Yamato Province - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Provinces of Japan

Before the modern prefecture system was established, the land of Japan was divided into tens of kuni , usually known in English as provinces. Each province was divided into gun ....

of Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, located in Kinai

Kinai

is a Japanese term denoting an ancient division of the country. Kinai is a name for the ancient provinces around the capital Nara and Heian-kyō. The five provinces were called go-kinai after 1760....

, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture

Nara Prefecture

is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....

in Honshū

Honshu

is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...

. It was also called . At first, the name was written with one different character ' onMouseout='HidePop("48586")' href="/topics/Names_of_Japan">Names of Japan

Names of Japan

There are many names of Japan in the English, Japanese, and other languages. The word "Japan" is an exonym, and is used by a large number of languages. The Japanese names for Japan are Nippon and Nihon . They are both written in Japanese using the kanji 日本...

), and for about ten years after 737, this was revised to use more desirable characters . The final revision was made in the second year of the Tenpyō-hōji

Tenpyo-hoji

was a after Tenpyō-shōhō and before Tenpyō-jingo. This period spanned the years from August 757 through January 765. The reigning empress was .-Change of era:* 757 ): The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events...

era (c. 758). It is classified as a great province in the Engishiki
Engishiki
-History:In 905 Emperor Daigo ordered the compilation of a new set of laws. Fujiwara no Tokihira began the task, but work stalled when he died four years later in 909. His brother Fujiwara no Tadahira continued the work in 912 eventually completing it in 927...

.

The name Yamato derives from the Yamato people

Yamato people

is a name for the dominant native ethnic group of Japan. It is a term that came to be used around the late 19th century to distinguish the residents of the mainland Japan from other minority ethnic groups who have resided in the peripheral areas of Japan, such as the Ainu, Ryukyuan, Nivkh, Ulta, as...

; the Yamato Period

Yamato period

The is the period of Japanese history when the Japanese Imperial court ruled from modern-day Nara Prefecture, then known as Yamato Province.While conventionally assigned to the period 250–710 , the actual start of Yamato rule is disputed...

in the history of Japan

History of Japan

The history of Japan encompasses the history of the islands of Japan and the Japanese people, spanning the ancient history of the region to the modern history of Japan as a nation state. Following the last ice age, around 12,000 BC, the rich ecosystem of the Japanese Archipelago fostered human...

refers to the late Kofun Period

Kofun period

The is an era in the history of Japan from around 250 to 538. It follows the Yayoi period. The word kofun is Japanese for the type of burial mounds dating from this era. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes referred to collectively as the Yamato period...

(c. 250–538) and Asuka Period

Asuka period

The , was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 , although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period...

(538–710). Japanese archaeologists and historians emphasize the fact that during the early Kofun Period the Yamato chieftainship was in close contention with other regional powers, such as Kibi Province

Kibi Province

was a ancient province or region of Japan, in the same area as Okayama Prefecture and eastern Hiroshima Prefecture. It was sometimes called .It was divided into Bizen , Bitchū , and Bingo Provinces in the late 7th century, and Mimasaka Province was separated from Bizen Province in the 8th century...

near present-day Okayama Prefecture

Okayama Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...

. Around the 6th century, the local chieftainship gained national control and established the Imperial court in Yamato Province.

The battleship

Battleship

A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...

Yamato
Japanese battleship Yamato
, named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was the lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing...

, the flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet during the World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, was named after this ancient province.

Capital

The provincial capital was Wakigami in Katsujō District (modern northeastern Gose

Gose, Nara

is a city in Nara Prefecture, Japan.In 2003 the city had an estimated population of 33,526 and a density of 552.78 persons per km². The total area is 60.65 km².The city was founded on March 31, 1958.-Neighboring municipalities:* Nara Prefecture...

), but accompanying the Heijō-kyō

Heijo-kyo

Heijō-kyō , was the capital city of Japan during most of the Nara period, from 710–40 and again from 745–84. The Palace site is a listed UNESCO World Heritage together with other places in the city of Nara Heijō-kyō (平城京, also Heizei-kyō, sometimes Nara no miyako), was the capital city of Japan...

capital transfer, it was moved to Takaichi District

Takaichi District, Nara

Takaichi is a district located in Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 14,624 and a density of 293.36 persons per km². The total area is 49.85 km².-Towns and villages:*Asuka*Takatori...

(Jōroku in modern Kashihara

Kashihara, Nara

is a city located in Nara, Japan. It is the second largest city in the prefecture.As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 125,547 and the density of 3,176.79 persons per km². The total area is 39.52 km²....

, where the Ōgaru and Ishikawa towns meet, called Karu no Chimata). Where exactly the capital was is guessed at by various sources, but not known for sure. There was no shugo

Shugo

was a title, commonly translated as "Governor," given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the shogun to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan...

's mansion; the Kōfuku-ji

Kofuku-ji

is a Buddhist temple in the city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school and is one of the eight Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.-History:...

played that role.

In the Setsuyōshū
Setsuyoshu
The was a popular Muromachi Period Japanese dictionary collated in iroha order and subdivided into semantic categories. The title word setsuyō means "reduce usage; economize" and alludes to the Lunyu...

, Toichi District is listed as the seat.

Temples

The provincial temple

Provincial temple

Emperor Shōmu of Japan established so-called provincial temples in each province of Japan...

for monks is popularly thought to have been Tōdai-ji

Todai-ji

, is a Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall , the largest wooden building in the world, houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu . The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the ...

, but it may have in fact been a different one in Kashihara. The one for nuns was Hokke-ji

Hokke-ji

, is a Buddhist temple located in the city of Nara, Japan.Hokke-ji was built by Empress Kōmyō in 745, originally as a nunnery temple on the grounds where previously her father Fujiwara no Fuhito's mansion stood. According to records kept by the temple, the initial construction went on until around...

.

The primary shrine

Ichinomiya (disambiguation)

Ichinomiya is historically the supreme shrine in each of the old provinces of Japan, and currently the name of several places in Japan:*a city:**Ichinomiya, Aichi containing the shrine of the old province Owari...

was Sakurai

Sakurai, Nara

is a city in Nara, Japan.As of 2007, the city had an estimated population of 63,321 with a density of 630.01 persons per km². The total area is 98.92 km².The city was founded on September 1, 1956....

’s Ōmiwa Shrine

Ōmiwa Shrine

, also known as , is a Shinto shrine located in Sakurai, Nara, Japan. The shrine is noted because it contains no sacred images or objects because it is believed to serve Mount Miwa, the mountain on which it stands. For the same reason, it has a , but no . In this sense, it is a model of what the...

, but the there have been no records stating as such found at the shrine itself. There were no secondary shrines

Ninomiya

Ninomiya is a Japanese name. It is usually spelled or and can be translated to "second shrine".Ninomiya is the name of several places:*Ninomiya, Tochigi*Ninomiya, KanagawaNinomiya is a popular Japanese surname, and may refer to:...

. The sōja was Kokufu Shrine (Takatori, Takaichi

Takaichi District, Nara

, Nara

Nara Prefecture

Kami of Yamato

Minamoto no Shigetoki
Minamoto no Suetō
Utsunomiya Nobufusa
Oda Hidanaga
Oda Toshisada
Oda Tatsusada
Oda Tatsukatsu
Mitsuki Naoyori
Honjō Fusanaga
Tōyama Kagetō
Jushii-ge Nakai Masakiyo
Jushii-ge Matsudaira Tomonori
Jushii-ge Matsudaira Naotsune
Jugoi-ge Kanō Hisachika
Jushii-ge Matsudaira Naonobu
Jushii-ge Matsudaira Tsunenori
Jushii-ge Matsudaira Naoyoshi

Districts

Ancient		Medieval	1 April 1896	Modern
rowspan=2\|	Sofu no Kami no Kōri Soekami District, Nara Soekami was a district located in Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district had an estimated population of 1,913 and a density of 89.60 persons per km². The total area was 21.35 km².- Merger :...	Soekami-gun	Soekami-gun	Nara-shi Nara, Nara is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture... , Tenri-shi Tenri, Nara is a city located in Nara, Japan. Tenri is the only city in Japan to be named after a religious group, the new religious movement Tenrikyo which has its headquarters in the city and believes it to be one among other energy centers of the world. Tenrikyo had recommended the name Yamabe, which is the...
Sofu no Shimo no Kōri	Soejimo-gun	Ikoma-gun Ikoma District, Nara Ikoma is a district located in Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 80,507 and a density of 1,569.34 persons per km². The total area is 51.30 km².- Towns and villages :* Ando* Heguri* Ikaruga...	Yamatokōriyama-shi Yamatokoriyama, Nara is a city located in Nara, Japan.As of August 31, 2006, the city has an estimated population of 93,280 and the density of 2,185.56 persons per km². The total area is 42.68 km².-Geography:... , Ikoma-shi Ikoma, Nara is a city located in the north-west end of Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of June 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 120,304, with 46,989 households and the density of 2,262.20 persons per km², and it is the third biggest population in the prefecture... , Ikoma-gun
	Heguri no Kōri			Heguri-gun
	Hirose no Kōri	Hirose-gun	Kitakatsuragi-gun Kitakatsuragi District, Nara Kitakatsuragi is a district located in Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 134,816 and a density of 1,886.07 persons per km². The total area is 71.48 km².-Towns and villages:KanmakiKawai...	Yamatotakada-shi Yamatotakada, Nara is a city located in Nara Prefecture, Japan.The city continues to develop as a local business and government center in the center of Nara Prefecture.- History :... , Kashiba-shi Kashiba, Nara is a city located in Nara, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 74,687 and the density of 3,080 persons per km². The total area is 24.23 km².The city was founded on October 1, 1991.- Education :... , Katsuragi-shi Katsuragi, Nara is a city in Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 35,622 and a density of 1060 persons per km². The total area is 33.73 km².... , Kitakatsuragi-gun
rowspan=3\|	Katsuragi no Shimo no Kōri	Katsuge-gun
Katsuragi no Kami no Kōri	Katsujō-gun	Minamikatsuragi-gun	Gose-shi Gose, Nara is a city in Nara Prefecture, Japan.In 2003 the city had an estimated population of 33,526 and a density of 552.78 persons per km². The total area is 60.65 km².The city was founded on March 31, 1958.-Neighboring municipalities:* Nara Prefecture...
Oshimi no Kōri	Oshimi-gun	Minamikatsuragi-gun
	Uchi no Kōri	Uchi-gun	Uchi-gun	Gojō-shi Gojo, Nara is a city located in Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of May 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 35,380 wit 13,864 households and the density of 121.17 persons per km²...
	Yoshino no Kōri Yoshino District, Nara Yoshino is a district located in Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 59,020 and a density of 26.14 persons per km²...	Yoshino-gun	Yoshino-gun	Gojō-shi, Yoshino-gun
	Uda no Kōri Uda District, Nara Uda is a district located in Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of 2005, the district has an estimated population of 42,752 and a density of 113.98 persons per km². The total area is 375.09 km².- Merger :...	Uda-gun	Uda-gun	Uda-shi Uda, Nara is a city located in northeastern Nara, Japan.On January 1, 2006, the towns of Haibara, Ōuda and Utano, and the village of Murō, all from Uda District, were merged to form Uda City. As of December 29, 2005 the population was 38,648 people. The total area is 247.62 km².Each former town became a ward... , Uda-gun
rowspan=2\|	Shiki no Kami no Kōri	Shikijō-gun	Shiki-gun Shiki District, Nara is a district located in Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 50,009 and a density of 1,607.49 persons per km². The total area is 31.11 km².- Towns and villages :* Kawanishi* Miyake* Tawaramoto...	Tenri-shi, Kashihara-shi Kashihara, Nara is a city located in Nara, Japan. It is the second largest city in the prefecture.As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 125,547 and the density of 3,176.79 persons per km². The total area is 39.52 km².... , Sakurai-shi Sakurai, Nara is a city in Nara, Japan.As of 2007, the city had an estimated population of 63,321 with a density of 630.01 persons per km². The total area is 98.92 km².The city was founded on September 1, 1956.... , Shiki-gun
Shiki no Shimo no Kōri	Shikige-gun
	Toichi no Kōri	Toichi-gun
	Takaichi no Kōri Takaichi District, Nara Takaichi is a district located in Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 14,624 and a density of 293.36 persons per km². The total area is 49.85 km².-Towns and villages:AsukaTakatori...	Takaichi-gun	Takaichi-gun	Kashihara-shi, Takaichi-gun
	Yamabe no Kōri Yamabe District, Nara Yamabe is a district located in Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 11,427 and a density of 103.46 persons per km². The total area is 110.45 km².- Merger :...	Yamabe-gun	Yamabe-gun	Tenri-shi, Nara-shi Nara, Nara is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture... , Yamabe-gun

Domains

Yagyū Domain
Kōriyama Domain
Koizumi Domain
Koizumi Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, with its headquarters within the city limits of present-day Yamato-Kōriyama, Nara. It was ruled for the entirety of its history by the Katagiri clan, founded by a younger brother of the famed Katagiri Katsumoto....
Yanagimoto Domain
Yanagimoto Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. Its headquarters were located in what is now Tenri, Nara.-List of lords:*Oda clan, 1615-1871 #Naonaga#Nagatane#Hidekazu#Hidechika#Shigezumi #Hideyuki#Nobukata#Hidekata...
Kaijū Domain / Shibamura Domain
Kujira Domain
Uda-Matsuyama Domain
Uda-Matsuyama Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Yamato Province . It was ruled for most of its history by the Oda clan....
Takatori Domain
Okidome Domain
Tatsuta Domain
Tawaramoto Domain
Kishida Domain
Yamato-Shinjō Domain
Gose Domain
Yamato-Gojō Domain

Capital

Temples

Kami of Yamato

Districts

Domains

See also