As of the most recent census in 2017, the population of Honshu was said to be around 104 million people. Honshu is the largest and most populous island in Japan, constituting over 81 percent of the entire population of the country. As with most urban areas, inhabitants are centered around the coastal plains and areas. 30% of the population of Honshu is located around the Greater Tokyo Area and the Kanto Plain. As the historical center of Japanese political power, traditions, and culture, the island includes many of the past Japanese capitals of Kyoto, Nara, and Kamakura. Much of the southern shore of the island forms the Taiheiyo belt, a megalopolis that spans many of the islands of the country of Japan. Honshu has Japan's highest mountain, known as Mount Fuji, and its largest lake - Lake Biwa.
Honshu, which was initially called Hondo, makes up the main island of the country of Japan. It is the largest island, considered such both by the number of residents and also by land size. The island is south of Hokkaido and across the Tsugaru Strait, which is north of Shikoku. The island separates from the Sea of Japan, which is located both to its north and west of the North Pacific Ocean. The island is the second-most populous island in the world after Java, the Indonesian Island.
Most of the industry in Japan is located along the southern coast of Honshu, from Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, and Hiroshima. The economy along the northwestern Sea of Japan's coast is based on fishing and agriculture. The island links itself to three other major Japanese islands by many tunnels and bridges, which is a demonstration of the engineering marvel the Japanese have created to link their many islands together through underwater tunnels. The island has two distinct climates: northern Honshu is mainly humid and continental, while the south is more of a humid subtropical climate.
The island of Honshu became the target of devastating air raids during WWII, which were a series of bloody naval and aerial battles for control of the Pacific Region between the allied and axis powers. The major powers that fought over control of the area were the nation of Japan and the United States. With the introduction of the American B29 Superfortress, the superiority of the American air force culminated in Operation Meetinghouse, which was considered the most destructive air raid in the history of humanity. Japan's fierce fighting and dedication to its martial history would stop them from surrendering, until the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, and the subsequent bombing of Hiroshima. This was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, as Japan would shortly surrender and sign the Japanese Instrument of September onboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
The vast majority of the small mineral reserves under Japanese control are located in Honshu, particularly lead, copper, zinc, and chromite.