Germany vs Japan — true size compared
Japan is about 1.06× the area of Germany — a difference of roughly 20,387 km² (7,871 sq mi). You could fit Germany inside Japan about 1 time.
Germany covers 357,588 km² (138,065 sq mi) in Central Europe.
Japan spans 377,975 km² (145,937 sq mi) across four main islands in the western Pacific.
Overlay Germany and Japan on the map →
Why maps make Germany and Japan look wrong
Almost every web map — Google Maps, Apple Maps, OpenStreetMap — uses the Mercator projection. Mercator preserves shape locally, but it stretches land the further you get from the equator. Greenland ends up looking bigger than Africa. Alaska rivals the contiguous US. That's why Germany and Japan can look similar on a world map even when one is many times larger. The only fair way to compare is to lift one outline off the map and drop it on top of the other at true scale.
Quick facts
- Germany: 357,588 km² · 138,065 sq mi
- Japan: 377,975 km² · 145,937 sq mi
- Ratio: Japan is 1.06× Germany
- Absolute difference: 20,387 km² (7,871 sq mi)
- Germany fits inside Japan ~1 time
Frequently asked
Is Germany bigger than Japan?
Japan is the bigger of the two, at 377,975 km² compared to 357,588 km² for Germany.
How many times does Germany fit inside Japan?
About 1 time — the exact ratio is 1.06×.
Why does the map exaggerate one of them?
Mercator projection. Places far from the equator get visually stretched. Overlay the two at true scale to see the honest comparison.