Honshu

Honshu

Honshu is the biggest island in Japan. It is like a big home for many people, places, and nature. This island sits between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Japan to the west. It is the seventh-largest island in the whole world!

Many people live on Honshu—about 104 million! The busiest place is the Greater Tokyo Area, where lots of people work and live. You can find famous old cities like Kyoto, Nara, and Kamakura here. There are also amazing sights such as Mount Fuji, Japan’s tallest mountain, and Lake Biwa, the country’s biggest lake.

Work and factories are busy along the southern coast, in cities like Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe, and Hiroshima. Bridges and tunnels connect Honshu to other islands, making travel easy. The north has cool seasons, while the south can get very warm in summer.

The name Honshū means “main province” or “home land” in an old Chinese language. It has been very important for Japan’s culture and government for a long time. People first came to Honshu a very long time ago, and today it remains a special place full of history, nature, and busy cities.