Toyo Province

Toyo ( Japanese 豊 国 , Toyo no kuni ) was one of the historical provinces of Japan in ancient times . It was located on the island of Kyūshū and extended over the eastern part of today's Fukuoka Prefecture and the entire Ōita Prefecture .

history

The first mention is in Kojiki from 712 in the section on the mythological birth of the Japanese islands ( 国産 み , Kuniumi ):

「次生 、 筑紫 島。 此 島 亦 、 身 一 而 、 有 面 四。 面 毎 有名。 故 、 筑紫 国 国 謂 、 白日 別。 豊 国 、 言 、 豊 日 別。 肥 国 、 言 、 豊 久 向日 向日 向日士 比 泥 別。 熊 曾 国 、 言 、 建 日 別。 」

“Next, the island of Tsukushi [= Kyushu] was born. Also [cf. Shikoku ] this island has one body and four faces, each face of which has a name. So the land of Tsukushi is called Shira-bi-wake , the land of Toyo is called Toyo-bi-wake , the land of Hi is called Take-hi-mukahi-toyo-kuji-in-wake , the land of Kumaso is called Take-bi -wake . called wake . "

Towards the end of the 7th century, the Toyo province was divided into the two areas of Buzen (German "Front Toyo") and Bungo (German "Rear Toyo"). Both countries together were later referred to as Hōshū ( 豊 州 , dt. “Toyo provinces”), Nihō ( 二 豊 , dt. “The two Toyo”) and Ryōhō ( 両 豊 , dt. “The two Toyo”). Both bu and hō are on-readings of the character of Toyo.