列 島(れっとう)

れっとう

noun

archipelago, island chain

geography

1. archipelago, island chain, chain of islands

A group of islands arranged in a line or arc. Most commonly used to refer to Japan as an island chain.

日本(にほん)列島(れっとう)は南北(なんぼく)に長(なが)い。

The Japanese archipelago is long from north to south.

台風(たいふう)が列島(れっとう)を縦断(じゅうだん)した。

The typhoon passed through the archipelago from end to end.

日本(にほん)列島(れっとう)は四(よっ)つの大(おお)きな島(しま)と多数(たすう)の小(ちい)さな島(しま)で構成(こうせい)されている。

The Japanese archipelago is made up of four large islands and numerous small ones.

Compound of 列(れつ) (row, line) + 島(とう) (island). Most commonly encountered in the phrase 日本(にほん)列島(れっとう) (the Japanese archipelago).

Common collocations

日本(にほん)列島(れっとう) (the Japanese archipelago)
列島(れっとう)を縦断(じゅうだん)する (to traverse the archipelago)
列島(れっとう)全体(ぜんたい) (the entire archipelago)
列島(れっとう)各地(かくち) (various parts of the archipelago)

Usage

In weather forecasts and news, 列島(れっとう) alone often refers to Japan: 列島(れっとう)に寒波(かんぱ)が到来(とうらい) (a cold wave hits the archipelago = Japan). This usage is so common that the word is strongly associated with Japan in everyday Japanese.

Related Words

Related: 島々(しまじま) (islands)

general

Added 2026.2.18 7:49 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

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