A Place Name “Tohoku” in the Early Meiji Era

Abstract

Today, “Tohoku” is the name of one of the eight major districts of Japan. The Tohoku District is located at the northeastern end of the main island, Honshu, and contains six prefectures.
Iwamoto (1989, 1993) argued that the origin of “Tohoku” was a contemptuous designation by the Meiji New Government of the enemy side, namely the Oh-u Allied Clans Power in northeastern Honshu in 1868 during the Boshin War. He maintained that the New Government likened the people of the area to “Toi-hokuteki”, the barbarians of the eastern and northern frontiers of ancient China. So, in his opinion, the name “Tohoku” is a shortened form of “Toihokuteki”.
However, this author found much evidence against Iwamoto's idea. For example, the Meiji New Government side used “Tohoku” in a letter to the Kubota (Akita) Clan, an exceptionally friendly one, writing “You are a gallant, powerful clan in Tohoku”. The Oh-u Allied Clans side also called themselves “Tohoku Clans”.
In those days, “Tohoku” meant more widely the eastern half of Honshu, because “Tohoku” was a generic name for “Tohoku Roads”, Tokaido, Tosando and Hokurikudo. So in the early Meiji Era (1868-ca.1877), “Tohoku” extended over not only the present Tohoku District of six prefectures, but the Chubu and Kanto Districts.