noun
Kuril Islands
Refers to the volcanic archipelago stretching from Hokkaido to Kamchatka. Often used in geographical, political, and historical contexts.
千島列島は北海道の北東に位置する。
The Kuril Islands are located northeast of Hokkaido.
千島列島 explicitly means 'Kuril Islands chain', while 千島 alone can also refer to the islands but is often used as a shorter form.
The name 千島 (literally 'thousand islands') is a Japanese name for the Kuril Islands, likely referring to the many islands in the chain. The exact historical origin of the name is uncertain.