DR Congo vs Japan

DR Congo is 6.2 times larger than Japan. Japan would fit into DR Congo about 6.2 times.

DR CongoJapanDR Congo moved onto Japan · Equal-area projection
6.2×
DR Congo is 6.2× the area of Japan.
DR CongoJapan
Area2,344,858 km²377,972 km²
Population112,832,473123,366,734
Density48 / km²326 / km²
CapitalKinshasaTokyo
RegionMiddle AfricaEastern Asia
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours90

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. DR Congo sits at about 3°S and is stretched to 1.0× its true area; Japan at 37° N is stretched to 1.59×. That difference is why Japan looks so much bigger than it is next to DR Congo. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is DR Congo bigger than Japan?
Yes. DR Congo is 6.2 times larger than Japan. DR Congo covers 2,344,858 km² and Japan covers 377,972 km².
How many times does Japan fit into DR Congo?
About 6.2 times: DR Congo has 6.2× the area of Japan.
Why do DR Congo and Japan look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. DR Congo is drawn about 1.0× its true area there and Japan about 1.59×. That is why Japan looks so much bigger than it really is next to DR Congo. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, DR Congo or Japan?
Japan: 123,366,734 people against 112,832,473. Density: DR Congo 48 per km², Japan 326 per km².