Japan vs Malaysia

Japan is 14% larger than Malaysia.

JapanMalaysiaJapan moved onto Malaysia · Equal-area projection
1.14×
Japan is 1.14× the area of Malaysia.
JapanMalaysia
Area377,972 km²330,803 km²
Population123,366,73435,977,838
Density326 / km²109 / km²
CapitalTokyoKuala Lumpur
RegionEastern AsiaSouth-Eastern Asia
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours03

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Japan sits at about 37°N and is stretched to 1.59× its true area; Malaysia at 4° N is stretched to 1.0×. That difference is why Japan looks so much bigger than it is next to Malaysia. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Japan bigger than Malaysia?
Yes. Japan is 14% larger than Malaysia. Japan covers 377,972 km² and Malaysia covers 330,803 km².
How many times does Malaysia fit into Japan?
About 1.1 times: Japan has 1.14× the area of Malaysia.
Why do Japan and Malaysia look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Japan is drawn about 1.59× its true area there and Malaysia about 1.0×. That is why Japan looks so much bigger than it really is next to Malaysia. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Japan or Malaysia?
Japan: 123,366,734 people against 35,977,838. Density: Japan 326 per km², Malaysia 109 per km².