Japan recounted its islands. Now geographers say there may be 7,000 more of them
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/17/1157546403/japan-islands-double-geographersDuring the 1987 study, officials listed — by hand — islands with a circumference of at least 100 meters. They used basic technology that often misidentified groups of small islands as one island.
They also left out thousands of islands, many of which were within lakes or rivers. They didn't include river sandbanks either, which the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea now recognizes as islands. Plus, volcanic activity has led to the creation of more islands since the study over 35 years ago.
Now, with the recount, that figure is expected to rise to 14,125 islands, a source familiar with the matter told Kyodo News.
For the recount, geographers used advanced mapping technology and cross-referenced with past aerial photos. Like the original study, they didn't include anything with a circumference of less than 100 meters.
