Japan is divided into 47 administrative regions. Many regions are called “ken,” as in Saitama-ken, Chiba-ken and Kanagawa-ken, but Tokyo is called Tokyo-to, and Kyoto and Osaka are Kyouto-fu and Osaka-fu. Hokkaido is the only one that is simply Hokkaido.
At present all local governments are treated equally. The reason they’re differently named has a historical background.
The modernization of Japan was brought about by the Meiji Restoration, which began around 1886.
Before that political power lay with the military samurai class with the shogun at the center.
Before the samurai era, all of the land in Japan was regarded as the property of the Emperor and the people were children to whose care he entrusted it.
Originally, the Shogun’s job was to guard the Emperor, however, as the samurai class gradually gained power, in the 12th century he seized the political reigns.
In the 19th century, Japan was threatened with colonization by the West. This lead to big political reforms, overruling the Shogunate’s diplomatic policies, to restore the authority of the Emperor. This was the Meiji Restoration.
The new centralized government decided to place administrative offices in different regions, so that their policies could be implemented smoothly.
However, there were about 300 domains, or han, in Japan at the time. Each han was bound together by strong ties to a lord and, like a small nation, had its own system of government.
If power was taken away forcibly from the han, this was expected to spark rebellions in many areas, leading to the outbreak of civil war.
Backed into a corner, the government focused on the fact that most of the han had huge debts.
The government came up with a plan to take on their debts, offering the lords salaried positions as governors, or granting them special status.
However, the new government had no money for this whatsoever.
Aware that a catastrophe was approaching, in 1871, the government took the risk of issuing an imperial order to abolish the han system.
Surprisingly, all the han lords accepted this order. The authority of the Emperor was absolute.
Bureaucrat SHIBUSAWA Eiichi was responsible for paying the government’s debt and solved this issue by issuing public bonds. Thus, the regime change was carried out without bloodshed.
The government renamed han as ken, while Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo inherited the “fu” designation that had been given to important areas under the direct control of the Edo shogunate.
Tokyo become “Tokyo-to” in 1947, combining Tokyo-fu prefecture and Tokyo city.
Because it was mainly populated by the Ainu people, Hokkaido used to be called “Ezochi,” but was renamed in 1869.
中央政権確立
chuuou seikenn kakuritsu
establish a central government
47の
yonnjuunana no
forty seven
行政地域
gyousei'chiiki
administrative regions
分かれています。
wakarete i masu.
is divided
多くは
ooku ha
many (regions)
埼玉県、
Saitamakenn
saitama-ken
千葉県
Chibakenn
chiba-ken
神奈川県
Kanagawakenn
(and) kanagawa-ken
呼ばれています
yobarete i masu
are called
東京都、
Toukyouto
(is called) Tokyo-to
京都府、
Kyoutofu
Kyouto-fu
大阪府
Oosakafu
and Osaka-fu
北海道
Hokkaidou
Hokkaido
そのまま
sono mama
the one that is simply
北海道
Hokkaidou
Hokkaido
自治体は
jichitai ha
local governments
されています。
sarete i masu.
are treated
呼び方が
yobikata ga
named
異なる
koto naru
differently
のは
noha
(the) reason they’re
歴史的な経緯が
rekishiteki na keii ga
(a) historical background
近代化は
kinndaika ha
(the) modernization
1886
sennhappyakuhachijuuroku
eighteen eighty six
始まった
hajimatta
(which) began
明治維新
meiji'ishinn
the Meiji Restoration
もたらされました。
motara sare mashita.
was brought about
それ以前は、
sore izenn ha
before that
将軍を
shougunn wo
(with the) shogun
中心とした
chuushinn to shita
at the center
武士による
bushi ni yoru
(the) military samurai class
政治が
seiji ga
political power
行われて い ました。
okonawarete i mashita.
lay with
武士の時代
bushi no jidai
(the) samurai era
より前は、
yori mae ha
before
国土は
kokudo ha
(the) land
天皇のもの
tennnou no mono
(the) property of the Emperor
民は
tami ha
(and the) people
その子どもで、
sono kodomo de
were children to
天皇の土地を
tennnou no tochi wo
it <emperor's land >
預かっている
azukatte iru
(whose) care he <Emperor> entrusted
みなされました。
minasare mashita.
regarded
将軍の役割は
shougunn no yakuwari ha
(the) Shogun’s job
もともと
motomoto
originally
天皇を
tennnou wo
(the) Emperor
護衛すること
goei suru koto
guard
武士は
bushi ha
(the) samurai (class)
次第に
shidai ni
gradually
勢力を
seiryoku wo
gained power
12世紀
juuni seiki
(the) twelfth century
政治の実権を
seiji no jikkenn wo
(he the) political reigns
握ります。
nigiri masu.
seized
19世紀、
juukyuu seiki
(in the) nineteenth century
植民地に
shokuminnchi ni
colonization
脅威にさらされます。
kyoui ni sarasare masu.
was threatened
幕府の外交策を
bakufu no gaikousaku wo
the Shogunate’s diplomatic policies
天皇
tennnou
(the) Emperor
権威を
kenni wo
(the) authority
復興させる
fukkou saseru
to restore
政治改革が
seiji'kaikaku ga
political reforms
行われました。
okonaware mashita.
lead to
明治維新
meiji'ishinn
the Meiji Restoration
新中央政府は、
shinn'chuuou seifu ha
(the) new centralized government
政府の意向を
seifu no ikou wo
their (govemment's) politics
徹底させる
tettei saseru
could be implemented smoothly
行政府を
gyouseifu wo
administrative offices
各地に
kakuchi ni
different regions in
つくることを
tsukuru koto wo
to place
決めます。
kime masu.
decided
その頃の
sono koro no
at the time
300
sannbyaku
three hundred
ありました。
ari mashita.
there were
各藩は
kaku hann ha
each han
藩主の下
hannsyu no moto
(a) lord
強い絆で結ばれ、
tsuyoi kizuna de musubare
was bound together by strong ties and
小さな国の
chiisana kuni no
(a) small nation
独自の
dokuji no
(its) own
政治が
seiji ga
system of government
行われていました。
okonawarete i mashita.
had
権力を
kennryoku wo
power
取り上げれば
toriage re ba
was taken away if
各地で
kakuchi de
many areas in
反乱が
hannrann ga
rebellions
内戦に
naisenn ni
civil war
陥ることが
ochiiru koro ga
leading to the outbreak (of)
予想されました。
yosou sare mashita.
(this) was expected
追い詰められた
oitsumerareta
backed into a corner
政府は、
seifu ha
(the) government
ほとんどの
hotonndo no
most of
莫大な借金を
bakudaina shakkinn wo
huge debts
抱えている
kakaete iru
had
ことに
koto ni
(the) fact that
目をつけます。
me wo tsuke masu/
focused on
政府は
seifu ha
(the) government
藩の借金を
hann no shakkinn wo
their <han’s> debts
肩代わりする、
katagawari suru
to take on
藩主を
hannsyu wo
(offering the) lords
給料を出す、
kyuuryou wo dasu
salaried position
特別な身分を
tokubetsuna mibunn wo
special status
与えるという
ataeru to iu
granting (them)
考え出します。
kanngae dashi masu.
came up with
新政府に
shin,'seifu ni
(the) new government
そのお金は全くありませんでした。
sono okane ha mattaku ari masenn deshita.
had no money for this whatsoever
破綻の恐れが
hatann no osore ga
aware that a catastrophe
迫る
semaru
was approaching
1871
sennhappyakunanajuuichi
(in) eighteen-seventy one
政府は
seifu ha
(the) government
危険を承知の上で、
kikenn wo shouchi no ue de
took the risk of
天皇の命により
tennnou no mei ni yori
(an) imperial order
藩を
hann wo
(the) han system
廃止するという
haishi suru to iu
to abolish
通達を出します。
tsuutatsu wo dashi masu.
issuing
驚いたことに、
odoroita koto ni
surprisingly
すべての藩主が
subete no hannsyu ga
all the han lords
通達を
tsuutatsu wo
this order <notice>
受け入れたのです。
uke ireta no desu.
accepted
天皇
tennnou
(the) Emperor
権威は
kenni ha
(the) authority
絶大でした。
zetsudai deshita.
was absolute
返済を担当した
hennsai wo tanntou shita
was responsible for paying (the government’s debt)
官僚の
kannryou no
bureaucrat
渋沢栄一は、
Shibusawa Eiichi ha
Shibusawa Eiichi
公債を
kousai wo
public bonds
発行することで
hakkou suru koto de
issuing
解決します。
kaiketsu shi masu
(and) solved (this issue)
政権交代は
seikenn'koutai ha
(the) regime change
血を流す
chi wo nagasu
bloodshed
完了しました。
kannryou shi mashita.
was carried out
政府は
seifu ha
(the) government
改めました。
aratamemashita.
renamed
大阪、
Oosaka
(while) Osaka
東京は、
Toukyou ha
(and) Tokyo
江戸幕府
edo'bakufu
the Edo shogunate
直接管理する
chokusetsu kannri suru
under the direct control
重要な地域
juuyouna chiiki
important areas
つけられていた
tsukerarete ita
(that) had been given
「府」の名称を
"fu" no meishou wo
(the) fu designation
引き継ぎました。
hikitsugi mashita.
inherited
東京は、
Toukyou ha
Tokyo
東京府
Toukyoufu
Tokyo-fu prefecture
東京市に
Toukyoushi ni
Tokyo city
再編され、
saihenn sare
combining
1947
sennkyuuhyakuyonnjuunana
nineteen-forty-seven
「東京都」と
Toukyouto to
Tokyo-to
なります。
nari masu.
become
北海道は
Hokkaidou ha
Hokkaido
「蝦夷地」と
"Ezochi" to
Ezochi
アイヌ民族が
Ainu minzoku ga
Ainu people
住んでいました
sunnde i mashita
lived
1869
sennhappyakurokujuukyuu
eighteen-sixty nine
改名されました。
kaimei saremashita.
was renamed