mainland Japan

American  

[meyn-land juh-pan, -luhnd] / ˈmeɪnˌlænd dʒəˈpæn, -lənd /

noun

1. Japan’s four principal islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku), as designated to distinguish them from the thousands of smaller islands of the Japanese archipelago.

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Etymology

Origin of mainland Japan

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

In the damp shade beneath moss-covered trees, high in the mountains of Taiwan and mainland Japan or deep within the subtropical forests of Okinawa, an unusual organism quietly grows.

From Science Daily • Dec. 20, 2025

Slow-moving Khanun lashed Okinawa in the middle of the week and threatens to curve back to mainland Japan while intensifying rains in China.

From BBC • Aug. 5, 2023

It was taken to relieve Okinawans long unhappy with with the American military presence, which is denser and more intrusive than in mainland Japan.

From Washington Times • Feb. 19, 2023

In February 2020, an amateur naturalist named Yohei Tashiro was walking through the evergreen forests of the islands, situated about halfway between mainland Japan and Taiwan.

From New York Times • Jan. 26, 2023

During U.S. rule, Okinawans used the dollar and followed American traffic laws, and any trips between Okinawa and mainland Japan required passports.

From Seattle Times • May 13, 2022