also: しょうとう · おじま
small island; islet
Refers to a small island, typically smaller than a 島 (island) but larger than a mere rock or reef. Common in geographical descriptions and place names.
A small islet floats in the middle of the lake.
Rare birds inhabit that small island.
There is a small island inside the bay.
We crossed over to a nearby small island by boat.
During summer vacation, I visited an uninhabited small island.
本島 is the main, larger island of a group, contrasting with a 小島, which is a small outlying island.
small isolated island
Standard kanji spelling with the most common reading こじま.
Sino-Japanese reading; less common and may appear in formal or literary contexts.
Alternate native reading; rare and possibly dialectal or restricted to place names.
Compound of 小 (small) and 島 (island). The reading こじま is the most common native Japanese reading; しょうとう is the Sino-Japanese reading; おじま is a less common native variant.