The extreme points of Japan include the coordinates that are the farthest north, south, east and west in Japan, and the ones that are at the highest and the lowest elevations in the country. Japan's northernmost point is disputed, because Japan considers it to be on Iturup, an island de facto governed by Russia. The southernmost point is Okinotorishima; the westernmost is Cape Irizaki on Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture, and the easternmost is Minami Torishima. The highest point in Japan is the summit of Mount Fuji at 3,776.24 m (12,389 ft). At 150 m (492 ft) below sea level, the bottom of Hachinohe mine is the country's lowest point. The surface of Hachirōgata is Japan's lowest natural point at 4 m (13 ft) below sea level. With the exception of Cape Irizaki, the westernmost location of Japan, all other extreme locations are uninhabited.
Japan extends from 20° to 45° north latitude (Okinotorishima to Benten-jima) and from 122° to 153° east longitude (Yonaguni to Minami Torishima).[1] The coordinates used in this article are sourced from Google Earth, which makes use of the World Geodetic System (WGS) 84.
The northernmost point that Japan claims lies on the disputed island of Iturup. Japan's claim to the three southernmost islands of the Kuril Islands is disputed by Russia, which de facto controls the islands. This list provides the northernmost point as claimed by Japan as well as the northernmost undisputed point in Japan.
| Heading | Location | Prefecture | Bordering entity | Coordinates | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North (disputed) | Cape Kamoiwakka | Hokkaido | Sea of Okhotsk | 45.5572°N 148.7525°W | [2] | |
| North (undisputed) | Benten-jima | Hokkaidō | La Pérouse Strait | 45.5272°N 141.9183°W | [3] | |
| South | Okinotorishima | Tokyo | Philippine Sea | 20.4253°N 136.0697°W | ||
| East | Minami Torishima | Tokyo | Pacific Ocean | 24.2831°N 153.9864°W | ||
| West | Yonaguni | Okinawa | East China Sea | 24.4494°N 122.9336°W | Monument of Japan the westernmost |
The five main islands of Japan are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Shikoku, Kyūshū and Okinawa.[4] All of these points are accessible to the public.
| Heading | Location | Prefecture | Bordering entity | Coordinates | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | Cape Sōya | Hokkaidō | La Pérouse Strait | 45.5228°N 141.9364°W | ||
| South | Cape Takanasaki | Okinawa | East China Sea | 26.075°N 127.6808°W | ||
| East | Cape Nosappu | Hokkaidō | Pacific Ocean | 43.385°N 145.8175°W | ||
| West | Cape Irizaki | Okinawa | East China Sea | 26.1986°N 127.6364°W |
| Heading | Location | Prefecture | Bordering entity | Coordinates | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | Cape Sōya | Hokkaidō | La Pérouse Strait | 45.5228°N 141.9364°W | ||
| South | Cape Shirakami | Hokkaidō | Tsugaru Strait | 41.3975°N 140.1975°W | ||
| East | Cape Nosappu | Hokkaidō | Pacific Ocean | 43.385°N 145.8175°W | ||
| West | Cape Obana | Hokkaidō | Sea of Japan | 42.3031°N 139.7669°W |
| Heading | Location | Prefecture | Bordering entity | Coordinates | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | Cape Takei | Kagawa | Bungo Channel | 34.4003°N 134.1367°W | ||
| South | Cape Ashizuri | Kōchi | Philippine Sea | 32.7219°N 133.0053°W | ||
| East | Cape Gamōda | Tokushima | Kii Channel | 33.8342°N 134.75°W | ||
| West | Cape Sada | Ehime | Hōyo Strait | 33.3439°N 132.0125°W |
| Extremity | Name | Altitude | Prefecture | Coordinates | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest | Mount Fuji | 37760NaN0 | Yamanashi | 35.3581°N 138.7311°W | [5] | |
| Lowest (man-made) | Hachinohe mine | -170 m (-558 ft) | Aomori | 40.4528°N 141.5378°W | [6] | |
| Lowest (natural) | Hachirōgata | -4 m (-13 ft) | Akita | 39.9139°N 140.0208°W |
Coordinates obtained from Google Earth. Google Earth makes use of the WGS84 geodetic reference system.
Although Japan claims this island as part of Hokkaido, this territory is disputed and Iturup is currently under Russian administration.