Tōsandō facts for kids

Tosandō (This map shows the provinces as they were later on).

Tōsandō (東山道) is a Japanese name for an old part of the country. It also refers to a main road that went through this area.

What is Tōsandō?

Tōsandō was a very old part of Japan. It was one of the main "circuits" or regions in a system called Gokishichidō. This system helped the government organize the country.

It was first set up a long, long time ago, during the Asuka period. Over many years, the government didn't use these circuits as much for daily tasks. But Tōsandō and the other seven regions stayed important. They were like traditional names for different parts of Japan.

Where is Tōsandō Located?

Tōsandō is found in the central mountains of northern Honshū, which is Japan's largest island. This region was made up of eight old areas called provinces. These included:

• Ōmi Province
• Mino Province
• Hida Province
• Shinano Province
• Kōzuke Province
• Shimotsuke Province
• Mutsu Province
• Dewa Province

After the year 711, another province, Musashi Province, was also considered part of Tōsandō.

Today, the land that was once Tōsandō covers parts of many modern prefectures. These include Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Iwate, Miyagi, Nagano, Shiga, and Tochigi prefectures.

Related Topics

• Tōhoku region
• Comparison of regions of Japan

See also

In Spanish: Tōsandō para niños