1.
the (Japanese) mainland; the main islands
In modern Japanese, mostly used by people from Hokkaido or Okinawa to refer to the main island of Honshu (and sometimes Honshu plus Shikoku and Kyushu). Roughly "the rest of Japan" from the speaker's perspective.
内地から観光客が来た。
Tourists came from the mainland.
沖縄の人は本州を内地と呼ぶ。
People in Okinawa call Honshu the mainland.
冬は内地に帰省する道民が多い。
Many Hokkaido residents return to the mainland for the winter holidays.
2.
the interior of a country; inland area
An inland part of a country, away from the coast or frontier. Less common; appears in some formal or older texts.
この国の内地は乾燥した気候だ。
The interior of this country has a dry climate.
港湾都市と内地を結ぶ鉄道が整備された。
A railway connecting the port cities to the interior was developed.
沿岸部と比べて、内地は気温差が激しい。
Compared to the coastal areas, the interior has a sharp temperature range.
Compound of 内 (inner) + 地 (land). In pre-war usage, also meant "Japan proper" as opposed to colonial territories — that usage is now historical and avoided.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 内地から来る: to come from the mainland
- 内地に帰る: to return to the mainland
- 内地勤務: assignment on the mainland
- 内地留学: study at a mainland school (Hokkaido/Okinawa usage)
USAGE NOTE:
The "mainland" sense is most natural from a Hokkaido or Okinawa perspective. Honshu speakers rarely call their own islands 内地; for them it just sounds like the speaker is from somewhere else.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 本土: the mainland — neutral, can be used by anyone
- 本州: Honshu — the specific main island
- 外地: outer territories — historical pair of 内地