Geography Quiz: Elementary School Study + Slightly Advantageous Geography Questions

Okinotorishima

The island located at the southernmost point of Japan is Okinotorishima, which belongs to Ogasawara Village, Tokyo. It lies about 1,700 km from central Tokyo and about 1,000 km from Chichijima in the Ogasawara Islands, and has drawn attention for its diverse fish and valuable marine minerals. By the way, among the other options, Yonaguni Island is known as Japan’s westernmost point, and Minamitorishima is known as Japan’s easternmost island, so keep those in mind for other quiz questions as well.

60

Out of roughly 190 countries in the world, it actually ranks in the top third or so, which is fairly high. Since Japan is an island nation and can look small on a map, that might be surprising. By the way, Japan’s largest island, Honshu, is said to be the 7th largest island in the world!

Nagasaki Prefecture

The prefecture with the largest number of islands in Japan is Nagasaki Prefecture, located in the Kyushu region. In 2022, when the government recounted Japan’s islands for the first time in 35 years, it announced that Nagasaki Prefecture has 1,479 islands among the more than 10,000 across the country. Nagasaki is home to islands of historical significance and tourism interest, such as the Goto Islands and Hashima, better known as “Gunkanjima” (Battleship Island). If you have the chance to visit Nagasaki, consider stopping by these islands.

47

You often see this in various quizzes, but it’s surprisingly hard to recall: there are 47 prefectures in total. Specifically, there is 1 metropolis (Tokyo), 1 circuit (Hokkaido), 2 urban prefectures (Osaka and Kyoto), and 43 prefectures. This number was set in 1972 when Okinawa was returned by the United States to Japan, so try remembering that together as well.

Akita Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture

There are six prefectures in the Tohoku region: Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima. Aomori faces both the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean; Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima face the Pacific Ocean; and the two prefectures mentioned in this question—Akita and Yamagata—face the Sea of Japan. Akita is famous for the rice brand Akita Komachi, and Yamagata is known for cherries.

SDGs

As the successor to the MDGs established in 2001, the globally shared goals decided at the 2015 UN Summit are the SDGs. The official name is “Sustainable Development Goals,” which in Japanese means “Jizoku Kanōna Kaihatsu Mokuhyō” (sustainable development goals). While the abbreviation might seem like it should be SDG, please note the lowercase “s” at the end because it refers to multiple goals.

Aomori Prefecture

When asked which is the northernmost prefecture in Japan, you might be tempted to answer Hokkaido, but since the question specifies a “prefecture,” the correct answer is Aomori Prefecture. Located in the Tohoku region, Aomori sits at the northern tip of Honshu and is famous for its apple production and the Aomori Nebuta Festival. In recent years, “Ōma tuna” has also frequently made the news, making it a region you should definitely keep an eye on.