List of provinces of Japan

Right
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 order has been issued abolishing the ancient provinces. Nonetheless, today they are considered obsolete. What follows is a list of the individual provinces along with some details.

The borders of the provinces changed until the end of the Nara Period and during the Meiji Period. From the Heian Period until the Edo Period, the borders remained unchanged.

Goki

Kinai 畿内

*Yamashiro　山城国 (山州, 城州, 雍州)
*Yamato 大和国 (和州)
**circa 716-circa 738
***Yamato 大和国
***Yoshino Gen 芳野監
*Kawachi　河内国 (河州)
*Izumi 和泉国 (泉州) - created in 716 from Kawachi Province as Izumi Gen(和泉監). Although occupied by Kawachi Province in 740, in 757 the province divided again from Kawachi)
*Settsu　摂津国 (摂州)

hichido

=Tōkaidō 東海道=

*Iga　伊賀国（伊州）
*Ise　伊勢国（勢州）
*Shima　志摩国（志州） - Divided from Ise at the beginning of the 8th century.
*Owari　尾張国（尾州）
*Mikawa　三河国（三州）
*Tōtōmi 遠江国（遠州）
*Suruga　駿河国（駿州）
*Izu　伊豆国（豆州）
*Kai　甲斐国（甲州）
*Sagami　相模国（相州）
*Musashi　武蔵国（武州） - transferred from Tōsandō to Tōkaidō in 771)
*Awa 安房国（房州、安州）- Divided from Kazusa in 718. Although occupied by Kazusa in 741, Awa divided from Kazusa in 781.
*Kazusa 上総国（総州）
*Shimousa 下総国（総州）
*Hitachi 常陸国（常州）

Tōsandō 東山道

*Ōmi 近江国（江州）
*Mino 美濃国（濃州）
*Hida 飛騨国（飛州）
*Shinano 信濃国（信州）
**from 721 to 731
***Suwa 諏訪国
***Shinano 信濃国
*Kōzuke 上野国（上州）
*Shimotsuke 下野国（下州）
*Dewa 出羽国（羽州）
**Since the 1868 breakup
***Uzen 羽前国（羽州）
***Ugo 羽後国（羽州）
*Mutsu 陸奥国（奥州）
**718 for several years
***Mutsu 陸奥国
***Iwaki 石城国
***Iwase 石背国
**Since the 1868 breakup
***Iwashiro 岩代国
***Iwaki 磐城国（磐州）
***Rikuchū 陸中国（陸州）
***Rikuzen 陸前国（陸州）
***Mutsu 陸奥国

Hokurikudō 北陸道

*Wakasa　若狭国（若州）
*Echizen 越前国（越州）
*Kaga 加賀国（加州）- Divided from Echizen in 823.
*Noto 能登国（能州）- Divided from Echizen in 718. Although occupied by Etchu in 741, Noto divided from Etchu in 757.
*Etchū 越中国（越州）
*Echigo 越後国（越州）
*Sado　佐渡国（佐州、渡州）- Although occupied by Echigo in 743, Sado divided from Echigo in 752.

San'indō 山陰道

*Tamba　丹波国（丹州）
*Tango 丹後国 （丹州）- Divided from Tamba in 713.
*Tajima　但馬国（但州）
*Inaba　因幡国（因州）
*Hōki　伯耆国（伯州）
*Izumo　出雲国（雲州）
*Iwami　石見国（石州）
*Oki　隠岐国（隠州）

San'yōdō 山陽道

*Harima　播磨国（播州）
*Mimasaka 美作国 （作州）- Divided from Bizen in 713.
*Bizen 備前国（備州）- Broke off from Kibi during the 2nd half of 7th century.
*Bitchū 備中国（備州）- Broke off from Kibi during the 2nd half of 7th century.
*Bingo 備後国（備州）- Broke off from Kibi during the 2nd half of 7th century.
*Aki　安芸国（芸州）
*Suō　周防国（防州）
*Nagato　長門国（長州）

Nankaidō 南海道

*Kii 紀伊国（紀州）
*Awaji 淡路国（淡州）
*Awa　阿波国（阿州）
*Sanuki　讃岐国（讃州）
*Iyo　伊予国（予州）
*Tosa　土佐国（土州）

Saikaidō 西海道　(West-Sea-Route)

*Buzen 豊前国（豊州）
*Bungo 豊後国（豊州）
*Chikuzen　筑前国 （筑州）
*Chikugo　筑後国（筑州）
*Hizen 肥前国（肥州）
*Higo 肥後国（肥州）
*Hyūga　日向国（日州、向州）
*Ōsumi 大隈国 （隈州）- Divided from Hyūga in 713).
**From 702 to 824
***Osumi 大隈国
***Tane 多褹国
*Satsuma　薩摩国（薩州）- Divided from Hyūga in 702.
*Iki 壱岐国（壱州）- Officially Iki-Shima
*Tsushima 対馬国（対州）- Officially Tsushima-jima

Other

Hokkaidō

:Renamed Ezo Region to Hokkaidō, and created 11 provinces. (1869-1882)
*Oshima 渡島国
*Shiribeshi 後志国
*Iburi 胆振国
*Ishikari 石狩国
*Teshio 天塩国
*Kitami 北見国
*Hidaka 日高国
*Tokachi 十勝国
*Kushiro 釧路国
*Nemuro 根室国
*Chishima 千島国 (After the Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1875), Japan added north of Urup Island and placed Urup (得撫郡), Shimushiru (新知郡), and Shumushu (占守郡) Districts)

Okinawa

*Ryūkyū Province 琉球国 - Independent until established by imperial decree in the Meiji Restoration. Incorporated into Kagoshima Prefecture in 1871, and the Ryūkyū-han was abolished in 1879. Okinawa prefecture was not established until 1972, when the United States returned the southern islands to Japan after World War II. At that time Ryūkyū province was reestablished.

Related links

* Kokushi (officials)
* Provinces of Japan
* Ritsuryō
* Han (administrative division)
* Samurai

External links

* [http://nihonsinwa.at.infoseek.co.jp/data/map.htm#map 古事記における旧国名・国境（律令制以前）]
* [http://www.geocities.jp/wuyongdeye/tables/5ki8dau.html 五畿八道]