Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Japanese Islands

Japanese Islands

2.5
A group of more than 3,000 islands east of Asia that make up Japan
  • noun
translation icon : islas japonesas
  • The geography of the Japanese Islands includes mountains, plains, and coastal regions.

Blockades can even create famine within the Japanese islands.

Examples

  • And I got to think it's related to the Japanese islands tendency to have earthquakes.

  • What is your estimate of the number of people that would have died if the Allied Powers had to invade the Japanese Islands to end the unjust war started by the Japanese with their attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii?

    Blog text (22)

  • The Japanese Islands are known for their unique culture and beautiful landscapes.

  • Tourists often visit the Japanese Islands to experience traditional festivals and cuisine.

Synonyms

Japan
vsJapanese Islands
725 1.0

A country in East Asia made of many islands known for its culture and technology

refers only to the islands as geographic places rather than the country
Japanese Archipelago
vsJapanese Islands
5.1

A group of over three thousand islands off the east coast of Asia that make up Japan

is the everyday phrase for the same island group

Surface Forms

Japanese Islands singular
Japanese Islands plural

Morphology

Japanese + island

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'Japanese' (of or related to Japan) + 'islands' (pieces of land surrounded by water); together they straightforwardly denote the islands belonging to Japan. This is a common, cross-linguistic noun phrase structure that a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand.

Etymology

Japanese Islands simply names the many islands that make up Japan; imagine thousands of small islands like stepping stones in the sea east of Asia. That's why the phrase means 'the group of islands that belong to Japan'.