Echizen Province
The province of Echizen ( Japanese 越 前 国 , Echizen no kuni ) was one of the historical provinces of Japan in what is now the north of Fukui Prefecture .
The province was created between 689 and 692 through the splitting of the old Koshi ( 越 国 ) province into the provinces of Echizen ("front Koshi"), Etchū ("middle Koshi") and Echigo ("rear Koshi") as described in the Taihō Codex "). These were also collectively referred to as etsushū ( 越 州 , "Koshi province (s)"). The characters of Echizen were also read as Koshi no michi no kuchi in the early days . In 718 the Noto Peninsula was spun off as the Province of Noto and in 823 the Province of Kaga .
Echizen is known for washi (traditionally made paper); a text dated to the year 774 already mentions this. Washi from Echizen is now the most widely used artisanal paper in Japan.
The old provincial capital ( kokufu ) is believed to be at Takefu (today: Echizen ), in the Sengoku period the province was divided into numerous fiefs, in the Edo period the daimyō had its seat in Fukui .
Web links
- Information about Echizen Washi (Engl.)
Coordinates: 35 ° 58 ' N , 136 ° 22' E