Honshu

American

[hon-shoo, hawn-shoo] / ˈhɒn ʃu, ˈhɔn ʃu /

noun

an island in central Japan: chief island of the country. 88,851 sq. mi. (230,124 sq. km).

Honshu British

/ ˈhɒnʃuː /

noun

Also called: Hondo. the largest of the four main islands of Japan, between the Pacific and the Sea of Japan; regarded as the Japanese mainland; includes a number of offshore islands and contains most of the main cities. Pop: 102 324 961 (2000). Area: 230 448 sq km (88 976 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Earlier this week, local governments issued evacuation advisories to 810,000 people in the central Shizuoka prefecture on Japan's main island of Honshu.

From BBC • Aug. 28, 2024

Lilium pacificum grows on coastal areas facing the Pacific Ocean on Honshu from Ibaraki Prefecture south to Shizuoka Prefecture and the Izu Islands.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2024

The monkey’s real name, he added, was Honshu.

From New York Times • Feb. 1, 2024

The Noto Peninsula, northwest of Tokyo on the main island of Honshu, sticks out into the Sea of Japan for approximately 60 miles.

From Washington Times • Jan. 2, 2024

"Ka-ke, a small town in Hiroshima-ken, on the island of Honshu."

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023