The map above shows Kentucky and Japan side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Kentucky vs Japan Geography
Land area: Kentucky has a land area of 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²), while Japan has 140,752 square miles (364,546 km²). Japan's land area is 3.6 times (256%) larger than Kentucky's.
Total area: Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²) vs Japan: 145,937 square miles (377,975 km²), including inland and coastal water. Japan's total area is 3.6 times (261%) larger than Kentucky's.
Length: Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km) long from north to south; Japan is 1,557 miles (2,505 km). Japan's north-south length is 6.1 times (506%) longer than Kentucky's.
Width: Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km) east to west; Japan spans 1,568 miles (2,524 km). Japan's east-west width is 3.8 times (275%) wider than Kentucky's.
Highest point: Kentucky's highest point is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m); Japan's is Mount Fuji at 12,388 feet (3,776 m). Mount Fuji is 8,254 feet higher than Black Mountain.
Lowest point: Kentucky's lowest point is Mississippi River at 270 feet; Japan's is Hachirogata at -13 feet. Japan's lowest point is 283 feet lower.
Kentucky vs Japan Population and History
Population: Kentucky has a population of 4,588,372 (2024), while Japan has 122,680,000 (2026). Japan's population is 26.7 times larger than Kentucky's.
Population density: Kentucky: 116.2 people per square mile vs Japan: 871.6. Japan's population density is 7.5 times (650%) higher than Kentucky's.
Biggest city: Kentucky's biggest city is Louisville with 640,796 people; Japan's is Tokyo with 13,515,271. Tokyo's population is 21.1 times larger than Louisville's.
Largest metro area: Kentucky's largest metropolitan area is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815 people) vs Japan's Tokyo (33,412,512). Tokyo's population is 14.5 times larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History: Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th 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 1,132 years.
Kentucky vs Japan Economy
GDP: Kentucky's GDP is $295.4 billion (2024) vs Japan's $4,435.2 billion. Japan's economic output is 15.0 times larger than Kentucky's.
GDP per capita: Kentucky: $64,375 per person vs Japan: $35,951. Kentucky's GDP per capita is 1.8 times (79%) higher than Japan's.
Average income: Kentucky: $58,256 vs Japan: $38,340 average income per person (per capita personal income). Kentucky's average income is 1.5 times (52%) higher than Japan's.
Official Websites
Kentucky official website · Japan official website
More Size Comparisons
All Kentucky 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.