Average Height
Average Height in Japan
Men: 170.8 cm·Women: 158.3 cm
Men · 1996
170.8 cm
Women · 1996
158.3 cm
Men · 1896 baseline
156.2 cm
Women · 1896 baseline
142.3 cm
Men world rank:#95Women world rank:#104
Height trend across birth cohorts
Insights
Between 1896 and 1996, the mean adult male height in Japan rose from 156.2 cm to 170.8 cm — a gain of 14.6 cm over 100 years.
- Height gains have plateaued since 1976.
All cohorts, 1896–1996
| Cohort | Men (cm) | Women (cm) | Gap (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 156.2 | 142.3 | 13.9 |
| 1897 | 156.4 | 142.6 | 13.8 |
| 1898 | 156.6 | 142.8 | 13.8 |
| 1899 | 156.8 | 143.1 | 13.7 |
| 1900 | 157.0 | 143.4 | 13.6 |
| 1901 | 157.2 | 143.6 | 13.6 |
| 1902 | 157.4 | 143.9 | 13.5 |
| 1903 | 157.6 | 144.2 | 13.4 |
| 1904 | 157.8 | 144.4 | 13.4 |
| 1905 | 158.0 | 144.7 | 13.3 |
| 1906 | 158.2 | 144.9 | 13.3 |
| 1907 | 158.3 | 145.2 | 13.1 |
| 1908 | 158.5 | 145.4 | 13.1 |
| 1909 | 158.7 | 145.7 | 13.0 |
| 1910 | 158.9 | 145.9 | 13.0 |
| 1911 | 159.1 | 146.2 | 12.9 |
| 1912 | 159.3 | 146.4 | 12.9 |
| 1913 | 159.4 | 146.6 | 12.8 |
| 1914 | 159.6 | 146.9 | 12.7 |
| 1915 | 159.8 | 147.1 | 12.7 |
| 1916 | 160.0 | 147.4 | 12.6 |
| 1917 | 160.2 | 147.6 | 12.6 |
| 1918 | 160.4 | 147.8 | 12.6 |
| 1919 | 160.5 | 148.1 | 12.4 |
| 1920 | 160.7 | 148.3 | 12.4 |
| 1921 | 160.9 | 148.6 | 12.3 |
| 1922 | 161.1 | 148.9 | 12.2 |
| 1923 | 161.3 | 149.1 | 12.2 |
| 1924 | 161.5 | 149.4 | 12.1 |
| 1925 | 161.7 | 149.6 | 12.1 |
| 1926 | 161.9 | 149.9 | 12.0 |
| 1927 | 162.1 | 150.1 | 12.0 |
| 1928 | 162.3 | 150.4 | 11.9 |
| 1929 | 162.5 | 150.6 | 11.9 |
| 1930 | 162.7 | 150.9 | 11.8 |
| 1931 | 163.0 | 151.1 | 11.9 |
| 1932 | 163.2 | 151.4 | 11.8 |
| 1933 | 163.4 | 151.6 | 11.8 |
| 1934 | 163.7 | 151.9 | 11.8 |
| 1935 | 163.9 | 152.1 | 11.8 |
| 1936 | 164.2 | 152.3 | 11.9 |
| 1937 | 164.4 | 152.6 | 11.8 |
| 1938 | 164.7 | 152.8 | 11.9 |
| 1939 | 165.0 | 153.1 | 11.9 |
| 1940 | 165.2 | 153.3 | 11.9 |
| 1941 | 165.5 | 153.5 | 12.0 |
| 1942 | 165.8 | 153.8 | 12.0 |
| 1943 | 166.1 | 154.0 | 12.1 |
| 1944 | 166.4 | 154.2 | 12.2 |
| 1945 | 166.6 | 154.4 | 12.2 |
| 1946 | 166.9 | 154.6 | 12.3 |
| 1947 | 167.2 | 154.8 | 12.4 |
| 1948 | 167.5 | 155.0 | 12.5 |
| 1949 | 167.7 | 155.2 | 12.5 |
| 1950 | 168.0 | 155.4 | 12.6 |
| 1951 | 168.2 | 155.6 | 12.6 |
| 1952 | 168.5 | 155.8 | 12.7 |
| 1953 | 168.7 | 156.0 | 12.7 |
| 1954 | 168.9 | 156.2 | 12.7 |
| 1955 | 169.1 | 156.4 | 12.7 |
| 1956 | 169.3 | 156.5 | 12.8 |
| 1957 | 169.5 | 156.7 | 12.8 |
| 1958 | 169.7 | 156.9 | 12.8 |
| 1959 | 169.9 | 157.0 | 12.9 |
| 1960 | 170.1 | 157.2 | 12.9 |
| 1961 | 170.2 | 157.3 | 12.9 |
| 1962 | 170.4 | 157.5 | 12.9 |
| 1963 | 170.5 | 157.6 | 12.9 |
| 1964 | 170.7 | 157.8 | 12.9 |
| 1965 | 170.8 | 157.9 | 12.9 |
| 1966 | 170.9 | 158.0 | 12.9 |
| 1967 | 171.0 | 158.1 | 12.9 |
| 1968 | 171.0 | 158.2 | 12.8 |
| 1969 | 171.1 | 158.2 | 12.9 |
| 1970 | 171.2 | 158.3 | 12.9 |
| 1971 | 171.2 | 158.4 | 12.8 |
| 1972 | 171.3 | 158.4 | 12.9 |
| 1973 | 171.3 | 158.4 | 12.9 |
| 1974 | 171.4 | 158.5 | 12.9 |
| 1975 | 171.4 | 158.5 | 12.9 |
| 1976 | 171.4 | 158.5 | 12.9 |
| 1977 | 171.4 | 158.5 | 12.9 |
| 1978 | 171.5 | 158.5 | 13.0 |
| 1979 | 171.5 | 158.5 | 13.0 |
| 1980 | 171.5 | 158.5 | 13.0 |
| 1981 | 171.4 | 158.5 | 12.9 |
| 1982 | 171.4 | 158.5 | 12.9 |
| 1983 | 171.4 | 158.5 | 12.9 |
| 1984 | 171.4 | 158.5 | 12.9 |
| 1985 | 171.3 | 158.5 | 12.8 |
| 1986 | 171.3 | 158.4 | 12.9 |
| 1987 | 171.3 | 158.4 | 12.9 |
| 1988 | 171.2 | 158.4 | 12.8 |
| 1989 | 171.2 | 158.4 | 12.8 |
| 1990 | 171.1 | 158.4 | 12.7 |
| 1991 | 171.1 | 158.4 | 12.7 |
| 1992 | 171.0 | 158.4 | 12.6 |
| 1993 | 171.0 | 158.4 | 12.6 |
| 1994 | 170.9 | 158.3 | 12.6 |
| 1995 | 170.9 | 158.3 | 12.6 |
| 1996 | 170.8 | 158.3 | 12.5 |
Explore by sex and age
Notable people from Japan with known heights
Hirohito
165 cm · 5'5"
b. 1901
Akira Kurosawa
182 cm · 6'0"
b. 1910
Yukio Mishima
163 cm · 5'4"
b. 1925
Akihito
165 cm · 5'5"
b. 1933
Takeshi Kitano
168 cm · 5'6"
b. 1947
Kazuyoshi Miura
175 cm · 5'9"
b. 1967
Keisuke Honda
182 cm · 6'0"
b. 1986
Shunsuke Nakamura
178 cm · 5'10"
b. 1978
Shinzō Abe
175 cm · 5'9"
b. 1954
Shinji Okazaki
174 cm · 5'9"
b. 1986
Morihei Ueshiba
156 cm · 5'1"
b. 1883
Tarō Asō
173 cm · 5'8"
b. 1940
Heights from Wikidata (property P2048). Shown for published persons sorted by priority score.
Sources & methodology
Mean adult height by birth cohort, ages 20+. Figures are modelled from pooled population-representative surveys and measurement studies compiled by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) and published via Our World in Data.
Cohorts are labelled by birth year, not by survey year. Reported heights reflect the adult height those cohorts reached, typically measured in their 20s or 30s.
License: CC BY 4.0. Last updated: 2026-04-21.