Japan discovers 7,000 new unknown islands

Imagine only just discovering that you might have an extra 7,000 islands lying around that you never knew about.

Japan currently has 6,852 islands on record, but this figure dates back to a 1987 study from the Japan Coast Guard and it seemingly hasn't been looked at since.

That was until a December 2021 parliamentary gathering, where it was argued that the figures might be extremely dated and the real numbers could in fact be completely different.

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At the time, a Liberal Democrat lawmaker said: "An accurate understanding of the number of islands is an important administrative matter that is related to the national interest."

And now a source familiar with the matter told Kyodo News that a new government survey will produce a more accurate figure with the help of a computer based on GSI's electronic land map in 2022.

The technology cross-references the map with older aerial photographs to identify reclaimed land.

The computer has detected over 100,000 islands, yet only the islands with a circumferences of 100 meters or greater were selected for the official list.

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However, thanks to the recount, there could be a total of 1,479 islands in the Nagasaki area, while Kagoshima might have 1,256 and Hokkaido, northern Japan, will potentially have 1,473.

Overall, the number of Japanese islands is expected to increase by more than double - from 6,852 to 14,125, the source has claimed.

Islands in the lakes or river sandbanks were also not included in the total.

But the updated figures are unlikely to change the size of Japanese territory or territorial waters.

The government is expected to release the new figures next month, but it's important to note that the total number of islands is subject to change as adjustments are made.

Just think about all of the new McDonald's restaurants that could potentially open.

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Japan is the eleventh most populous country in the world, with an estimated population of 124,840,000, as of 2022.

The Greater Tokyo Area is also the most populous metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37.2 million residents.

As many of us will be aware, the culture of Japan is seen throughout all parts of the world, with its unique art, anime and video game industries.

But there might be more to its cuisine than meets the eye - at least according to a 2017 study.

The study, published by wasabi producers Kinin, apparently revealed that wasabi, which is offered with some Japanese dishes, contains high levels of a chemical that is known to awaken the papilla cells, which are responsible for hair growth in the human scalp.

But of course, any study proclaiming the benefits of wasabi, which is run by a wasabi company, should probably be taken with a pinch of salt.