List of Provinces of Japan

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Ancient provinces of Japan

The provinces in 701–702

The provinces in Kamakura period to 1868

The following provinces of Ancient Japan located from 7th century until the Meiji Period.

The borders of the provinces changed until the end of the Nara Period and during the Meiji Period. However, from the Heian Period until the Edo Period, the borders remained unchanged. The following list of provinces is based on the Gokishichidō, including the 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, although their names are still widely used in names of natural features, company names, and brands.

1 Goki
- 1.1 Kinai 畿内　(Area.near.capital-Within)
2 Shichido
3 Other
- 3.1 Hokkaidō (North-Sea-Route)
4 Related Links
5 External Links

Yamashiro　山城国 (formerly also written as 山背国 or 山代国; this is the province in which Kyoto is located)
Yamato 大和国 (then imperial seat) (written as 倭国 in ancient times until the reign of Genmei Tennō, who established Japan's first permanent capital at Nara, which is located within this province, in 710 CE)
- circa 716-circa 738
  - Yamato 大和国
  - Yoshino Gen 芳野監
Kawachi　河内国
Izumi 和泉国 (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

Iga　伊賀国
Ise　伊勢国
Shima　志摩国 (Divided from Ise at the begining of the 8th century)
Owari　尾張国
Mikawa　三河国
Tōtomi 遠江国 (literally "Far Freshwater Sea," see Lake Hamanako)
Suruga　駿河国
Izu　伊豆国
Kai　甲斐国
Sagami　相模国
Musashi　武蔵国 (transferred from Tōsandō in 771)
Kazusa 上総国 (literally "Upper Fusa," part of ancient Fusa Province)
Awa (divided from Kazusa in 718. Although occupied by Kazusa in 741, Awa divided from Kazusa in 781)
Shimousa 下総国 (literally "Lower Fusa," part of ancient Fusa Province)
Hitachi 常陸国 (literally "Sun-Rise," i.e. /hi-tachi/, implying the east end, but the Chinese characters used to write the name actually mean "Always-Land," i.e. /hita-chi/)

Ōmi 近江国 (literally "(Near) Freshwater Sea," see Lake Biwako)
Mino 美濃国
Hida 飛騨国
Shinano 信濃国
- circa 721 to circa 738
  - Shinano 信濃国
  - Suwa 諏訪国
Kōzuke 上野国 (literally "Upper Keno," part of ancient Keno Province)
Shimotsuke 下野国 (literally "Lower Keno," part of ancient Keno Province)
Mutsu 陸奥国 (also called Michinoku　陸奥（みちのく）, literally "Obscure Recesses of the Land")
- circa 718 for several years
  - Mutsu 陸奥国
  - Iwaki 石城国
  - Iwase 石背国
- Since 1868
  - Mutsu 陸奥国
  - Rikuchū 陸中国
  - Rikuzen 陸前国
  - Iwaki 磐城国
  - Iwashiro 岩代国
Dewa 出羽国
- Since 1868
  - Uzen 羽前国
  - Ugo 羽後国

Wakasa　若狭国
Echizen 越前国
Kaga (divided from Echizen in 823)
Noto (Divided from Etchu in 718. Although occupied by Etchu in 741, Noto divided from Etchu in 757)
Etchū 越中国
Echigo 越後国
Sado　佐渡国 (Although occupied by Echigo in 743, Sado divided from Echigo in 752)

Tamba　丹波国
Tango 丹後国 (Divided from Tamba in 713)
Tajima　但馬国
Inaba　因幡国
Hōki　伯耆国
Izumo　出雲国
Iwami　石見国
Oki　隠岐国 (a group of several islands in the Sea of Japan north of Shimane Prefecture)

Harima　播磨国
Mimasaka 美作国 (divided from Bizen in 713)
Bizen 備前国 (part of ancient Kibi Province)
Bitchū 備中国 (part of ancient Kibi Province)
Bingo 備後国 (part of ancient Kibi Province)
Aki　安芸国
Suō　周防国
Nagato　長門国

Kii 紀伊国 (also called Ki)
Awaji 淡路国 (literally Path to Awa Province; the largest island in the Seto Inland Sea, located between the Kii Peninsula of Honshū to the east and the island of Shikoku to the west)
Awa　阿波国
Sanuki　讃岐国
Iyo　伊予国
Tosa　土佐国

Chikuzen　筑前国(part of ancient Chikushi Province)
Chikugo　筑後国(part of ancient Chikushi Province)
Buzen 豊前国　(part of ancient Toyo Province)
Bungo 豊後国　(part of ancient Toyo Province)
Hizen 肥前国　(part of ancient Hi Province)
Higo 肥後国　(part of ancient Hi Province)
Hyūga　日向国
Ōsumi 大隈国 (divided from Hyūga in 713)
- From 702 to 734
  - Osumi Province
  - Tane 多褹国 (small islands south of Kyūshū)
Satsuma　薩摩国 (divided from Hyūga in 702)
Iki 壱岐国　(an island in the Genkai-Nada region of the Sea of Japan north of Kyūshū)
Tsushima 対馬国　(a pair of islands between Japan and Korea, separating the Korea Strait from the Tsushima Strait)

Renamed Ezo Region to Hokkaidō, and place 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)