Comparison of past and present administrative divisions of Japan

The geography and administrative subdivisions of Japan have evolved and changed during the course of its history. These were sometimes grouped according to geographic position.

Kinai

• Yamashiro
• southern Kyoto
• Yamato (northern Nara without Yoshino)
• entire Nara
• Yoshino (created from Yamato in 716, later rejoined back in 738)
• southern Nara (Yoshino District + Gojō city)
• Kawachi
• eastern Osaka
• Izumi (created in 716 from Kawachi, then rejoined back in 740, later re-split in 757)
• southern/southwestern Osaka
• Settsu
• northeastern Hyōgo including Kōbe city
• northern/northwestern Osaka including Osaka city

Tōkaidō

Tōkaidō literally means 'Eastern Sea Way'. The term also identifies a series of roads connecting the 15 provincial capitals of the region.

• Iga (created in 680 from Ise)
• western Mie (Iga and Nabari cities)
• Ise
• central/northern/southern Mie
• Shima (created at the beginning of the 8th century from Ise)
• eastern Mie (Toba and Shima cities)
• Owari
• western Aichi (around Nagoya)
• Mikawa
• eastern Aichi (around Toyohashi)
• Tōtōmi
• western Shizuoka (around Iwata)
• Suruga
• central Shizuoka (around Shizuoka city)
• Izu (created 680 from Suruga)
• eastern Shizuoka (Izu Peninsula)
• Tokyo (Izu Islands)
• Kai
• entire Yamanashi
• Sagami
• southwestern Kanagawa (most)
• Musashi (transferred in 771 from Tōsandō)
• northeastern Kanagawa (Yokohama and Kawasaki cities)
• entire Tokyo (most)
• entire Saitama (most)
• western Chiba
• Awa (created in 718 from Kazusa, then rejoined back in 741, later re-split in 781)
• southern Chiba
• Kazusa (broke off from Fusa in the 7th century)
• central Chiba
• Shimōsa (broke off from Fusa in the 7th century)
• northern Chiba
• southeastern Ibaraki (around Kashima)
• part of Saitama (west portion of the Edogawa River)
• Hitachi
• central/northeastern Ibaraki

Tōsandō

The Tōsandō is a region which straddles the central mountains of northern Honshū. The descriptive name also refers to a series of roads connecting the provincial capitals. Tōsandō included Musashi Province after 711.

• Ōmi
• entire Shiga
• Mino
• southern Gifu
• Hida
• northern Gifu (around Takayama)
• Shinano
• entire Nagano (northern Nagano without Suwa)
• Suwa (created in 721 from Shinano, later rejoined back in 731)
• southern Nagano (Ina (Kamiina and Shimoina) and Suwa Districts)
• Kōzuke (broke off from Kenu during the 4th century)
• entire Gunma
• Shimotsuke (broke off from Kenu during the 4th century)
• entire Tochigi
• Uzen (broke off from Dewa during the Meiji Restoration in 1868)
• southeastern Yamagata (most)
• Ugo (broke off from Dewa during the Meiji Restoration in 1868)
• southwestern Akita (most)
• northwestern Yamagata (Akumi District)
• Mutsu (created in the 7th century from Hitachi)
• entire Aomori
• northwestern Iwate
• Iwashiro (created during the Meiji Restoration in 1868 from Mutsu)
• western/central Fukushima
• Iwaki (created during the Meiji Restoration in 1868 from Mutsu)
• eastern Fukushima
• southwestern Miyagi (Igu, Katta and Watari Districts)
• RikuchÅ« (created during the Meiji Restoration in 1868 from Mutsu)
• northeastern Akita (Kazuno city and Kosaka town)
• central/northeastern/southwestern Iwate (most)
• Rikuzen (created during the Meiji Restoration in 1868 from Mutsu)
• southeastern Iwate (Kesen District; and the cities of Rikuzentakata, Ōfunato and south portion of Kamaishi)
• entire Miyagi

Hokurikudō

• Wakasa
• southern/western Fukui
• Echizen (broke off from Koshi during the end of the 7th century)
• northern/eastern Fukui
• Kaga (created in 823 from Echizen)
• southern/western Ishikawa
• Noto (created in 718 from Echizen, then occupied in 741 by EtchÅ«, later re-split in 757 from EtchÅ«)
• northern/eastern Ishikawa
• EtchÅ« (broke off from Koshi during the end of the 7th century)
• entire Toyama
• Echigo (broke off from Koshi during the end of the 7th century)
• entire Niigata (most)
• Sado (occupied in 743 by Echigo, later re-split in 752)
• Sado city, Niigata

San'indō

• Tanba
• central/northeastern Hyōgo
• central Kyoto
• Tango (created in 713 from Tamba)
• northern Kyoto
• Tajima
• northern/northwestern Hyōgo
• Inaba
• eastern Tottori
• Hōki
• western Tottori
• Izumo
• eastern Shimane
• Iwami
• western Shimane
• Oki
• Oki District, Shimane

San'yōdō

• Harima
• southern/southwestern Hyōgo
• Mimasaka (created in 713 from Bizen)
• northeastern Okayama
• Bizen (broke off from Kibi during the 2nd half of the 7th century)
• southeastern Okayama
• BitchÅ« (broke off from Kibi during the 2nd half of the 7th century)
• western Okayama
• Bingo (broke off from Kibi during the 2nd half of the 7th century)
• eastern Hiroshima
• Aki
• western Hiroshima
• Suō
• eastern Yamaguchi
• Nagato
• western Yamaguchi

Nankaidō

• Kii
• entire Wakayama
• southern Mie
• Awaji
• Awaji city, Hyōgo
• Awa
• entire Tokushima
• Sanuki
• entire Kagawa
• Iyo
• entire Ehime
• Tosa
• entire Kōchi

Saikaidō

• Buzen (broke off from Toyo at the end of the 7th century)
• northeastern Fukuoka Prefecture
• northwestern Ōita Prefecture
• Bungo (broke off from Toyo at the end of the 7th century)
• central/southeastern Ōita Prefecture (most)
• Chikuzen (broke off from Tsukushi no later than the end of the 7th century)
• central/northwestern Fukuoka Prefecture (most)
• Chikugo (broke off from Tsukushi no later than the end of the 7th century)
• southern Fukuoka Prefecture
• Hizen (broke off from Hi no later than the end of the 7th century)
• entire Nagasaki (most)
• entire Saga
• Higo (broke off from Hi no later than the end of the 7th century)
• Kumamoto
• HyÅ«ga
• Miyazaki
• Ōsumi (created in 702 from HyÅ«ga)
• eastern Kagoshima
• Tane (created in 702 from HyÅ«ga, later occupied in 824 by Ōsumi)
• Kagoshima (Tanegashima and Yakushima Islands)
• Satsuma　(created in 702 from HyÅ«ga)
• western Kagoshima
• Iki (officially Iki-shima)
• Iki city, Nagasaki
• Tsushima (officially Tsushima-jima)
• Tsushima city, Nagasaki

Hokkaidō

• Oshima
• southern Oshima Subprefecture
• southern Hiyama Subprefecture
• Shiribeshi
• most of Shiribeshi Subprefecture (excluding Abuta District)
• northern Hiyama Subprefecture
• Iburi
• entire Iburi Subprefecture
• Yamakoshi District, in Oshima Subprefecture
• Abuta District, in Shiribeshi Subprefecture
• Chitose and Eniwa cities, in Ishikari Subprefecture
• Shimukappu village, Kamikawa Subprefecture
• Ishikari
• most of Ishikari Subprefecture (excluding Chitose and Eniwa cities)
• entire Sorachi Subprefecture
• southern Kamikawa Subprefecture (excluding Shimukappu village)
• Teshio
• entire Rumoi Subprefecture
• northern Kamikawa Subprefecture
• Kitami
• entire Sōya Subprefecture
• most of Abashiri Subprefecture (excluding part of Abashiri District)
• Hidaka
• entire Hidaka Subprefecture
• Tokachi
• entire Tokachi Subprefecture
• Kushiro
• entire Kushiro Subprefecture
• part of Abashiri District, in Abashiri Subprefecture
• Nemuro
• entire Nemuro Subprefecture
• Chishima (the islands of Kunashiri and Etorofu, later included Shikotan and the Kuril Islands)

Notes

References

• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; OCLC 58053128
• Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du Japon (Nihon Ōdai Ichiran). Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. OCLC 5850691