Historical Question: Kwanto, 8 Provinces

[Koga No Goshi]

Hey all,

I had a historical question. Since the provinces have become prefectures, it's difficult to look up online. Does anyone know for certain which 8 provinces in Sengoku Japan constituted the Kwanto? I know it's the Edo/Tokyo region... Musashi, Hitachi, etc. I just don't know exactly which 8 are part of it.

Thanks.

[Togakure]

"At the present time, however, the term Kwanto is applied to only the eight provinces of Musashi, Sagami, Kozuke, Shimotsuke, Kazusa, Shimosa, Awa and Hitachi, all lying immediately to the east of the old barrier of Hakone, in Sagami."

Source: http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/J/JA/JAPAN.htm

Note that the Awa mentioned here is not the Awa in STW located on the isle of Shikkoku. A province with an identical name existed near where Kazusa is in the game (for whatever reason it was omitted from STW).

[Adrian II]

Koga No Goshi, the eight are Awa, Shimosa, Musashi, Sagami, Kazusa, Hitachi, Kozuke and Shimotsuke.

In A.L. Sadler's The Maker of Modern Japan (1937) you will find the amusing story of Hideyoshi and Ieyasu 'pissing on the Kwanto' (sorry Moderators, historical accuracy demands the word).

[Koga No Goshi]

Adrian II, I actually own that book! I remember that story, that book was packed with great anecdotes about "the greats." I've read it front to back several times. :) The only unfortunate thing about it is that Sadler seems to have written it for people who specifically had already read a very significant amount in Japanese history. I know a bit but lots of times he simply assumes the reader knows who certain families and what certain cultural practices are, and geographic regions which today do not exist.

Thanks for the answer guys. I actually remembered Awa, in the Nobunaga's Ambition games there was Awa and no Kazusa, so it was switched. I guess they were two small provinces splitting up that tiny little peninsula, so that most games just combine them?

[Adrian II]

You are welcome, Koga No Goshi! And no offence, Togakure Ojonin. I was replying to Koga No Goshi's question when phones started ringing and mails had to be answered. That took me almost an hour during which I left the reply window open. When I finished my reply and clicked on 'submit', I saw that you had already answered before me.

Koga No Goshi, I read the book 'in one breath' as the Dutch expression goes. I discovered it in a university bookshop along with several other Tut Books (I would recommend Lafcadio Hearn's musings as well) and I was delighted precisely because Sadler takes a lot of knowledge for granted and concentrates on in-depth analysis, character development and the kind of rich detail that brings an incident or episode to life. I had to read up a lot, but luckily many Japanese chronicles are available in translations these days, and some modern authors are following in the footsteps of the brilliant Ivan Morris. There are now even children's versions of the Musashi stories. My nine-year-old son says they make good reading!