Hokurikudō
Hokurikudō (北陸道, literally, "northern land circuit" or "northern land region") is a Japanese geographical term.[1] It means both an ancient division of the country[2] and the main road running through the old Japanese geographical region.[3] Both were situated along the northwestern edge of Honshū. The name literally means 'North Land Way'. It also refers to a series of roads that connected the capitals (国府 kokufu) of each of the provinces that made up the region.
![](../I/m/Hokurikudo.svg.png)
When the Gokishichidō system was initially established after the Taika reforms, it consisted of just two provinces: Wakasa and Koshi. During the reign of Emperor Temmu, Koshi was divided into three regions: Echizen, Etchū and Echigo and Sado Island was added as a fifth province. Later, Noto and Kaga were carved out of Echizen to form seven provinces in total.
Notes
- Deal, William E. (2005). Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan, p. 83.
- Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Hokuriku" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 344, p. 344, at Google Books.
- Nussbaum, "Hokurikudō" in p. 345, p. 345, at Google Books
References
- Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128