The map above shows California and Japan side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Japan Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Japan has 140,752 square miles (364,546 km²). California's land area is 1.1 times (11%) larger than Japan's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Japan: 145,937 square miles (377,975 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 1.1 times (12%) larger than Japan's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Japan is 1,557 miles (2,505 km). Japan's north-south length is 2.0 times (105%) longer than California's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Japan spans 1,568 miles (2,524 km). Japan's east-west width is 2.2 times (122%) wider than California's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Japan's is Mount Fuji at 12,388 feet (3,776 m). Mount Whitney is 2,096 feet higher than Mount Fuji.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Japan's is Hachirogata at -13 feet. California's lowest point is 266 feet lower.
California vs Japan Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Japan has 122,680,000 (2026). Japan's population is 3.1 times (211%) larger than California's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Japan: 871.6. Japan's population density is 3.4 times (245%) higher than California's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Japan's is Tokyo with 13,515,271. Tokyo's population is 3.5 times (248%) larger than Los Angeles'.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Japan's Tokyo (33,412,512). Tokyo's population is 2.6 times (158%) larger than Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Japan: An independent state for over two millennia; the current constitution dates from 1947. In its current form, Japan is the older of the two by 1,190 years.
California vs Japan Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Japan's $4,435.2 billion. Japan's economic output is 1.1 times (10%) larger than California's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Japan: $35,951. California's GDP per capita is 2.9 times (186%) higher than Japan's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Japan: $38,340 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 2.2 times (125%) higher than Japan's.
Official Websites
California official website · Japan official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Japan size comparisons
Area, elevation and boundary figures come from official national statistics and US Census Bureau and Natural Earth boundary data; US state population, economic, county and tax figures come from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Tax Foundation. Figures are rounded and for general reference.