Provinces of Japan

Before the modern prefecture system was established, the land of Japan was divided into tens of kuni (国, countries). The English-language term provinces is used to encompass all of these units. Each province was divided into gun earlier kōri (郡, counties).

Early eighth century

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See also Gokishichido.

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• Kinai 畿内　(Area.near.capital-Within)
• 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)
• Kawachi　河内国
• Settsu　摂津国
• Yamashiro　山城国 (formerly also written as 山背国 or 山代国; this is the province in which Kyoto is located)
• Tosando 東山道　(East-Mountain-Route)
• Omi　近江国 (literally "(Near) Freshwater Sea," see Lake Biwako)
• Mino　美濃国
• Hida　飛騨国
• Shinano　信濃国
• Kozuke 上野国 (literally "Upper Keno," part of ancient Keno Province)
• Musashi　武蔵国
• 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")
• Tokaido 東海道 (East-Sea-Route)
• Iga　伊賀国
• Ise　伊勢国
• Shima　志摩国
• Owari　尾張国
• Mikawa　三河国
• Totomi 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
• Kazusa 上総国 (literally "Upper Fusa," part of ancient Fusa Province)
• Shimo-Usa 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/)
• Hokurikudo 北陸道 (North-Land-Route)
• Wakasa　若狭国
• Echizen 越前国 (part of ancient Koshi Province)
• Etchu 越中国 (part of ancient Koshi Province)
• Echigo 越後国 (part of ancient Koshi Province)
• Sado　佐渡国 (the largest island in the Sea of Japan (called East Sea in Korea), situated northwest of Niigata City)
• San'indo 山陰道 (Mountain-Back-Route)
• Tamba　丹波国
• Tajima　但馬国
• Inaba　因幡国
• Hoki　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)
• San'yodo 山陽道 (Mountain-Front-Route)
• Harima　播磨国
• Bizen 備前国 (part of ancient Kibi Province)
• Bitchu 備中国 (part of ancient Kibi Province)
• Bingo 備後国 (part of ancient Kibi Province)
• Aki　安芸国
• Suo　周防国
• Nagato　長門国
• Nankaido 南海道　(South-Sea-Route)
• 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 Honshu 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
• Saikaido 西海道　(West-Sea-Route)
• 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)
• Hyuga　日向国
• Tane 多褹国 (small islands south of Kyushu)
• Satsuma　薩摩国
• Iki 壱岐国　(an island in the Genkai-Nada region of the Sea of Japan north of Kyushu)
• Tsushima 対馬国　(a pair of islands between Japan and Korea, separating the Korea Strait from the Tsushima Strait)