Historical Usage
In the Japanese Empire of the pre-war period, naichi referred to the mainland of the empire. The other territories of the empire was called gaichi (外地, lit. "outer lands").
1 of the Common Law (共通法) enumerates the territories with legal jursidictions, namely,
- Naichi (Mainland Japan),
- Chōsen (Korea),
- Taiwan,
- Kwantung Province, and
- Nan'yō Islands.
In other words, Naichi consisted of the following:
- South Sakhalin
- Kuril Islands
- Hokkaidō
- Honshū
- Shikoku
- Kyūshū
- Izu Islands
- Ogasawara Islands
- Okinawa
- Minor outlying islands around them
Although it has never been abolished, the Common Law lost effect from enforcement after Japan lost all the former colonies, or gaichi as a result of World War II.
Read more about this topic: Mainland Japan
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