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33-505: Its abbreviated form name was Esshū ( 越州 ) , with Echizen and Etchū Provinces. Under the Engishiki classification system, Echigo was ranked as one of the 35 "superior countries" (上国) in terms of importance, and one of the 30 "far countries" (遠国) in terms of distance from the capital Koyoto. Echigo and Kōzuke Province were known as the Jōetsu region . In the late 7th century, during

66-725: A few were then divided to give a total of 45 by 1885. Adding Hokkaidō and Okinawa produced the current total of 47 prefectures. Provinces are classified into Kinai (in or near the capital, then Kyoto) and seven or eight dō (routes, or circuits ), collectively known as the Gokishichidō . However, dō in this context should not be confused with modern traffic lines such as the Tōkaidō from Tokyo to Kyoto or Kobe . Also, Hokkaidō in this context should not be confused with Hokkaidō Prefecture , although these two overlap geographically. No order has ever been issued explicitly abolishing

99-512: A major influence on her greatest work, The Tale of Genji , and many place names from Echizen appear in her stories and poems. Echizen was a strategically important province due to its proximity to Kyoto and Nara and due to its location on the Sea of Japan with contacts to the Asian continent. The province was traditionally famous for its production of washi paper. A text dated AD 774 mentions

132-607: Is based on the Gokishichidō ( 五畿七道 ) , which includes short-lived provinces. Provinces located within Hokkaidō are listed last. Equivalent to Shikoku and its surroundings, as well as a nearby area of Honshu Equivalent to Kyushu and its surroundings Equivalent to Hokkaido and its surroundings. Originally known as the Ezo Region , before being renamed and organized as 11 provinces (1869–1882). Detailed maps of

165-525: Is now the city of Fukui . Shibata himself only held Echizen Province for a few years, after which he was defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi . After the Battle of Sekigahara and the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate , the entire province was awarded by the first shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu to his second son, Yūki Hideyasu , who became the daimyō of Echizen Domain , from his base at Fukui Castle . During

198-600: Is true for some city names, for example to distinguish Yamato-Koriyama, Nara from Koriyama, Fukushima . Simplified names of provinces ( -shū ) are also used, such as Shinshū soba and Kishū dog . Some of the province names are used to indicate distinct parts of the current prefectures along with their cultural and geographical characteristics. In many cases these names are also in use with directional characters, e.g. Hoku-Setsu ( 北摂 ) meaning Northern ( 北 ) Settsu ( 摂津 ) area. The districts are still considered prefectural subdivisions, but following mergers or divisions of

231-728: The Nihon Shoki . The region as a whole was sometimes referred to as Esshū ( 越州 ) . In 507, during a succession crisis, the king of Koshi was chosen to become the 26th emperor of Japan , Emperor Keitai . In 701 AD, per the reforms of the Taihō Code , Koshi was divided into three separate provinces: Echizen, Etchū , and Echigo . The original Echizen included all of what is now Ishikawa Prefecture . In 718 A.D., four districts of northern Echizen ( Hakui District , Noto District (also called Kashima District) , Fugeshi District and Suzu District ), were separated to form Noto Province. During

264-578: The Asakura clan towards the start of the Sengoku period , who made Ichijōdani their headquarters. Under Asakura Yoshikage , Echizen enjoyed a peace and stability far greater than the rest of Japan during this chaotic period, partly due to his negotiations with the Ikkō-ikki . As a result, Echizen became a refuge for people fleeing the violence to the south. When Oda Nobunaga invaded Echizen, he defeated

297-678: The Battle of Hokuetsu in the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration . Following the establishment of the Meiji government , the various domains and provinces became prefectures with the abolition of the han system in 1871. These various prefectures merged to form Niigata Prefecture in 1876. Echigo Province consisted of fifteen districts: [REDACTED] Media related to Echigo Province at Wikimedia Commons Echizen Province Echizen Province ( 越前国 , Echizen-no-kuni )

330-514: The Edo period (1603 to 1868). The provinces coexisted with the han (domain) system, the personal estates of feudal lords and warriors, and became secondary to the domains in the late Muromachi period (1336 to 1573). The Provinces of Japan were replaced with the current prefecture system in the Fuhanken sanchisei during the Meiji Restoration from 1868 to 1871, except for Hokkaido , which

363-504: The Nara period , the poet Nakatomi no Yakamori was exiled to Echizen, where he wrote some of his 40 poems collected in the Man'yōshū , including his love letters to Sanuno Otogami no Otome . Another famous Man'yōshū poet, Ōtomo no Yakamochi , wrote many pieces about Echizen. . In 823 AD, the two eastern districts of Echizen (Kaga and Enuma) were separated to form Kaga Province. Kaga was thus

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396-619: The Northern and Southern Courts , Echizen was under the control of the Ashikaga shogunate and Northern Courts. The province was often used as a launching point for the shogunate's attack against the capital, and Echizen became the stage for a number of decisive battles of the war. During most of the Muromachi period , the Shiba clan ruled as shugo of Echizen. The Shiba were displaced by

429-517: The Ritsuryō law system that formed the first central government . Each province was divided into districts ( 郡 , gun ) and grouped into one of the geographic regions or circuits known as the Gokishichidō (Five Home Provinces and Seven Circuits). Provincial borders often changed until the end of the Nara period (710 to 794), but remained unchanged from the Heian period (794 to 1185) until

462-411: The Ritsuryō reforms as both administrative units and geographic regions. From the late Muromachi period , however, they were gradually supplanted by the domains of the sengoku daimyō . Under the rule of Toyotomi Hideyoshi during Azuchi–Momoyama period, the provinces were supplemented as primary local administrative units. The local daimyōs ' fiefs were developed. In the Edo period ,

495-406: The washi made in this area. Echizen is also well known for its ceramics . It is one of the so-called six old kiln sites of Japan (the others being Shigaraki , Bizen , Seto , Tanba , and Tokoname ). The exact location of the provincial capital and Provincial temple of Echizen are unknown, but are believed to have been in what is now the city of Echizen . For most of the war between

528-521: The Asakura clan, burned Ichijōdani Castle to the ground and re-established the provincial capital at Echizen-Fūchu, divided among his generals Fuwa Mitsuharu , Sassa Narimasa , and Maeda Toshiie . The province remained in their hands only for a short time, after which the three were granted larger fiefs of their own elsewhere. After the death of Nobunaga, control of Echizen passed on to Shibata Katsuie , who built his castle at Kitanosho Castle in what

561-468: The Meiji Restoration, the centre of political power shifted completely from Kyoto to Tokyo , and Echizen increasingly became a backwater. On August 29, 1871, Fukui Prefecture and Tsuruga Prefecture were established. However, on August 21, 1875 Fukui Prefecture was abolished, becoming part of Ishikawa Prefecture , whereas Tsuruga Prefecture became part of Shiga Prefecture . Fukui Prefecture

594-455: The area of the province also became tenryo territory (shogunal demenses) administered directly by the shogunate. During the Bakumatsu period , Matsudaira Shungaku , the 17th daimyō of Fukui Domain plays a major role in national politics, and acted as an intermediary to negotiate the surrender of pro-Tokugawa forces to the Meiji government at the end of the Boshin War . However, with

627-485: The early years of the Tokugawa shogunate , many nobles and aristocrats moved to Fukui city in hopes to win the favor of Hideyasu, who was widely expected to become the new shōgun. There was great disappointment and resentment when the shogunate passed on to Ieyasu's third son, Tokugawa Hidetada . However, Echizen remained a strategically important military and political base; the Tokugawa shōguns needed loyal daimyō in

660-616: The fiefs became known as han . Imperial provinces and shogunal domains made up complementary systems. For example, when the shōgun ordered a daimyō to make a census or to make maps, the work was organized in terms of the boundaries of the provincial kuni . At the Meiji Restoration , the han were legitimized as administrative units by the reform known as the Fuhanken Sanchisei , but they were gradually replaced by prefectures between 1868 and 1871 (urban prefectures were called fu and rural prefectures ken ). Provinces as part of

693-562: The last province to be created under the ritsuryō system, and Echizen received its current borders at that time. During the Heian period , the provincial governor of Echizen, Fujiwara no Tametoki , was the father of the celebrated author Murasaki Shikibu . Lady Murasaki left her hometown of Heian-kyō only once in her life, to go to Echizen with her father. She stayed for just over one year, and then returned home to marry Fujiwara no Nobutaka . Her experiences in Echizen are said to have had

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726-576: The provinces surrounding the imperial capital, and Echizen served as a powerful buffer between Kyōto and the Maeda clan of Kaga , who were not among the fudai (hereditary Tokugawa allies). Much of the province remained in the control of the Matsudaira clan until the Meiji Restoration ; however, due to internal conflicts, the kokudaka of Fukui Domain was much reduced from its initial size, and several new domains were created. A large portion of

759-532: The provinces they may be shared among several prefectures (such as the original Adachi District of Musashi , which is now divided between Adachi Ward in Tokyo and Kita-Adachi District in Saitama ). Many of these old provincial districts have been dissolved as their chief towns have been merged into larger cities or towns. See individual prefecture pages for mergers and abolitions of districts. The following list

792-625: The provinces, but they are considered obsolete. Nevertheless, their names are still widely used in names of natural features, company names, and brands. These province names are considered to be mainly of historical interest. They are also used for the names of items, including family names , most of which were popularized in or after the Edo period . Examples include sanuki udon , iyokan , tosa ken , Chikuzenni , and awa odori . Japan Rail and other railway stations also use them in names to distinguish themselves from similarly named stations in other prefectures, such as Musashi-Kosugi Station . The same

825-629: The reign of Emperor Monmu , the ancient province of Koshi Province ( 越国 or 古志国 , Koshi no kuni ) was divided into three separate provinces: Echizen , Etchū , and Echigo. The new Echigo Province consisted of Iwafune and Nutari Districts , and was one of two border provinces of the Yamato state with the Emishi (the other being Mutsu ). In 702, Echigo was given the four districts of Kubiki , Koshi , Uonuma and Kanbara from Etchū. When Japan extended its territory northward in 708, Dewa District

858-405: The start of the Muromachi period to the late Sengoku period . Under the Tokugawa shogunate of the Edo period , Echigo was divided among several feudal domains . The Hokurikudō highway passed through the province, and numerous post stations were established. The port of Niigata was also of major importance in the coastal kitamaebune trading system. The area became a battleground during

891-666: The successor of the provincial temple of Echigo Province; however, its records date only to 1562 when it was relocated to its present location by Uesugi Kenshin . Two Shinto shrines vie for the title of ichinomiya of Echigo Province: Yahiko Shrine in Yahiko , and Kota Shrine in Jōetsu. Echigo was ruled directly by the Hōjō clan during the Kamakura period , followed by the Uesugi clan from

924-459: The system of addresses were not abolished but, on the contrary, augmented. As of 1871, the number of prefectures was 304, while the number of provinces was 68, not including Hokkaidō or the Ryūkyū Islands . The boundaries between the many prefectures were not only very complicated, but also did not match those of the provinces. Prefectures were gradually merged to reduce the number to 37 by 1881;

957-464: The village of Itoshiro in Ōno District was transferred to Gifu. Echizen Province consisted of four districts: [REDACTED] Media related to Echizen Province at Wikimedia Commons Provinces of Japan Provinces of Japan ( 令制国 , Ryōseikoku ) were first-level administrative divisions of Japan from the 600s to 1868. Provinces were established in Japan in the late 7th century under

990-427: Was divided into provinces from 1869 to 1882. No order has ever been issued explicitly abolishing the provinces, but they are considered obsolete as administrative units. The provinces are still used in general conversation, especially in navigation and transportation, and referenced in products and geographical features of the prefectures covering their former territories. The provinces were originally established by

1023-479: Was a province of Japan in the area that is today the northern portion of Fukui Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan. Echizen bordered on Kaga , Wakasa , Hida , and Ōmi Provinces. It was part of Hokurikudō Circuit . Its abbreviated form name was ' ( Esshū , 越州) . Koshi Province ( 越国 , Koshi-no-Kuni ) was an ancient province of Japan and is listed as one of the original provinces in

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1056-546: Was established under Echigo. But this district was transformed into Dewa Province in 712. Sado Province was temporarily merged with Echigo between 743 and 752. Since the division of Sado in 752, the territory of Echigo remained constant to the Meiji period . The provincial capital of Echigo was located in Kubiki District, in what is now the city of Jōetsu , but its exact location is now unknown. The temple of Gochikokubun-ji ( 五智国分寺 ) , also in Jōetsu, claims to be

1089-586: Was re-established on February 7, 1881. Although Echizen no longer existed after 1871 and maps of Japan were reformed after that date At the same time, Echizen continued to exist legally for certain purposes. For example, Echizen is explicitly recognized in treaties in 1894 (a) between Japan and the United States and (b) between Japan and the United Kingdom . In a border adjustment between Fukui prefecture and Gifu Prefecture on October 15, 1958,

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