Tōkai (region)

In orange: Tōkai region in the broad definition with all four prefectures, as used, for example, as a proportional representation for the national lower house .

The Tōkai region ( Japanese 東海 地方 , Tōkai-chihō ) is a sub-region of the Chūbu region in Japan located on the Pacific coast of central Japan , the delimitation to the neighboring regions varies depending on the definition.

The boundaries of the sub-region are not clearly defined. In most cases, at least Shizuoka and Aichi belong to the region, so that Tōkai, together with the other subregions Chūō-kōchi and Hokuriku, cover all prefectures of the Chūbu region.

Depending on the definition, either three or four prefectures are counted as Tōkai:

1. Definition: Shizuoka , Aichi and Gifu
2. Definition: Aichi , Mie and Gifu
3. Definition: Shizuoka , Aichi , Mie and Gifu .
4. Definition: Shizuoka , Aichi and Mie

The region without Gifu roughly corresponds to the western provinces of the historical Tōkaidō ("Region / Großlandschaft / Reichskreis / Route Tōkai") in the Gokishichidō system.

In the Nankai Graben subduction zone off the coast of the region, severe earthquakes occur every 100 to 150 years, known as Tōkai or Tōnankai earthquakes.

Coordinates: 35 ° 16 ′ 0 ″  N , 137 ° 3 ′ 0 ″  E