Provinces of Japan

Before the current system of prefectures is established, the Japan was divided of tens of Province S (国, kuni ). Each province itself was divided into gun (郡, counties, before called kōri ).

Short history

The provinces in the beginning were established at the same time as administrative units and geographical areas. At the end of the Period Muromachi, however, their function was gradually supplanted by the fields of the Daimyo S of the Period Sengoku. Under the reign of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the provinces were completely replaced as administrative units by the Fief S of the daimyos. During the Period Edo, these strongholds became known under the name of han . The provinces remained geographical entities and people often referred to such or such place by coupling the name of the province with that of the han .

At the time of the Restoration of Meiji, the han were légitimisés as administrative units, but were quickly replaced by the prefectures (urban prefectures being called fu and rural the ken ). The provinces were not abolished as parts of the system of addresses; but with the opposites increased. In 1871, the number of prefectures was of 304, whereas the number of province was of 68, without counting Hokkaidō and the Province of Ryūkyū. Separations between the many prefectures were not only very complicated, but moreover did not correspond to those of the provinces. The prefectures were gradually amalgamated to reach the number of 37 in 1881; some were then divided to reach the number of 45 in 1885. The addition of Hokkaidō and Okinawa produces the current number of 47 prefectures.

To date, no official order was promulgated with an aim of abolishing the provinces. They are regarded however today as obsolete, although their names are always largely used, in particular in names of companies or of marks. At the beginning of the Years 2000, the governor of the Préfecture of Nagano proposed to re-elect its prefecture in “Shinshu” (name derived from old the Province of Shinano).

The provinces are classified in kinai (in the capital), and in seven or eight dō (roads, or circuits). However, in this context, that should not be confused with the modern lines of traffic such as the Tōkaidō of Tōkyō to Kyōto or Kōbe. In the same way, Hokkaidō in this context should not be confused with current the prefecture of Hokkaidō, although both are superimposed geographically.

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