Hokkaido (Japan) is 1.13× the size of Ireland

Hokkaido (Japan) (prefecture of Japan) covers about 78,800 km² (30,400 mi²) and Ireland (Europe) about 69,400 km² (26,800 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.

78,800km²Hokkaido (Japan)
69,400km²Ireland

100 km

Hokkaido (Japan)
Ireland

Hokkaido (Japan): Part of this region's boundary is disputed with Russia. Size Versus draws Natural Earth's de facto outline, the boundary as it is held on the ground, and takes no position on it.

What fits

Ireland is 88% of the size of Hokkaido (Japan).
Hokkaido (Japan) is larger by 9,340 km² (3,610 mi²), which is 13% of the area of Ireland.
Measured in Belgiums: Hokkaido (Japan) is about 2.57, Ireland about 2.26.

How they differ

Hokkaido (Japan) also has the larger population: 5.4 million against 5.1 million, 1.05× as many people.
Per square kilometre that is 74 in Ireland against 69 in Hokkaido (Japan): Ireland is 1.08× as densely populated.
Their centres are about 8,920 km apart.
On a standard web map Ireland looks larger than Hokkaido (Japan): Hokkaido (Japan) at 43°N is drawn about 1.9× too large and Ireland at 53°N about 2.8×, so the map shows Ireland as 1.30× the size of Hokkaido (Japan), when Hokkaido (Japan) is 1.13× the size of Ireland.
Together Hokkaido (Japan) and Ireland cover 148,000 km², close to the size of Nepal (147,000 km², 0.8% smaller).
The gap between them, 9,340 km², is about the size of Lebanon (10,000 km²).
At Ireland's density, Hokkaido (Japan) would have 5.8 million people (it has 5.4 million). At Hokkaido (Japan)'s density, Ireland would have 4.8 million (it has 5.1 million).
Ireland's centre is 9.8° of latitude, about 1,090 km, farther north than Hokkaido (Japan)'s.
Hokkaido (Japan) is the largest of the 47 prefectures of Japan and covers 21% of its area; it is the 47th most densely populated of them.
Ireland ranks 123rd of 246 countries and territories by area.
Ireland lies about 10° of latitude (roughly 1,090 km) north of Hokkaido (Japan).
Shared out evenly, each person in Hokkaido (Japan) would have about 14,500 m² and each person in Ireland about 13,490 m².
Laid side by side, Hokkaido (Japan) and Ireland would cover 148,000 km², about the same size as Nepal.
Together they have 10.6 million people, about as many people as Sweden.
Counted as a country, Hokkaido (Japan) would rank 116th by area and 118th by population.

Side by side

	Hokkaido (Japan)	Ireland
Is a	PrefectureJapan	CountryEurope
Area, measured	78,800 km²30,400 mi²	69,400 km²26,800 mi²
Official area	83,400 km²Wikidata	69,800 km²Wikidata
Rank by area	1st of 47in Japan	122nd of 239worldwide
Population	5.4 millionWikidata, 2014	5.1 millionWikidata, 2022
Rank by population	8th of 47in Japan	123rd of 237worldwide
Density	69 per km²	74 per km²
Capital	Sapporo	Dublin
Latitude range	41°N to 46°N	51°N to 55°N

Population: Wikidata 2014 and Wikidata 2022. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).

Our measured 78,800 km² is 5.6% below Wikidata's official figure of 83,400 km². Official figures can include inland water or count land that an outline draws differently. This difference is flagged for review.
Wikidata's official figure of 69,800 km² agrees with our measured area of 69,400 km², to within 2%.

Similar in size to Hokkaido (Japan)

Similar in size to Ireland

More comparisons

Sources and method

Outlines: Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 1 - States, Provinces, public domain for the region; Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 0 - Countries, public domain
Boundary: De facto, as drawn by Natural Earth. A region is drawn whole, every island included; a country is its main territory.
Area: Measured on the WGS84 ellipsoid from the full-detail outlines, shown rounded.
Drawing: Each outline is projected with an equal-area projection centred on its own centroid, so areas stay true and the two can be laid over each other.
Data built: 2026-11-12

Full method