The map above shows South Dakota and Japan side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
South Dakota vs Japan Geography
Land area: South Dakota has a land area of 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²), while Japan has 140,752 square miles (364,546 km²). Japan's land area is 1.9 times (86%) larger than South Dakota's.
Total area: South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²) vs Japan: 145,937 square miles (377,975 km²), including inland and coastal water. Japan's total area is 1.9 times (89%) larger than South Dakota's.
Length: South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km) long from north to south; Japan is 1,557 miles (2,505 km). Japan's north-south length is 3.5 times (251%) longer than South Dakota's.
Width: South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km) east to west; Japan spans 1,568 miles (2,524 km). Japan's east-west width is 4.2 times (323%) wider than South Dakota's.
Highest point: South Dakota's highest point is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m); Japan's is Mount Fuji at 12,388 feet (3,776 m). Mount Fuji is 5,190 feet higher than Black Elk Peak.
Lowest point: South Dakota's lowest point is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet; Japan's is Hachirogata at -13 feet. Japan's lowest point is 979 feet lower.
South Dakota vs Japan Population and History
Population: South Dakota has a population of 924,669 (2024), while Japan has 122,680,000 (2026). Japan's population is 132.7 times larger than South Dakota's.
Population density: South Dakota: 12.2 people per square mile vs Japan: 871.6. Japan's population density is 71.4 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city: South Dakota's biggest city is Sioux Falls with 209,289 people; Japan's is Tokyo with 13,515,271. Tokyo's population is 64.6 times larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area: South Dakota's largest metropolitan area is Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266 people) vs Japan's Tokyo (33,412,512). Tokyo's population is 108.4 times larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History: South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th 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 1,229 years.
South Dakota vs Japan Economy
GDP: South Dakota's GDP is $76.8 billion (2024) vs Japan's $4,435.2 billion. Japan's economic output is 57.8 times larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita: South Dakota: $83,052 per person vs Japan: $35,951. South Dakota's GDP per capita is 2.3 times (131%) higher than Japan's.
Average income: South Dakota: $75,699 vs Japan: $38,340 average income per person (per capita personal income). South Dakota's average income is 2.0 times (97%) higher than Japan's.
Official Websites
South Dakota official website · Japan official website
More Size Comparisons
All South Dakota 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.