中国 in ...Japanese

[nnt]

In Japanese, 中国 Chûgoku, apart from the usual meaning of "China" , also designates "the Western tip of Honshû , comprising Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi prefectures",

and the expression 中国地方 Chûgoku chihô (Chûgoku region : Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi prefectures).

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E5%9C%B0%E6%96%B9

This is modern Japanese, not classical Chinese in which the expression 中国 first meant 京师 (the capital city ) as in :

《诗·民劳》：“惠此中国，以缓四方。” 毛传：“中国，京师也。四方， 诸夏也。

[HashiriKata]

Just to add a bit to what nnt is saying: the character 国 in Japanese has two basic meanings: it means not only "country" but also "area, region" (国=kuni). So, 中国 simply means "Central Region", and has nothing to do with "China" (中国).

BTW, it seems that wikipedia (the link) can't be open within China.

[nnt]

Here is another one :

http://www.chugoku-navi.jp/, with a map of the region.

This link should work :

http://www.bjfao.gov.cn/newsite/world/detail.asp?countryID=233

中国地方－鸟取山（鸟取）、岛根县（松江）、罔山县（罔山）、广岛县（广岛）、山口县（山口）；

Chugoku District-Tottori-ken (Tittori), Shimane-ken (Matsue), Okayama-ken (Okayama).

Hiroshima-ken (Hiroshima), Yamaguchi-ken (Yamaguchi);

It should be noticed that the transcription in 中国 is goku ( euphonic version of koku ), which is Japanese On reading, and that 国 kuni is Kun reading , also has the meaning of country , along with the meaning of province/region.