Japan sees its number of islands double after recount

Shiretoko peninsula in Hokkaido, Japan. The country’s island count has doubled from past official figures, an upcoming survey is expected to show. Photograph: AP

It can’t be easy keeping count of the number of islands scattered around an area of more than 370,000 square kilometres, in a country that is regularly subjected to volcanic activity and extreme weather.

While Japan has seen the formation of new islands, and the quiet disappearance of another, geographers have said official statistics showing it is made up of around 6,000 islands are way off the mark.