Kyushu
/kjuːˈʃuː/noun
The southernmost of Japan’s four main islands and the region surrounding it.
Did you know?Kyushu’s name echoes Jiuzhou, the legendary “Nine Provinces” of ancient Chinese texts, a cosmic-geographical model associated with imperial rule and civilization.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Classical Chinese
九州 (Jiǔzhōu)
“The Nine Provinces, a traditional division of the civilized world in ancient Chinese geography.”
6th–8th Century
Middle Chinese
九州
“A classical geographic expression pronounced approximately Jiǔzhōu.”
8th Century
Old Japanese
筑紫島 (Tsukushi no shima)
“Tsukushi Island, an older Japanese name for the island now called Kyushu.”
8th–10th Century
Japanese
九州 (Kyūshū)
“Nine Provinces; a Sino-Japanese name connected with the island’s historical provincial divisions.”
1871
Japanese
九州 (Kyūshū)
“The name used for the island and region after Japan’s traditional provincial system was replaced.”
Modern English
English
Kyushu
“The southernmost of Japan’s four principal islands.”
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