Japan vs New Zealand

Japan is 41% larger than New Zealand.

JapanNew ZealandJapan moved onto New Zealand · Equal-area projection
1.41×
Japan is 1.41× the area of New Zealand.
JapanNew Zealand
Area377,972 km²268,021 km²
Population123,366,7345,324,700
Density326 / km²20 / km²
CapitalTokyoWellington
RegionEastern AsiaAustralia and New Zealand
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours00

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; New Zealand at 42° S is stretched to 1.79×. Here the two are distorted about the same amount, so Mercator gets this pair roughly right. 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 New Zealand?
Yes. Japan is 41% larger than New Zealand. Japan covers 377,972 km² and New Zealand covers 268,021 km².
How many times does New Zealand fit into Japan?
About 1.4 times: Japan has 1.41× the area of New Zealand.
Why do Japan and New Zealand 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 New Zealand about 1.79×. For this pair the distortion is similar, so Mercator gets the comparison roughly right. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Japan or New Zealand?
Japan: 123,366,734 people against 5,324,700. Density: Japan 326 per km², New Zealand 20 per km².