Eastern Japan

Japanese: 東国 - とうごく

A geographical concept of Japan before the modern era. It was a region east of Kinai. In ancient times, it was the area east of Kinai, excluding Hokuriku, but in the Heian period, it gradually became more limited and came to refer to the countries east of Ashigara Pass in Sagami and the Bando region southeast of Usui Pass in Kozuke. There was a big difference in natural conditions such as vegetation between the eastern and western halves of the Japanese archipelago, with the Fossa Magna as the boundary. There was also a cultural difference between Eastern Japan, where a society of gatherers and fishermen was formed, and Western Japan, which had ties with the Korean peninsula. In Western Japan, a rice-growing culture was formed before Eastern Japan, and eventually the government based in Kinai expanded its influence to the main part of the Japanese archipelago, and also to Eastern Japan, except for northern Tohoku. The people who made up this government called Eastern Japan the Eastern Country, referring to the Kanto and Tohoku regions.

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

近代以前の日本の地理的概念の一つ。畿内から見て東方にある地方で，古代では北陸を除く近畿以東の地域，平安時代になると次第に限定され，相模の足柄峠の東，上野の碓氷峠の東南にある坂東などの諸国を指すようになった。フォッサマグナを境に日本列島の東半分と西半分とは植生など自然条件に大きな差異があり，また採集・漁労民の社会が形成された東日本，朝鮮半島とも関わりをもつ西日本に文化の違いもみられた。西日本には，東日本に先んじて稲作文化が形成され，やがて畿内を基盤とする政権が日本列島の主要部に影響を拡大し，東北北部を除く東日本にも影響を与えた。この政権を構成する人々は東日本を東国といって，関東・東北地方を指していた。

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