Chikuzen Province facts for kids
Chikuzen Province (called Chikuzen no kuni in Japanese, or 筑前国) was an old area in Japan. Today, this land is part of Fukuoka Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū.
Sometimes, Chikuzen Province and its neighbor, Chikugo Province, were together called Chikushū (筑州).
Chikuzen Province shared its borders with other old provinces. These included Buzen Province, Bungo Province, Chikugo Province, and Hizen Province.
The main city, or capital, of Chikuzen Province was located close to a place now known as Dazaifu, Fukuoka.
Contents
History of Chikuzen Province
Mongol Invasions and the Kamikaze
At the end of the 1200s, something very important happened in Chikuzen. An army from Mongolia tried to invade Japan. Their ships landed right here in Chikuzen.
But a huge storm, like a very strong typhoon, hit the Mongol ships. This storm destroyed most of their fleet. The Japanese people believed this storm was a divine wind, sent to protect them. They called it kamikaze, which means "divine wind."
Changes in the Meiji Period
Later, in the Meiji period (which started in 1868), Japan changed how it was organized. The old provinces, like Chikuzen, were turned into new areas called prefectures.
Maps of Japan and Chikuzen Province were updated in the 1870s to show these new prefectures. This is how the country became what it is today.
Important Shrines and Temples
Chikuzen Province was home to some very important religious sites. These were special places for the Shinto religion, which is native to Japan.
The two main Shinto shrines of Chikuzen were Sumiyoshi-jinja and Hakosagi-gū. These were known as ichinomiya, meaning they were the most important shrines in the province. People would visit them to pray and show respect.
Related Pages
- Provinces of Japan
- Prefectures of Japan
- List of regions of Japan
- List of islands of Japan
- Chikuzen Seamount
See also
In Spanish: Provincia de Chikuzen para niños
