However, depending on the context, the term "Mainland Japan" may refer only to Honshū, the largest island.

After the end of World War II its usage became less common and lost its previous legal significance.

The Meiji Constitution's Article 1 of the Common Law (共通法) enumerates the territories with legal jurisdictions namely: Naichi (内地, lit.

[citation needed] Residents of places like Hokkaidō, Okinawa and Amami occasionally use naichi to refer to the "mainland", excluding these areas.

[3] The term "main islands" (本島 hontō) is used for Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku and Okinawa.