables, grains, rice and cotton make up the main produce grown in Honshu.<ref name="Hoshu" /> The [[Tōhoku region]], spanning the north-eastern part of the island, is notable for its rice production, with 65% of cultivated land being rice paddy fields – almost a quarter of all paddy fields in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Regions of Japan|url=https://web-japan.org/factsheet/en/pdf/02RegionsofJap.pdf|access-date=22 October 2021|website=Web Japan}}</ref> [[Chiba Prefecture]] is famous for its peanuts, also being the largest producer in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Peanuts |url=https://japan-brand.jnto.go.jp/foods/other_food/44/ |access-date=22 October 2021 |website=japan-brand.jnto.go.jp}}</ref> Rare species of the lichen genus [[Menegazzia caviisidia|Menegazzia]] are found only in Honshu.<ref name="BJERKE2004">{{cite journal|vauthors=Bjerke JW|year=2004|title=Revision of the lichen genus Menegazzia in Japan, including two new species|journal=The Lichenologist|volume=36|issue=1|pages=15–25|doi=10.1017/S0024282904013878|bibcode=2004ThLic..36...15B |issn=0024-2829|s2cid=85436634}}</ref>

===Industry===
Most of Japan's tea and silk is from Honshu.<ref name="Hoshu">{{Cite web|date=2012|title=Honshu|url=http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/honshu.html|access-date=23 November 2014|website=infoplease.com}}</ref> Japan's three largest industrial regions are all located on Honshu: the [[Keihin region]], the [[Hanshin Industrial Region]], and the [[Chūkyō Industrial Area]].

===Minerals and fuels===
Honshu is home to a large portion<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WGsEAAAAMAAJ&dq=Natural+resources+in+honshu&pg=PA44|title=Natural Resources of Japan|publisher=General Headquarters, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, Natural Resources Section|year=1947|pages=42–48|language=English}}</ref> of Japan's minimal mineral reserves,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Japan – Resources and power|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Japan|access-date=22 October 2021|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref> including small oil and coal deposits. Several coal deposits are located in the northern part of the island,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Catalogue of Geological Maps｜Geological Survey of Japan/ AIST|url=https://www.gsj.jp/Map/EN/geo-resources2.html|access-date=22 October 2021|website=www.gsj.jp}}</ref> concentrated in [[Fukushima Prefecture]] and [[Niigata Prefecture]], though Honshu's coal production is negligible in comparison to [[Hokkaido]] and [[Kyushu]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WGsEAAAAMAAJ|title=Natural Resources of Japan|date=1947|publisher=General Headquarters, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, Natural Resources Section|pages=44|language=English}}</ref> Most of Japan's oil reserves are also located in northern Honshu, along the west coast, spanning Niigata, [[Yamagata Prefecture|Yamagata]], and [[Akita Prefecture|Akita]] Prefectures.<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WGsEAAAAMAAJ|title=Natural Resources of Japan|publisher=General Headquarters, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, Natural Resources Section|year=1947|pages=43|language=English}}</ref>

Most of Japan's [[copper]], [[lead]], [[zinc]] and [[chromite]] is located on Honshu, along with smaller, scattered deposits of [[gold]], [[silver]], [[arsenic]], [[sulfur]] and [[pyrite]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WGsEAAAAMAAJ|title=Natural Resources of Japan|date=1947|publisher=General Headquarters, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, Natural Resources Section|pages=44–45|language=English}}</ref>

==Transportation==
[[File:Series-N700a-Mt.Fuji.jpg|right|thumb|Mt. Fuji and the [[Tokaido Shinkansen]]]]
The [[Tokaido Shinkansen]], opened in 1964 between [[Tokyo Station|Tokyo]] and [[Shin-Ōsaka Station|Shin-Ōsaka]], is Japan's first high-speed rail line.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.trainspread.com/japan/shinkansen/#:~:text=Opened%20in%201964%2C%20Tokaido%20Shinkansen,Railway%20Company%20(JR%20Central) |title=Shinkansen – Bullet Trains in Japan|website=Trainspread.com |date=2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321092401/https://www.trainspread.com/japan/shinkansen/ |archive-date=21 March 2020}}</ref> It is the world's oldest high-speed rail line and one of the most heavily used.<ref name="envoy">{{Cite web |last=Kasai |first=Yoshiyuki |date=4 September 2010 |title=Bullet Train & Maglev System to Cross the Pacific |url=https://www.envoy.jp/2010/09/bullet-train-maglev-system-to-cross-the-pacific/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331013737/https://www.envoy.jp/2010/09/bullet-train-maglev-system-to-cross-the-pacific/ |archive-date=31 March 2012 |access-date=16 July 2022 |website=Envoy Media}}</ref><ref name="2012report">{{Cite web |title=Central Japan Railway Company |url=https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/index.html |access-date=16 July 2022 |website=Central Japan Railway Company |language=ja}}</ref> The [[San'yō Shinkansen]] connects stations in the two largest cities in western Japan, [[Shin-Ōsaka Station|Shin-Osaka]] in [[Osaka]] with [[Hakata Station]] in [[Fukuoka]]. Both the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Sanyo Shinkansen help form a continuous high-speed railway through the [[Taiheiyō Belt]] megalopolis.

The island is served by Japan's 4 major airports which are:
*[[Haneda Airport]] (serving [[Tokyo]])
*[[Narita International Airport]] (serving Tokyo and [[Chiba Prefecture]])
*[[Chubu Centrair International Airport]] (serving the [[Chūkyō metropolitan area|Chūkyō]] region)
*[[Kansai International Airport]] (serving the [[Keihanshin]] region)

==Administrative regions and prefectures==
The island is divided into five nominal regions and contains 34 prefectures, including metropolitan Tokyo. Administratively, some smaller islands are included within these prefectures, notably including the [[Ogasawara Islands]], [[Sado Island]], [[Izu Ōshima]], and [[Awaji Island]].

The regions and their prefectures are:
{{colbegin}}
* [[Tōhoku region]] consists of six prefectures.
** {{flagcountry|Akita}} 
** {{flagcountry|Aomori}}
** {{flagcountry|Fukushima}}
** {{flagcountry|Iwate}}
** {{flagcountry|Miyagi}}
** {{flagcountry|Yamagata}}
* [[Kantō region]] consists of seven prefectures, including the capital of Japan which is the Tokyo Metropolis.
** {{flagcountry|Chiba}}
** {{flagcountry|Gunma}}
** {{flagcountry|Ibaraki}} 
** {{flagcountry|Kanagawa}}
** {{flagcountry|Saitama}}
** {{flagcountry|Tochigi}}
** {{flagcountry|Tokyo}}
* [[Chūbu region]] consists of nine prefectures.
** {{flagcountry|Aichi}}
** {{flagcountry|Fukui}}
** {{flagcountry|Gifu}} 
** {{flagcountry|Ishikawa}}
** {{flagcountry|Nagano}}
** {{flagcountry|Niigata}}
** {{flagcountry|Shizuoka}}
** {{flagcountry|Toyama}}
** {{flagcountry|Yamanashi}}
* [[Kansai region]] consists of seven prefectures.
** {{flagcountry|Hyōgo}}
** {{flagcountry|Kyoto}}
** {{flagcountry|Mie}}
** {{flagcountry|Nara}}
** {{flagcountry|Osaka}}
** {{flagcountry|Shiga}}
** {{flagcountry|Wakayama}}
* [[Chūgoku region]] consists of five prefectures.
** {{flagcountry|Hiroshima}}
** {{flagcountry|Okayama}}
** {{flagcountry|Shimane}}
** {{flagcountry|Tottori}}
** {{flagcountry|Yamaguchi}}
{{colend}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Japan|Islands}}

* [[Geography of Japan]]
* [[Japanese archipelago]]
* [[Hokkaido]]
* [[Kyushu]]
* [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]]
* [[Shikoku]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category inline}}
* {{Wikivoyage inline}}

{{Regions and administrative divisions of Japan}}
{{World's largest islands}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Honshu}}
[[Category:Honshu| ]]
[[Category:Islands of Japan]]
[[Category:Japanese archipelago]]