1.
uninhabited island; deserted island
An island with no permanent human residents. Often evokes images of tropical adventures or survival scenarios, and is a popular topic in hypothetical questions and games.
無人島に流れ着いた。
I washed up on a deserted island.
無人島に一つだけ持っていくなら何がいい？
If you could bring just one thing to a deserted island, what would it be?
日本には約6,000の無人島があると言われている。
It is said that there are about 6,000 uninhabited islands in Japan.
USAGE:
A common word in everyday Japanese, frequently appearing in hypothetical questions (「無人島に一つだけ持っていくなら？」), TV variety shows, and adventure stories. Japan actually has thousands of uninhabited islands.
FORMATION:
無人 (unmanned, uninhabited) + 島 (island).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 無人島に漂着する (to drift ashore on an uninhabited island)
- 無人島生活 (life on a deserted island)
- 無人島サバイバル (deserted island survival)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 離島: remote island — may or may not be inhabited, emphasizes distance from the mainland
- 孤島: isolated island — emphasizes isolation, may be inhabited