Higo Province facts for kids

Map of old Japanese provinces in 1868, showing Higo Province

Higo Province (pronounced Hee-go) was an important old region in Japan. It was located on the island of Kyūshū, in the area we now call Kumamoto Prefecture. Sometimes, Higo Province was also known as Hishū (Hee-shoo), especially when grouped with another nearby province called Hizen.

Higo Province shared its borders with several other old provinces. These included Chikugo, Bungo, Hyūga, Ōsumi, and Satsuma Provinces.

Higo Province: A Look at Its Past

A view of Higo Province, from a woodblock print by Hiroshige in 1856

Japan's history saw many changes over time. During the Meiji period (1868-1912), a big change happened across the country. The old system of provinces, like Higo, was updated.

In the 1870s, these provinces were officially changed into new areas called prefectures. This is why Higo Province is now known as Kumamoto Prefecture. Maps of Japan were also updated to show these new prefectures.

Important Places: Shrines and Temples

In ancient Japan, Shinto was and still is a very important religion. Shinto shrines are places of worship. Each old province usually had one main shrine, called an ichinomiya.

For Higo Province, the main Shinto shrine was Aso-jinja. This shrine was a central place for people to visit and worship in the region.

Related Pages

• Provinces of Japan
• Prefectures of Japan
• List of regions of Japan
• List of islands of Japan

Images for kids

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  Statue of Hosokawa Tadatoshi within Suizen-ji Jōju-en.

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  Mon (family crest) of the Hosokawa clan.

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  Mon (family crest) of the Tokugawa shogunate.

See also

In Spanish: Provincia de Higo para niños