• 半島はんとう — peninsula
• 列島れっとう — archipelago
• 島国しまぐに — island nation
• 諸島しょとう — islands
• 本島ほんとう — main island
• 孤島ことう — isolated island
• 南国なんごくの島しま — tropical island

The kanji 島 combines 山 (mountain) and 鳥 (bird), evoking a mountain rising from the sea where birds gather. It came to symbolize isolated or self-contained landmasses, perfectly capturing the image of an island.