Which two Japanese regions are highlighted as hosting major urban populations?

• A. Kanto and Kansai
• B. Hokkaido and Shikoku
• C. Chubu and Tohoku
• D. Kyushu and Okinawa

Answer: (A)

Two regions in Japan host the largest urban populations: Kanto, around Tokyo, and Kansai, around Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto. Tokyo’s metropolitan area is the country’s biggest urban agglomeration and a major global economic hub, driving immense population density and activity. The Kansai region forms another dense urban belt centered on Osaka, with Kobe and Kyoto contributing to its size and influence. Together, these two regions account for a large share of Japan’s people, jobs, and infrastructure, making them the key urban centers.

The other regions have important cities, but none match the combined size and density of Tokyo’s area and the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto corridor. Hokkaido and Shikoku are comparatively less densely urbanized; Chubu and Tohoku have significant cities as well but not at the scale of Kanto and Kansai; Kyushu and Okinawa include major cities like Fukuoka, yet their metropolitan populations are smaller overall.