Native name: 内地 | |
|---|---|
 Passports for passengers between Mainland Japan and Okinawa during 1952–1972. | |
 | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Japan |
| Demographics | |
| Ethnic groups | Japanese people Ainu people Ryukyuan people |
"Mainland Japan" (内地,naichi, lit. "inner lands") is a term used to distinguish Japan's core land area from its outlying territories. "Mainland Japan" was an official term in thepre-war period, distinguishing Japan proper from its overseas territories (外地,gaichi, lit. "outer lands") in theFar East, such asJapanese Taiwan,Japanese Korea,Karafuto, theSouth Seas Mandate, and theKwantung Leased Territory. After the end ofWorld War II, its usage became less common and lost its previous legal significance.
The term's literal Japanese meaning might best be translated as "inner Japan" or "inner lands". The term "mainland" is somewhat inaccurate since it usually refers to all or part of a continental landmass, rather than islands.
Today, the term is sometimes colloquially used to distinguish the country's four largest islands (Hokkaidō,Honshū,Kyūshū, andShikokū) from smaller islands such as theBonin Islands and theRyukyu Islands, although these islands were considered part of Mainland Japan in the pre-war period. However, depending on the context, the term "Mainland Japan" may refer only to Honshū, the largest island.
In theJapanese Empire of thepre-war period,naichi referred to the mainland of the empire. The other territories of the empire was calledgaichi (外地, lit. "outer lands").
TheMeiji Constitution's Article 1 of the Common Law (共通法) enumerates the territories with legal jurisdictions namely:
Naichi (内地, lit. "inner lands") referred to the territories under direct control of the government. They consisted of the following:[1]
These territories were calledgaichi (外地, lit. "outer lands"). They were part of theEmpire of Japan, but not under direct control by the central government.
Although it has never been abolished, the Common Law lost effect from enforcement after Japan lost all the former colonies, orgaichi as a result ofWorld War II.[citation needed]
Residents of places like Hokkaidō, Okinawa and Amami occasionally usenaichi to refer to the "mainland", excluding these areas. The colloquial usage is officially "incorrect", as both areas are legally withinnaichi. In Hokkaidō, the official term that refers to Japan except Hokkaidō isdōgai (lit. outside of Hokkaidō).[citation needed] Withdōgai becoming common even in colloquial use,naichi ceased to be used.[citation needed] Residents of Okinawa also use the termhondo (lit. mainland) to refer to parts of Japan outside of Okinawa. In Japanese law, the meaning ofhondo is used to make a distinction between the "main islands" of Hokkaidō, Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū and "outlying islands" referred to asritō.[3]
The term "main islands" (本島hontō) is used forHokkaido,Honshu,Kyushu,Shikoku andOkinawa. The other estimated 6,847 smaller islands are called 'remote islands' (離島ritō).[4]
一国の領土が数個に分かれている場合、憲法の定める通常の法律が行なわれる区域。旧憲法下の北海道、本州、四国、九州がこれにあたる。(The area established by the Constitution where common law applies, in cases where the territory of one country is divided into several portions. Under the old Japanese Constitution, this definition applied to the territories of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu).
MILT classification 6,852 islands（main islands: 5 islands, remote islands: 6,847 islands)