Hizen Province facts for kids

Map of Japanese provinces (1868) with Hizen Province highlighted

Hizen Province (肥前国 (Hizen no kuni)) was an important area in old Japan. It was like a large region or state. Today, this area is mostly covered by Saga Prefecture and Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū.

Sometimes, Hizen Province was called Hishū (error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)) along with Higo Province. Hizen shared its borders with Chikuzen and Chikugo provinces. The main capital city of Hizen Province was located near the modern city of Saga.

History of Hizen Province

View of Hizen Province, woodblock print by Hiroshige, 1854-1856

The name "Hizen" first appeared during the Nara period in Japan. This was a time when the province was separated from Higo Province. The name is even mentioned in an old Japanese book called the Shoku Nihongi.

Later, during the Meiji period (which started in 1868), Japan went through many changes. The old provinces, like Hizen, were changed into new areas called prefectures. Maps of Japan were updated in the 1870s to show these new prefectures.

Important Shrines and Temples

In ancient Hizen Province, there were special places for worship called Shinto shrines. The two most important Shinto shrines in Hizen were Kawakami jinja and Chiriku Hachiman-gū. These were known as the chief shrines, or ichinomiya, of the province.

Related Information

• Hizen Seamount is a underwater mountain named after the province.

• You can see old records at the National Archives of Japan: Hinozenshu sanbutsu zuko is a scroll from 1773. It shows pictures of the different industries and products from Hizen Province.

Images for kids

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  The site of Hizen's old Kokuchō (provincial office) in Saga.

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  The site of Hizen's Kokubun-ji (provincial temple) in Saga.

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  A map of Hizen Province from the Keichō Kuniezu series (a copy from 1837 of an original from around 1605).

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  A map of Hizen Province from the Shōhō Kuniezu series, made in 1647.

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  A map of Hizen Province from the Genroku Kuniezu series, made in 1701.

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  A map of Hizen Province from the Tenpō Kuniezu series, made in 1838. It shows Chikuzen in pink and Chikugo in yellow.

See also

In Spanish: Provincia de Hizen para niños