The map above shows West Virginia and Japan side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
West Virginia vs Japan Geography
Land area: West Virginia has a land area of 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²), while Japan has 140,752 square miles (364,546 km²). Japan's land area is 5.9 times (485%) larger than West Virginia's.
Total area: West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²) vs Japan: 145,937 square miles (377,975 km²), including inland and coastal water. Japan's total area is 6.0 times (502%) larger than West Virginia's.
Length: West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km) long from north to south; Japan is 1,557 miles (2,505 km). Japan's north-south length is 6.4 times (536%) longer than West Virginia's.
Width: West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km) east to west; Japan spans 1,568 miles (2,524 km). Japan's east-west width is 5.7 times (468%) wider than West Virginia's.
Highest point: West Virginia's highest point is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m); Japan's is Mount Fuji at 12,388 feet (3,776 m). Mount Fuji is 7,525 feet higher than Spruce Knob.
Lowest point: West Virginia's lowest point is Potomac River at 240 feet; Japan's is Hachirogata at -13 feet. Japan's lowest point is 253 feet lower.
West Virginia vs Japan Population and History
Population: West Virginia has a population of 1,769,979 (2024), while Japan has 122,680,000 (2026). Japan's population is 69.3 times larger than West Virginia's.
Population density: West Virginia: 73.6 people per square mile vs Japan: 871.6. Japan's population density is 11.8 times higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest city: West Virginia's biggest city is Charleston with 46,482 people; Japan's is Tokyo with 13,515,271. Tokyo's population is 290.8 times larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area: West Virginia's largest metropolitan area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489 people) vs Japan's Tokyo (33,412,512). Tokyo's population is 5.2 times (419%) larger than Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's.
History: West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th 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 1,203 years.
West Virginia vs Japan Economy
GDP: West Virginia's GDP is $106.5 billion (2024) vs Japan's $4,435.2 billion. Japan's economic output is 41.6 times larger than West Virginia's.
GDP per capita: West Virginia: $60,156 per person vs Japan: $35,951. West Virginia's GDP per capita is 1.7 times (67%) higher than Japan's.
Average income: West Virginia: $55,351 vs Japan: $38,340 average income per person (per capita personal income). West Virginia's average income is 1.4 times (44%) higher than Japan's.
Official Websites
West Virginia official website · Japan official website
More Size Comparisons
All West Virginia 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.