Tokaido Circuit Provinces
15 entries — explore the kanji meanings and true etymologies.
伊賀
Province
Tokaido
Iga Province
伊賀国 (いが)
Literal: "That Celebration"
The characters 伊 (that/this) and 賀 (celebration/joy) are phonetic (ateji). The name 'Iga' predates the characters and li…
伊勢
Province
Tokaido
Ise Province
伊勢国 (いせ)
Literal: "That Authority"
The characters 伊 (that) and 勢 (power/authority/energy) may be phonetic, but 'ise' also carries meaning. One theory deriv…
志摩
Province
Tokaido
Shima Province
志摩国 (しま)
Literal: "Island"
The name simply means 'island' (志摩 = shima), reflecting the peninsula and island geography of the Ago Bay area. The Shim…
尾張
Province
Tokaido
Owari Province
尾張国 (おわり)
Literal: "Tail/End Weaving"
The characters mean 'tail' (尾) and 'to weave/stretch' (張), but the name is phonetic. 'Owari' in ancient Japanese meant '…
三河
Province
Tokaido
Mikawa Province
三河国 (みかわ)
Literal: "Three Rivers"
The name means 'three rivers' (三, three + 河, river). Three major rivers—the Yahagi, Yata, and Toyo—flow through the regi…
遠江
Province
Tokaido
Totomi Province
遠江国 (とおとうみ)
Literal: "Far Lake"
The name means 'far lake' (遠, far + 江, lake/inlet). It refers to Lake Hamana (浜名湖), a large coastal lagoon. The province…
駿河
Province
Tokaido
Suruga Province
駿河国 (するが)
Literal: "Swift River"
The characters suggest 'swift horse' (駿) and 'river' (河), but the name is largely phonetic. One theory derives 'suruga' …
伊豆
Province
Tokaido
Izu Province
伊豆国 (いず)
Literal: "That Bean/Exit"
The characters (伊, that; 豆, bean) are phonetic. The origin of 'Izu' is debated. One theory connects it to 'izu' meaning …
甲斐
Province
Tokaido
Kai Province
甲斐国 (かい)
Literal: "Worth/Reward"
The characters mean 'armor/first' (甲) and 'worth/reward' (斐/斐). The name is largely phonetic, but 'kai' as a word means …
相模
Province
Tokaido
Sagami Province
相模国 (さがみ)
Literal: "Mutual Model"
The characters mean 'mutual' (相) and 'model/pattern' (模), but these are phonetic. The origin of 'Sagami' is uncertain. O…
武蔵
Province
Tokaido
Musashi Province
武蔵国 (むさし)
Literal: "Warrior's Hidden Place"
The characters combine 'warrior/military' (武) and 'hidden/concealed' (蔵), but these are phonetic. 'Musashi' appears in a…
安房
Province
Tokaido
Awa Province (Kanto)
安房国 (あわ)
Literal: "Peaceful Room/Chamber"
The characters mean 'peaceful' (安) and 'room/chamber' (房). The name may describe the sheltered bays and inlets of the Bo…
上総
Province
Tokaido
Kazusa Province
上総国 (かずさ)
Literal: "Upper総"
The name derives from the ancient province of 'Fusa' (総), which was divided into Upper Fusa (上総, Kazusa) and Lower Fusa …
下総
Province
Tokaido
Shimosa Province
下総国 (しもうさ)
Literal: "Lower総"
As the counterpart to Kazusa (Upper Fusa), Shimōsa (下総) means 'Lower Fusa/Sō.' Despite being geographically north of Kaz…
常陸
Province
Tokaido
Hitachi Province
常陸国 (ひたち)
Literal: "Constant Land"
The characters mean 'constant' (常) and 'land' (陸). The name may describe stable, reliable land or a perpetually inhabite…