Kantō region

The Kantō region (関東地方, Kantō-chihō) is one of Japan's regions.^[3] The Japanese conventions of geography and history divide the nation into eight regions, including the Kantō region.^[4] These have been used since 1905 as basic units for description and comparison^[5] and as cultural markers.

Kanto region 関東地方
Region
The Kanto region in comparison to the rest of Japan
Closeup map of the areas within the Kanto region
Area
• Total	32,423.90 km2 (12,518.94 sq mi)
Population  (October 1, 2010)
• Total	42,607,376
• Density	1,300/km2 (3,400/sq mi)
GDP  (nominal; 2020)[1][2]
• Total	$2.1 trillion
• Per capita	$50,000
Time zone	UTC+9 (JST)

The regions of Japan are a fusion of historical divisions and modern administrative needs".^[6] The significance of the region in Japan is geographical, cultural and administrative.^[7]

History

In the late 7th century, the Tōkaidō region were identified as one of the eight largest administrative areas of the Imperial system (ritsuryo seido).

Gokishichidō is an ancient system of names for parts of the country, including Tōkaidō.^[8] Kantō covers an east-central area of the island of Honshū^[9] in roughly the same area as the traditional Tōkaidō.

The region of Kantō covers the east-central part of the island of Honshū.

In the Meiji period, the modern regional system was made by Imperial decree. Japan was divided into regions (chihō Archived 2017-03-24 at the Wayback Machine), including the Kantō region. A regional council (chihō gyōsei kyōgisai) was headed by the governor of the most powerful prefecture in the regional grouping. The council also included regional chiefs of central government ministries.^[10]

Table: Kanto Region

Province	Province capital	Pre-modern regions	Prefecture	Prefecture capital	Regions today	Notes
Awa	Minamibōsō	Tōkaidō	Chiba; Ibaraki	Chiba; Mito	Kantō	created in 718 from Kazusa, then rejoined back in 741, later re-split in 781
Hitachi	near Ishioka	Tōkaidō	Ibaraki	Mito	Kantō
Iga	Ueno	Tōkaidō	Mie	Tsu	Kansai	created in 680 from Ise
Ise	Uji-Yamada	Tōkaidō	Mie	Tsu	Kansai
Izu		Tōkaidō	Shizuoka; Tokyo	Shizuoka; Tokyo	Kantō	created in 680 from Suruga
Kai		Tōkaidō	Yamanashi	Kōfu	Chūbu
Kazusa	near Ichihara	Tōkaidō	Chiba	Chiba	Kantō	created from Fusa in the 7th centur
Mikawa		Tōkaidō	Aichi	Nagoya	Chūbu
Musashi	near Fuchu	Tōkaidō	Kanagawa; Tokyo; Saitama	Yokohama; Tokyo; Saitama	Kantō	transferred in 771 from Tōsandō
Owari	near Inazawa	Tōkaidō	Aichi	Nagoya	Chūbu
Sagami	near Hiratsuka	Tōkaidō	Kanagawa	Yokohama	Kantō
Shima		Tōkaidō	Mie	Tsu	Kansai	created at the beginning of the 8th century from Ise
Shimōsa		Tōkaidō	Chiba; Ibaraki	Chiba; Mito	Kantō	created from Fusa in the 7th century
Suruga		Tōkaidō	Shizuoka	Shizuoka	Chūbu
Tōtōmi		Tōkaidō	Shizuoka	Shizuoka	Chūbu

Over time, Kantō developed its own regional dialects, customs and unique traditional culture.^[11]

Timeline

• 1923 (Taishō 12): Great Kantō earthquake^[12] has its epicenter near Tokyo and Yokohama.^[13]

Geography

The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area. The Kantō covers seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa.

Subdivisions

North and South subdivisions are sometimes used:

• "North Kantō" (北関東, Kita Kantō) covering Ibaraki, Tochigi, and Gunma.
• "South Kantō" (南関東, Minami-Kantō) covering Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo and Kanagawa. South Kantō is often used as synonymous with the Greater Tokyo Area.

East and West subdivisions are sometimes used:

• East Kantō (東関東, Higashi-Kantō): Ibaraki, Tochigi and Chiba.
• West Kantō (西関東, Nishi-Kantō): Gunma, Saitama, Tokyo, Kanagawa (and Yamanashi Prefecture may be included).

Inland and Coastal subdivisions are sometimes used:

• Inland Kantō (関東内陸部, Kantō nairiku-bu): Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama (and Yamanashi may be included).
• Coastal Kantō (関東沿岸部, Kantō engan-bu): Ibaraki, Chiba, Tokyo and Kanagawa.

Greater Kantō

The Japanese national government defines the National Capital Region (首都圏, Shuto-ken) as the Kantō region plus Yamanashi Prefecture.

Japan's national public broadcaster NHK defines the "Kantō broadcast area" (関東甲信越, Kantō-kō-shin-etsu) which includes Yamanashi, Nagano and Niigata Prefectures for regional programming.

Related pages

Regions in the context of modern prefectures:

Kinai	Tōkaidō	Tōsandō	Hokurikudō
San'indō	San'yōdō	Nankaidō	Saikaidō

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

References

1. "International comparison of GDP of Japan's Prefectures: Tokyo's GDP is bigger than Indonesia's?!". realestate.co.jp. August 13, 2015. Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
2. "Yearly Average Rates". UKForex. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
3. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Kanto" in Japan Encyclopedia, pp. 478-479, p. 478, at Google Books
4. Library of Congress Country Studies, Japan (LOC), "Geographic Regions"; "The islands of Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu each form a region, and the main island of Honshu is divided into five regions". Retrieved 2012-4-3.
5. Tames, Richard. (2008). A traveller's history of Japan, p. 264.
6. Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), "Regions of Japan". Retrieved 2012-4-11.
7. Brandt, Kim. Kingdom of Beauty: Mingei and the Politics of Folk Art in Imperial Japan, pp. 218-219;Shapira, Philip et al. (1994). Planning For Cities And Regions In Japan, p. 193, citing Research Institute of Construction and Economy. (1991). "Fig. 2-7. "Regional Vitalization and Construction Administration," White Paper on Construction. Retrieved 2012-8-28.
8. Nussbaum, "Goki-shichidō" at p. 255.
9. LOC, "Kanto". Retrieved 2012-2-14.
10. Steiner, Kurt. (1965). Local Government in Japan, p. 62.
11. Web-Japan.org, "Regions of Japan". Retrieved 2012-4-15.
12. Nussbaum, "Taishō Tennō" at p. 929.
13. "Yokohama is Practically Destroyed," The New York Times. September 3, 1923. Retrieved 2012-2-15.

Other websites

• Murdoch's map of provinces, 1903