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

See Examples For:

mainland Japan

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

Resentment and frustration also run deep in Okinawa over the heavy U.S. military presence and Tokyo’s lack of efforts to negotiate with Washington to balance the security burden between mainland Japan and the southern island.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 23, 2023

Okinawa is located about 300 miles from mainland Japan and 440 miles from Taiwan.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 8, 2023

Typhoon Hinnamnor was bringing high winds to islands south of mainland Japan on Wednesday, a day after forecasters said it was the Northern Hemisphere’s strongest tropical cyclone of the year so far.

From New York Times ● Aug. 31, 2022