WikiTap

Provinces of Japan

Before the modern prefecture system was established, the land of Japan was divided into tens of kuni (国, countries), usually known in English as provinces. Each province was divided into gun (郡, districts; earlier called kōri). The provinces were originally established as both administrative units and geographic regions. In the late Muromachi period, however, their function as administrative units was effectively and gradually supplanted by the domains of the sengoku-daimyo. Under the rule of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the provinces were totally replaced as administrative units by daimyo's fiefs. In the Edo period, the fiefs became known as han. The provinces remained as geographical entities and people often referred to a certain place by coupling the name of the province with the name of the han. At the Meiji restoration, the han were legitimized as administrative units but quickly replaced by prefectures (urban prefectures were called fu and rural prefectures ken). Provinces as part of the system of addresses were not abolished but, on the contrary, augmented. As of 1871, the number of prefectures was 304, while the number of provinces was 68, not including Hokkaidō and Ryūkyū Province. The boundaries between the many prefectures were not only very complicated, but also did not match those of the provinces. Prefectures were gradually merged to reduce the number to 37 by 1881; a few were then divided to give a total of 45 by 1885. Adding Hokkaidō and Okinawa produced the current total of 47 prefectures. To date, no official order has been issued abolishing provinces. Provinces are nonetheless today considered obsolete, although their names are still widely used in names of natural features, company names, and brands. In the early 2000s, the governor of Nagano Prefecture proposed the renaming of his prefecture to "Shinshū" (信州, a name derived from Shinano Province). Provinces are classified into kinai (within the capital), and seven or eight dō (routes, or circuits). Note that, however, dō in this context should not be confused with modern traffic lines such as Tōkaidō from Tokyo to Kyoto or Kobe. Also, Hokkaidō in this context should not be confused with Hokkaidō Prefecture, although these two overlap geographically. (more)

Genres: politics

Related Videos


Related Wiki Articles

  • Shinano Province: Shinano Province is an old province of Japan that is now present day Nagano Prefecture. Its abbreviation is Shinshū (信州). Shinano bordered on Echigo, Etchu, Hida, Kai, Kozuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi provinces. The ancient capital w
  • Daimyo: The daimyo ( ) were the most powerful feudal rulers from the 10th century to the early 19th century in Japan following the Shogun. Though the term "daimyo" literally means "great name," the Japanese word actually comes from the words dai, meaning "la
  • Districts of Japan: The district was most recently used as an administrative unit in Japan between 1878 and 1921 and is roughly equivalent to the county of the United States, ranking at the level below prefecture and above city, town or village . As of 2008, cities belo
  • Circuit (judicial district): In law, a circuit is an appellate judicial district used in the court systems of several nations.
  • List of provinces of Japan: The following provinces of Ancient Japan were in effect from 7th century until the Meiji Period. The list is based on the Gokishichidō, which includes short-lived provinces. Provinces located within Hokkaidō are listed last. To date, no official orde
  • Taihō Code: The Taihō Code or Code of Taihō was an administrative reorganization enacted in 701 in Japan, at the end of the Asuka period. It was historically one of the Ritsuryō-sei. It was compiled at the direction of Prince Osakabe, Fujiwara no Fuhito and Awat
  • Eight Provinces of Korea: During most of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea was divided into eight provinces (do; 도; ). The eight provinces' boundaries remained unchanged for almost five centuries from 1413 to 1895, and formed a geographic paradigm that is still reflected today in the
  • Japan: Japan (日本 Nihon or Nippon , officially 日本国 or Nihon-koku) is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the so
  • Tokyo: Tokyo, formally Tokyo Metropolis, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū, Tokyo is unique among the prefectures, providing certain municipal services characteristic of a city, as defined by Japane
  • Kyoto: Kyoto , commonly pronounced by English speakers as /ki'əʊtəʊ/) is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture,



vtap logo Have you tried vTap yet? See everything, miss nothing!
Corporate Home Corporate Home News FAQ About Contact Forums