Echigo Province

Map of Japanese provinces (1868) with Echigo Province highlighted

Echigo Province (越後国, Echigo no kuni) was an old province in north-central Japan, on the shores of the Sea of Japan. It was sometimes called Esshū (越州), with Echizen and Etchū Provinces. Echigo and Kōzuke Province were known as the Jōetsu region. Today the area is part of Niigata Prefecture, which also includes the island which was the old Sado Province.

History

Echigo was established by the division of Koshi Province (越国 or 古志国, Koshi no kuni) in the end of 7th century with Iwafune and Nutari District. It occupied the northeast part of Niigata Prefecture today and was one of two border provinces with Emishi (the other is Mutsu). Echigo was given four districts of Kubiki, Koshi, Uonuma and Kanbara in 702. When Japan extended the territory a little northward in 708, Dewa District was established under Echigo. But this district transformed to Dewa Province in 712. Temporarily Sado Province had been merged between 743 and 752. Since the division of Sado in 752, the territory of Echigo had never been changed.

Echigo was ruled by Uesugi Kenshin and his heirs during the Sengoku Period; later it became a fief of Ieyasu's Matsudaira relatives.

Geography

This province was the northernmost part of the Hokurikudō (北陸道) Circuit. It bordered on Uzen, Iwashiro, Kōzuke, Shinano, and Etchū Provinces.

Historical districts

• Niigata Prefecture
  • Dewa District (出羽郡) - split off to become Dewa Province
  • Iwafune District (岩船郡)
  • Kanbara District (蒲原郡)
    • Higashikanbara District (東蒲原郡)
    • Kitakanbara District (北蒲原郡)
    • Minamikanbara District (南蒲原郡)
    • Nakakanbara District (中蒲原郡) - dissolved
    • Nishikanbara District (西蒲原郡)
    • Niigata-ku (新潟市)
  • Kariwa District (刈羽郡) - formerly part of Etchū Province, formerly known as Mishima District
  • Koshi District (古志郡) - formerly part of Etchū Province; now dissolved
  • Kubiki District (頸城郡) - formerly part of Etchū Province
    • Higashikubiki District (東頸城郡) - dissolved
    • Nakakubiki District (中頸城郡) - dissolved
    • Nishikubiki District (西頸城郡) - dissolved
  • Nuttari District (沼垂郡) - merged into Kanbara District (period unknown)
  • Santō District (三島郡) - split from Koshi District during Edo Period
  • Uonuma District (魚沼郡) - formerly part of Etchū Province
    • Kitaonuma District (北魚沼郡) - dissolved
    • Minamiuonuma District (南魚沼郡)
    • Nakauonuma District (中魚沼郡)

See also

• Kurokawa Domain
• Mikkaichi Domain
• Mineyama Domain
• Murakami Domain
• Nagaoka Domain
• Shibata Domain
• Takada Domain
• Yoita Domain

References

• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

• Murdoch's map of provinces, 1903